America: My Time

Chapter 389 Businesses Need to Make Profits

Chapter 389 Businesses Need to Make Profits
Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly! It wasn't Morgan's fault, but rather that General Motors was changing so fast that they didn't know how to make changes. So they approached John, a business whiz. After his acquisitions, every company underwent rapid transformation and achieved remarkable growth, which led to this conversation.

Why not discuss countermeasures with John in secret, instead of letting this happen in such an environment? Perhaps it was a reminder to General Motors to restrain themselves and focus all their energy on the company's development, instead of insane greed that only thinks about profiting from the company without considering its growth and expansion.

Of course, all of this could also be something that the White House, or even other old guys, had planned long ago, wanting to use the General Motors situation to attack Japan, because many fools have shifted the blame onto Japan, believing that Japanese car companies are responsible for the current situation of General Motors!
John didn't care what the other party was thinking or what they were plotting. Those old guys had their own schemes, and John had his own ideas. He wouldn't change his decisions because of their existence, nor would he alter his plans for Japan because of their ridiculous methods. He wouldn't sacrifice his own interests for them.

When John discussed General Motors with Jimmy and DuPont, his words not only attracted the attention of the First Lady but also Reagan, the owner of the White House. While Reagan had only learned of John's prodigy status through other means, witnessing John's performance made him realize that this young man was not to be underestimated. No wonder he possessed such strength at such a young age, capable of confronting those old fogies head-on. Reagan needed to talk to this young man more to understand his true thoughts.

Now that John is shifting his focus overseas, it's having some impact on the United States, especially with the constant talk from some guys about shipping, Western Energy, and Legendary Entertainment all moving overseas. This situation makes Regan, the owner of the White House, a little uneasy, as it could affect his reputation.

John's conflict with those old guys is no secret; many people in the US business world know about it, and their battles have erupted more than once. Now, John doesn't want to get entangled with these old guys anymore and is turning overseas, which has made many people dissatisfied with the current US policymakers.

The fact that those old guys like Rockefeller could suppress John, and in such a vicious way, forcing him to abandon his development in the United States, made many people uneasy. If they could suppress John, they could also suppress others, which exacerbated some people's unease about the financial groups. If Morgan hadn't always stood by John's side, there would probably have been even more of this worry, and it might have even led to a bigger conflict. No one wants to be oppressed.

As the owner of the White House, Reagan was well aware that such voices in the United States were growing louder, and Morgan was also well aware of this. John was still rationally confronting these old guys. If those old guys really crossed the other party's bottom line, a terrible financial war would break out, and it might even trigger dissatisfaction or even resistance against the financial groups within the United States. At that time, Morgan would find it difficult to escape unscathed.

The greed of financial groups has aroused dissatisfaction among far too many people, yet Rockefeller and his old geezers continue to act recklessly. It's not that they haven't seen the hidden dangers, but rather that they are too greedy. They always think they can handle everything and that as long as they persist, John will eventually give in. They are simply overthinking things.

"John Bentley is now leading the relocation of Jeep. Is this loss worthwhile?" DuPont suddenly brought up the transformation of Jeep through Bentley's acquisition. This matter had caused quite a stir in the United States. Many people thought John's approach was too crazy. He could have taken advantage of the favorable opportunity to put pressure on the union and make the situation work in his favor, thus avoiding such a huge price.

"Well, it depends on your perspective and your positioning. In my opinion, the price is worthwhile. Many people only see the costs Jeep paid—not only did they lose skilled workers, but they also had to retrain new ones. Both the environment and personnel suffered heavy losses, impacting production. But that's just their view; they only see immediate gains. Bentley sees long-term benefits and doesn't care about these short-term gains. Our philosophy is the opposite. We want a united company, not a workers' group that constantly causes trouble. At the beginning of the acquisition, we did a lot of preparation for the workers and unions, but they still acted this way after the acquisition. This shows they are unreliable and untrustworthy. Such workers and unions will hinder the company's development." Instead of compromising with them time and again, it's better to cut the Gordian knot and resolve the issue directly, making them understand that wrongdoing has consequences, and that companies won't allow them to make unlimited demands. This is just the personnel aspect; there are also cost considerations. Mexico is close to the US, and their labor costs are low. Even with new training, it's beneficial to the company in the long run. At least they won't repeatedly provoke the company or make demands. Companies need to be profitable, not charities. If a company can't even make a profit, what's the point of its existence? I can say with certainty that those guys will pay the price for their actions, and the entire city of Detroit will pay the price for their stupidity. Without a satisfactory corporate environment, companies will inevitably be abandoned. Everyone must take responsibility for their actions.” As these words fell, DuPont was deep in thought, the First Lady was deep in thought, Reagan, the owner of the White House, was deep in thought, and some business elites who were concerned about John were deep in thought. The greed of workers and the behavior of unions certainly need to be restrained; otherwise, incidents like the Jeep scandal will continue to occur.

In the capital market, companies need to make profits. Only with profits can companies achieve better development. Countless companies have failed due to worker greed and the madness of labor unions. Detroit's foolish actions will inevitably lead to its rejection by all businesses; no one wants to invest in such a crazy city.

“John, I understand your choice, but aren’t you worried about the impact this will have on the company’s reputation?”

"A company does need a good reputation, because only with a good reputation can it achieve greater development. But the premise is that your company can survive. I don't see Jeep Motors surviving in the US if it compromises. You should know very well what the situation is like at AMC US Motors. How did it get to where it is today? Workers, unions. So Jeep Motors doesn't want to follow in its footsteps. It has no choice but to make a tough decision. The company should cut its losses in time and preserve its own vitality to the greatest extent possible, instead of being bleed dry by the other party and eventually heading towards destruction."

Although John's words were unpleasant, everyone knew they were true. When companies face issues with workers and unions, most will only choose to compromise, which only fuels the greed of the other party. Once it happens, it will happen again and again, gradually draining the company's vitality.

"John, Bentley Motors is gradually shifting to its own sales and repair services. Aren't you worried that your daily sales will be affected? After all, your sales force isn't as strong as that of a professional sales company!"

"Every advantage has its disadvantages, and nothing is perfect. Bentley Motors made this choice out of necessity. Those sales companies, like the workers and unions we mentioned before, all wanted to bleed Bentley dry. Under these circumstances, we still chose to cut our losses and do sales ourselves, free from their threats. Although it required a lot of investment in the early stages, the result was good. At least we retained many loyal workers."

"John, I don't understand. After something so crazy happened at Jeep, will there still be loyal employees in the company?"

"Yes, every company has loyal employees. Although many workers are opposed to the company, there are still quite a few loyal employees. We cannot abandon these employees, nor can we let them be affected by the company's decisions. This is a responsibility that the company must bear. For these employees, we must do our best to ensure that their lives are not affected. Establishing their own sales channels is a good solution. If they do not want to relocate with the company, they can choose to transfer to the sales and maintenance department! I know many people say that Bentley is heartless and cold-blooded. But human touch depends on the type of worker. Those workers who have no sense of belonging to the company are not treated this way." It's unnecessary to appeal to their personal feelings. No matter how many benefits you give them, you won't get anything in return. Whether it's Bentley or my other companies, we adhere to this principle. We will do everything in our power to ensure the livelihoods of loyal employees are not affected; this is the company's responsibility. For those employees who are too self-serving, we can only ignore them. The relationship between a company and its workers is equal. Workers cannot constantly demand various benefits from the company while being unwilling to shoulder any responsibility for the company. Therefore, I think American workers should learn from Japan. Look at what Japanese workers are like, and then look at what American workers are like. I believe everyone will have a direct understanding!

(End of this chapter)