This cache is the second of a series dealing with the exciting topic of organizational theory (Ohhh yeahh...one of my favorites, alright!!!???), as it applies to the strategies utilized by different automobile manufacturers to manage their operations through the mid-twentieth century period of rapid growth; in this case, we look at a manufacturer which assembled itself into a truly “multinational” organization by combining its automobile manufacturing operations in Great Britain and the U.S., as well as by horizontally integrating into the production of farm tractors in both nations (they had moved into the manufacture of farm motive power very early in the 20th century). This multinational character has no doubt been increasingly useful to them in recent times, as almost all U.S. businesses have had to look abroad in the growingly global economy.
I was exposed to this attribute of the firm as a young man, while employed as a mechanic at a farm equipment dealer in a small town in a remote valley in Southeast Idaho. The dealer held a number of different franchises for farm equipment, the business needing to reach out to the diverse preferences of a very limited number of customers in the valley! (The sign at the edge of town said there were 542 residents when I moved there in the mid 70's, although I noticed that the town leaders didn't “up” the number to reflect the addition of my wife and myself as residents, so maybe that was just an estimate!!? The town has since shrunk somewhat, with the most recent census now listing the population as 483!!?)
There were a number of farms and ranches in the surrounding Lost River Valley, and one day a fellow from “the first family to spend the night and stay on in the valley” (always a source of considerable prestige in a remote Western location) brought in an old rusty blue tractor on a trailer; he said that it wouldn't start and asked if I could get it running. I had never seen one like it before, but from its style and features it was what was called an orchard, or utility, model tractor. I troubleshot the problem, concluding it needed a new injector pump, and when my boss came in I talked to him about it, also asking him about the model. He said that it was a Fordson Major, which was a tractor manufactured in England and imported for sale in U.S. This intrigued me, as it essentially represented a firm doing business in two different countries, importing a model they produced overseas to compete with its own products domestically (ever the business major I am!!!)!!? Turned out, the tractor was used by its owner as a source of power for a mobile irrigation pump (the latter were commonly used in the valley, which depended heavily on irrigation water); the Major had an independent power take off (as opposed to other commonly available older tractors which lacked same), making it a good choice for such application.
The parts fellow ordered a replacement pump for it; the part was “pricey”, but then it probably also came from overseas!!! I put in the new pump and tried to start the tractor up; but it still would not start!! After looking at several other possible but unlikely problems and finding nothing wrong, I concluded that the replacement injector pump must also be defective (how likely is that!!?). We ordered another pump and, when it arrived, I installed it; as they say, “The second time was the magic”, and the tractor fired right up!
To wrap things up, one thought here that I have acquired through such experiences - and from Sherlock Holmes too - is that “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth!” Another oddity here was that, later in life I was working near San Diego, CA and one day, in chatting with the neighbor lady from over the bluff in the avocado grove where we lived, I found out she had gone to college with the daughter from that pioneer family in Idaho with the broken tractor!! And she had even gone to visit their beautiful ranch in the remote corner of the high mountain valley where I had worked!! Small world.