Get A Grip!

“How is business?” This seems to be the question for 2009. Rather than small talk about the weather, we greet each other with discussions about how bad the economy is, how bad sales are, blah, blah...

We all have got to “Get a grip.”

According to Benjamin Franklin, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. What are you doing to get a different result? What are you doing to get a grip?

Obviously the economy is in the ditch. But, there is still an economy. The few people and businesses that will be successful during this recession are the few that “mobilize the troops” – the few that do not allow the “bad economy blues” to slap them in the face.

We offer this excerpt from The 10 Rules of Sam Walton:

Rule #1: “COMMIT to Achieving Success and Always be Passionate”

“When the going gets tough, and it always does,
it is an individual’s passion for his or her goals that gets
tested, and often it is that steadfast commitment to
succeeding that makes the difference between winning
and losing, passing or failing, and success or failure.”

The Diamond C Team is working very hard to ensure that our “troops are mobilized.” By the end of this month, all of Diamond C’s dealers will receive a Diamond C Get a Grip Kit. This kit will include tons of information about many new and innovative product and program offerings and a few big announcements – all valuable tools designed to help Diamond C dealers get a grip on 2009.

ATTN Trailer Dealers:

Tell us what your dealership is doing to get a grip on 2009 and you will be entered for a chance to win 1 of 4 $100 Visa gift cards. Simply click “COMMENTS” at the end of this post and add your get a grip idea. Be sure to include your name, the dealership you represent, and contact information if you are not a current Diamond C Dealer.

NOTE to All: If the current economic conditions or your circumstances have you down and out, read Matthew 6:25-34 and Isaiah 40:28-31 for an encouragingly fresh outlook.

NEW Trailers...Sneak Peek...

This first picture is of the brand new model 25SM. This 2-place Snow Mobile / ATV Trailer features all-around deck access and was designed with rough trail roads in mind. The 25SM is now available!

Next we have a sneak peek of the new dump, model 42POD. This small dump trailer was designed with home and small farm owners in mind. It features a 2200# payload capacity utilizing a revolutionary new design that makes it Diamond C's most affordable dump ever! Model 42POD is now available.

This last sneak peek is top secret! Diamond C's long-awaited, new and improved 14K Dump is under construction. The prototype is approximately 25% complete. This dynamic new model will be much more competitve market-wide than Diamond C's traditional 14K dump, all while boasting game-changing features and innovations. The prototype will be complete before the end of 2008... Expect information and availablilty soon after New Year's Day!

Manufacturing Update...

Diamond C always takes advantage of the slow season (winter) to catch up on projects and prepare for the upcoming busy season (spring and summer). Our shop staff is very busy right now doing just this.

This first picture is of the CNC plasma torch that we have been working on for several weeks now. We purchased this machine very well used from a fab shop in AR. We stripped the machine down and have since reassembled it while installing state-of-the-art controls. The 11' x 28' water table that sits directly under the torch is currently under construction. This machine will be put into operation by the end of 2008.

The two pictures directly above represent a slew of layout and process changes that are currently taking place in the plant. When the current phase of layout changes are complete, the flow of raw materials throughout the plant will be significantly improved using stack-able and forklift-able bins. Additionally, several new high-efficiency weld fixtures are being designed and will be implemented over the next few months.
All of these changes ultimately work for our customers. The capabilities of our fabrication equipment increase design and customization options. The layout and fixture changes enable us to produce product more efficiently, therefore continuing to supply our customers with the best value possible.

Happy New Year!

On November 3rd we closed the office for the day to celebrate our 2008 successes and discuss plans for 2009 (fiscal year end is Oct 31). The morning was an awesome and inspirational time of team building fun and competition that included many great laughs. Then, the afternoon was spent in informational meetings that began Diamond C's dynamic transition from closed-book to open-book management. To start the day, all of the office and management staff was divided into two teams, The Red and The Blue.
The first team event of the day was "The Bicycle Factory." Each team had to assemble a bicycle as quickly as possible. The first team to get their bike assembled and ride it (notice the size of the bikes) across the finish line won the event. The Blue Team came out victourious on this event (by a long shot).
After the bike assembly race, we improvised a bicycle relay race on the spot. Watching grown men ride these little bikes was quite entertaining and provided good competition. My advice: Be cautious of riding a bicycle assembled in under 10 minutes by a team of people... important parts like the seat and the handle bars may not be very secure!

