Happy Holidays 2009
Wow! What a year to remember…or actually to forget! Even though we all knew it was going to be a challenging 12 months, working twice as hard for seemingly a lot less, living it on a daily basis was really not fun. The good news is: most of us survived without totally collapsing on the floor in fetal positions.
And the really good news? 2010 will be much easier to handle. We are now better accustomed to this new business landscape, and have hopefully made many of the major adjustments required, revised strategies to capitalize on a different marketplace, and have set reasonable goals for 2010.
In some ways 2009 was a successful year for many businesses. At Cadet we focused our attention on applying LEAN principles throughout the business. We held over 26 KAIZAN events involving 67 employees in the plant and office that eliminated wasteful activities and improved our productivity. We helped analyze our distributors and retailers inventories to be sure they had enough key items, but no slow moving or overstocked products. We adjusted our sales strategies to keep everyone competitive, and kept our sales force out in the markets working hard to pull product through all channels.
By ‘right sizing’ our business, continuing to lower our operating costs through our LEAN initiatives, and globally seeking out the best suppliers for our component and materials, we positioned the business to be a stronger manufacturer in 2010 and beyond.
As the cost of energy continues to rise, the reduction of residential energy usage becomes even more paramount, we believe that zonal electric heat will continue to be the best solution for low cost installation and lower energy consumption. There is no better way to provide an economical comfort solution to the home owner then installing zonal electric heat. It is 100% efficient, easy to install, and provides heat only in the rooms being lived in. Many homes with central furnaces are finding that by turning down their central thermostat and adding Cadet heaters to main living areas, their heating costs are dramatically lowered.
Everyone at Cadet wishes you and your family a meaningful and joyous Holiday Season. We thank each of you for your continued support and business. Please let me know if there is anything we can do to better serve you.
Hutch Johnson
President