RE: SOTI Report at SME

From: Jim Williams (JIM@paramountind.com)
Date: Wed Apr 28 1999 - 21:37:44 EEST


Hello Mike,

All I can say is WOW! To think I was at RP&M'99 to hear of your demise
first hand. Better you then me is all I can say.

Two maybe three weeks before RP&M on a rainy Pennsylvania Sunday
afternoon I decided to do a little competitor investigation. Since I
didn't remember "carpdiem" as Compression's site name I decided to type
in, what else, "Compression". What do you know! A brand new site with
some very interesting marketing initiatives. Nice job!

Regards,
Jim Williams, President and CEO
Paramount Industries
Rapid Product Development & Manufacturing Specialists
2475 Big Oak Road
Langhorne, PA 19047
215.757.9611 voice x229
215.757.9784 fax
888.RPTOOLS toll free
www.paramountind.com * watch for new page May '99
sales@paramountind.com * request company sales information
ftp.paramountind.com * digital data transfer

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Vincek [mailto:mike.vincek@carpediem.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 9:01 AM
To: Lightman, Allan J
Cc: 'rp-ml'
Subject: Re: SOTI Report at SME

Allan

I agree with your statments. However, Terry Wholers needs to get his
facts
right before he makes verbal statments to the industry. I have received
numerous calls since your recent meeting in Chicago regarding
Compression Inc.
To set the record straight Compression did not go under we did not close
our
doors. In fact Compression is doing very well as we move forward with
the
reorganization. Where is Terry getting his information?

Lightman, Allan J wrote:

> I have found it somewhat painful to read the rather acrimonious
evaluation
> of Terry Wohlers' State of the Industry report at the recent RP
meeting in
> Chicago. Particularly distressing is that the participants are all
> champions of the RP arena and, I think, fervently work for the success
of
> this technology. Terry has been a champion in every sense: through
> publications in a variety of journals, initiating the foundation of
> societies (RPA/SME) and organizations (GARPA), and interfacing with
> government sponsors to aid with RP technology development. Collecting
> statistical data on the state of the industry is perilous, at best.
Most
> sources view this information as 'Competition Sensitive.' And while
> everyone wants to know how the industry is faring, few want everyone
to know
> how they are doing in particular. For the past years, while expansion
was
> in progress, nobody questioned the veracity of Terry's figures or his
> sources. Now, when he reports a concern about stagnation, he is
pilloried.
> (Somewhat of a double standard.)
>
> I have assisted Terry collecting data on government sponsorship of RP
> related activities. Every year this information becomes more
difficult to
> assess as the focus of research shifts from technology development to
> applications and the RP effort gets integrated into a larger scope.
In a
> similar way, as RP systems become integrated into mainline
manufacturing,
> proportioning the 'RP business' becomes ever more difficult.
Evaluating the
> health of the industry and its future potential is more tenuous, but
vital
> for potential new entrants. (To misquote Yogi Bera: It is very
difficult to
> make predictions, especially about the future.)
>
> The issue is serious. But when you don't like the message, it does
not
> improve the situation to attack the messenger. I encourage all those
who
> want more accurate statistical data to work together to develop a
better
> method of measurement. Terry has shown exemplary integrity and he
carefully
> considers the impact of every statement he makes in his report.
>
> > ------------------------------
> > Allan J. Lightman, Ph.D.
> > Senior Research Scientist
> > University of Dayton Research Institute
> > 300 College Park
> > Dayton, OH 45469-0150, USA
> >
> > Voice: +1-937-229-3966
> > FAX: +1-937-229-3433
> > E-mail: lightman@udri.udayton.edu
> > WWW: http://www.udri.udayton.edu/rpdl
> >
> >
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/

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