Question What's wrong with this picture?

[MapNerd]

Okay, but Marathon coaches sell for millions of dollars. Each and every one. I’d bet their service rates are above average as well.

 

[sheridany]

150/hr. Cheaper than a few places I have been to.

 

[J&JD]

Okay, but Marathon coaches sell for millions of dollars. Each and every one. I’d bet their service rates are above average as well.

And it takes hundreds if not thousands of hours to build the Prevost and the Marathon conversion giving work to many, many individuals. If a company doesn’t make a profit it will not be in business long. If the business is gone the loss of jobs follow.

 

[MapNerd]

$2.5MM for a 2022 coach.

So guy doing the work makes $25/hour. On a service bill, he/she bets the company $125/hour, minus overhead.

The point I am making is, they can easily afford to pay more and a premium coach builder shouldn’t have a labor shortage problem because of that. It’s an easy fix - pay more and poach the seasoned guys from other manufacturers. After all, they’re building a premium product, using premium parts and charging a premium price, so reason bears that premium workers should be putting it together.

$25/hour is not a bad wage. Far from premium.

 

[AbdRahim]

Gaffney for FL service is $149/hr? Can't confirm. Newmar: $140/hr (Jan 1 - Mar 31 they offer a winter rate at $115/hr)

Not that good at math but it seems like we are missing about $100.00 hour.

Companies usually pay about 10% of what each employee brings in. $25 / hr with no experience, no college degree? That is a starting salary of $50,000/yr. People today don’t seem to understand starting pay ishoukd not be final pay. Hopefully, pay will increase with experience.

 

[MapNerd]

And it takes hundreds if not thousands of hours to build the Prevost and the Marathon conversion giving work to many, many individuals. If a company doesn’t make a profit it will not be in business long. If the business is gone the loss of jobs follow.

Nothing wrong with profit. It’s needed for companies to survive. But companies these days do not seem to realize that their profit comes from their employees and that if they fail to keep up with inflation , if they continue to shower the top ranks with golden parachutes while the lower ranks get just enough, then their product will suffer because the workers are not incentived to produce a product that is as quality under the skin as it is on the surface.

Take care of your employees and they will take care of the customer, and everything else.

 

[MapNerd]

That is a starting salary of $50,000/yr. People today don’t seem to understand starting pay ishoukd not be final pay. Hopefully, pay will increase with experience.

Sure, it’s not final pay.

If you work really hard and we all do a good job, you might get a 3% annual wage increase.

Inflation meanwhile is at 5-6%.

 

[AbdRahim]

That

Sure, it’s not final pay.

If you work really hard and we all do a good job, you might get a 3% annual wage increase.

Inflation meanwhile is at 5-6%.

That is why you work towards promotions and not just the average yearly pay Increase. Someone once said - if you work more than you get paid, eventually you will be paid more than you work. Those that move up the ladder pay their dues for the salaries they command.

Metting minimum requirement yields minimum pay. The stars rise to the top.

Inflation is not the companies concern. In years gone by people went to school on their time, or worked a second job to get ahead. Today no one wants to pay their dues.

 

[MapNerd]

That

is why you work towards promotions and not just the average yearly pay. Someone once said - if you work more than you get paid, eventually you will be paid more than you work. Those that move up the ladder pay their dues for the salaries they command.

if only the world still worked that way. Very few companies these days promote from within rather than hire externally.

How many executives or even middle managers today started “on the front lines” of the company? Exceedingly few.

 

[AbdRahim]

Today a career may involve working for multiple employers, and in two or more different fields in one career.

 

[MapNerd]

Today a career may involve working for multiple employers, and in two or more different fields in one career.

This.

One thing I have taught my children and frankly, shared with any young professional looking for advice is to have no corporate loyalty. That’s not to advocate for doing illegal or even immoral things, but simply take care of yourself first. The days of a lifetime pension and gold Rolex after 30+ years of dedicated, loyal service to a company are long gone. I get asked every once in a while how I got where I am, so (relatively) fast and the answer is unfortunately, that I changed companies every few years. Not because I wanted to, because I had to.

 

[Neal]

Newmar couldn't offer rates at this level due to the competition in the Elkhart area. If you're in a remote location such as Marathon, presumably, it can be to your advantage to pay less as a business but you won't get the people or skills. If you want people to relocate then you better anty up. Importing great people to do great work would be an option if pay wasn't an insult. I can't imagine how hard it is for HWH to get their mission done in that remote location of Moscow, IA. And obviously it's become a problem as HWH Active Air installs are suspended for this reason.

 

[sheridany]

 

[sheridany]

 

[Neal]

Certainly a very good and insightful thread that answers a lot of questions about why things are the way they are and why it's important to learn to work on your RV and have communities such as this to help each other.