James Page shares an intimate look at his ownership of several small manufacturing companies in this guide for employees, managers, and aspiring entrepreneurs. He takes a candid look at how he entered various businesses, the product lines he produced, and the ultimate dispensation of those product lines. The book is a compilation of why this and why now thought processes and an explanation of how he navigated serving different industries over several decades.
His initial product line was agricultural equipment, which was a failure. It took years for him to jettison the cognitive baggage that he carried as a result but getting over it and moving forward served to be an important lesson. Page also highlights the importance of hiring the right staff and argues that an annual employee review is almost a crime. Employees, he says, need constant feedback and this needs to happen at every level of the company. Filled with photos that illustrate concepts and products, this essential book to risk-taking and managing processes and people is a must-read for anyone focused on developing a top-performing manufacturing business.
