Part of the reason is that Sears simply didn't sell as many kit houses in that time period, as the Modern Homes business was still getting off the ground. I think another reason is that houses built from 1908-1913 in the older suburbs tended to be located in areas that were part of of suburban downtown redevelopment efforts and were consequently razed. I've found pre-1913 Sears houses in places like the Norwood Park neighborhood of Chicago, Des Plaines, Woodstock, and now, Itasca.…
2) A huge restructuring of $337.6 million (pre-tax) was announced in November 1996. The large amount of the restructuring and asset impairment charges resulted in a great decrease on the company’s income and the company’s value.…
C. Competitive edge: Caterpillar dominated almost all market segments supported by a large geographic base and many product lines.…
Upon being hired, he began looking over the financial statements, particularly the balance sheet as of December 31, 1998 and the pro forma income statement for 1999 as shown in Figure 1 and 2, respectively. His immediate reaction was that the firm had not made the move to automation that others in the industry had. The company’s manufacturing process was highly labor intensive as indicated by the fact that fixed assets (net plant and equipment) represented only $8 million out of total assets of $24 million (Figure 1) and that variable costs per unit were $25 in comparison to a sales price of $30 per unit (Figure 2).…
(c) Information about the general state of the economy and the industry of US market:…
In response to the quality crisis, Mattel’s tactic was to recall all problematic products and make public apology. Mattel’s strategy was successful. One of its contract manufacturers in China bankrupted because of the recall issue and the plant owner committed suicide. In contrast, Mattel protected the damage of its reputation to a bare minimum with effective public relationship methods. Mattel worked with the CPSC to launch an external media blitz, and its CEO apologized to parents in a video on internet. Mattel also established new corporate responsibility organization and new three-point safety check system. Although Mattel was blamed for delaying reporting to the CPSC for 1.5 months and shifting the blame to China. Its crisis management methods had given the company maximum protection from the crisis.…
Excessive cash and undervalued stock price forced Ford to conceive an unprecedented cash payout system - Value Enhancement Plan in 2000. For a dual-stock-structure company, this recapitalization did favor much Ford family which held the dominant voting power by giving it larger flexibility, enhanced control with less capital as well as tax benefit and confidence improvement. While the common shareholders may benefit less compared to other alternatives, as like a stock repurchasing plan, given their preferences and different interest to the family.…
Caterpillar Inc. was originally organized as Caterpillar Tractor Co. in 1925 in the State of California. It was created in a merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and the C. L. Best Tractor Company. In 1986, the company reorganized as Caterpillar Inc. The company’s headquarters is now located in Peoria, IL. Their principal business activity is the design, manufacturing, marketing and sales of machinery and engines. They also sell financial products and insurance to customers through a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world 's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. With more than $70 billion in assets, Caterpillar is ranked number one in its industry.…
Prior to year 2010, GE’s previous CEO, Jack Welch, had built GE into a highly disciplined, extremely efficient machine that delivered consistent growth in sales and earnings. However, after Immelt took over GE from Welch, Immelt recognized the necessity for strategic change in the GE when he took considering the situation of economic downturn. 9/11issue and Enron Scandal triggered a downturn in the economy, which in turn affected GE’s stock market price. Immelt saw little need to challenge the basic business model no which GE had operated for decades.…
For more than 75 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been building the world’s infrastructure, and in partnership with Caterpillar dealers, has allowed for positive and sustainable change on every continent. A Fortune 100 company, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. The company is a technology leader in construction, transportation, mining, forestry, energy, logistics, electronics, financing and electric power generation.…
In the 1980s a stronger dollar hurt Caterpillar’s competitive position, but in 2008 a stronger dollar did not seem to have the same effect. What had changed?…
Grant Nauta AHP Case Study Because American Home Products (AHP) currently operates with virtually no debt, their financial risk is very small. This shifts the burden heavily towards business risk. A porter’s five forces analysis is appropriate to determine the exact levels of business risk for American Home Products. First, the threat of substitutes is a risk that AHP cannot afford to ignore. Because they spend very little on Research and Development, and have to rely on their marketing to catch up to competitors, they always seem to be a step behind their competitors. In the industries that AHP operates, switching costs are very low and consumers based on anything from price to overall sentiment. Also, if a competitor markets a product more heavily than they do and creates a perceived level of product differentiation, this could harm demand for their products as well. Based on all of these facts, I would argue that the threat of substitutes is high. Next, the threat of entry of new competitors is something that must be addressed. The industries that AHP operates in happen to be very mature industries. Without some sort of revolutionary technology or change to make these industries more dynamic, it would be difficult for a new company to enter any of the industries that AHP competes in and be competitive. Also, because the industries AHP operates in are so established, it would take a very large capital requirement to even stand a chance of competing. Based on these factors, I would contend that the threat of new competitors is low. Furthermore, the intensity of competitive rivalry is something that can certainly affect AHP. Again, because they spend very little on research and development, a first mover advantage is something they will rarely, if ever possess. However, they do hold a comparative advantage in their levels of advertising and marketing. Though this helps, it does not make up for never having a first mover advantage. Another factor that does not…
Caterpillar has the strategy of differentiation base on extensive dealer network and excellent spare parts availability.…
During 2010, Kitchen Best Appliance Co. Ltd was experiencing various problems with inappropriate business practices. Top management has raised concern about these problems and they should be addressed so that Kitchen Best can achieve a sustainable expansion. The crises reveal that there is internal and external misconduct by the top management and company’s business partners. Company may suffer losses and commit an offense if no immediate action is taken to prevent further deterioration. Changes in management system of Kitchen Best are required and this report is intended to propose tactics and solutions for improving internal control systems.…
The rapid development in science and technology has paved its way for sophistication by automation. People now a days, are inclined towards devices that are sophisticated, simpler to use and secure. In this project entitled “Home Appliances Control using Different Controlling Modes “, a prototype is developed which shows how the best utilization of technology can be made in order to secure a home not only from threat but also by ensuring all the safety measures. The project also throws light on the sophistication of the house by monitoring and controlling the devices using RF and VOICE technologies. The main motto of the project is to ensure complete safety and automate all the devices. This is done by interfacing all the devices to a PIC microcontroller”PIC16F84A”. Apart from alerting the user regarding threats a feature is provided where the user can monitor and control all the devices such as tube lights, fans, air conditioners, refrigerators etc. whenever there is a power cut the user is immediately intimated.…