The next event of the day was "Diamond C Family Fued." All of the participants of the day were polled the week before the 3rd to supply the answers to "The survey says..."
This picture is of Cody introducing "his family." It had to be one of the funniest moments of the day. A friendly handshake to start the competition that the Red Team dominated...

Following Family Fued, the teams had a Chant (which is slightly more masculine than "cheer") Competition. Each team took about 30 minutes to write and choreograph their chants. While the Red Team's chant included amazing stunts, the Blue Team's chant had a great message and was very well done. There was no clear winner.



The last planned competition of the day was Tug of War. One might say that the Red Team was "stacked," as they tugged the Blue Team across the line in just a few seconds.

After red versus blue, we mixed up the teams for another round of Tug of War, then we decided to have an all ladies round...

Again we improvised. The 30' Tug of War rope instantly became a 30' jump rope. Several people ran in, but we didn't manage to get more than two people in at any one time. It was a lot of fun.

This last picture is of my mom, Kim Crabb, jumping the rope. She was pretty good at it...



After all of these activites, we all went our for Pizza before returning to the office to begin meetings.

The meeting started with discussion of the company's Mission, Vision, and Plan-of-Action for 2009. This discussion was followed by a presentation of the company's financials, budgets for 2009, and profit sharing plans.

Overall, the purpose of the day was to clearly define the strategies of the company/team. This quote from famous entrepreneur Jack Stack summed up the day:

"There's a lesson here, and it's the foundation of everything I know and believe about business. People can accomplish almost anything if they have a common purpose, a higher goal, and they know what it is, and they're going after it. Everybody needs to be going somewhere. People need a destination, or they get lost. If they have one, however, and it's really their own, there's no telling what they can do. They can survive the darkest hours, beat the longest odds, scale the greatest heights."

November 3rd was a great day and a huge step for Diamond C. I thank the four ladies, Toni, Amy, Michele, and Paula, for helping me plan out the day.

Despite the tough trailer market, the Diamond C team is making progress each day. I thank all of the Diamond C staff for taking part in the progress!

1st Place!

The FBC Gold Relay for Life Team hosted a soccer tournament last weekend in Mt. Pleasant. Twelve teams from the area played all day Saturday and Sunday. After several hours of fierce competition, the Diamond C Team prevailed winning 1st place overall!

The guys represented Diamond C very well... they demonstrated the spirit of the company. We thank each of the team members for playing hard and pushing through to victory!

Deck-Over Tilt

We now offer a full bed tilt option on model 13DEC equipped with 7K axles. The option has become very popular, very quickly. Be sure to ask you Dealer Consultant for details.

The Woman Behind The Progress...

Last week the local newspaper published their annual salute to Women in Business. This is the ad that featured the Diamond C women: The ladies look great...they make the Diamond C Team proud! We thank them for their hard work and dedication day in and day out. (graphic design by GEEZ)

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This week, being Breast Cancer Awareness Week, the ladies put pink ribbons on all the office windows. They do a great job showing that the Diamond C Team supports the cause.

Fabrication Machinery

There is a lot of excitement in the shop at Diamond C today. Our first major piece of fabrication machinery is being installed:

This is a 24' x 320 ton press brake that we will use to build all kinds of parts. In addition to the press brake, we have purchased and are currently renovating a CNC plasma torch that should be operational by the end of the year.

Not only will these machines enable us to build many parts in house that we have been outsourcing, they will also greatly increase our manufacturing capabilities and design options.

What Are You Doing?

What are you doing better today than you did yesterday? What are you doing to control your fate? Are you earning your future success? Or, are you content with your life just the way it is?

Besides our faith that God is in control and that He will provide (which is most imporant), we have to take control of our situations. We have to decide where we are going in life and in business, decide what it is going to take to get there, and most importantly, take action.

One of the most effective ways we can impact our careers and businesses is through learning and education. Put forth a conscious effort to read and listen to good stuff... stuff that will benefit you. The more good stuff you take into your brain, the more good stuff will come out of your brain.

The below picture is of Jacob Crabb in the conference room listening to the "Devel-o-pod." The Devel-o-pod is an iPod that is loaded up with audio books, podcasts, and other great development material. Diamond C team members are encouraged to drop into the conference room and listen to something of their choice a few times each week. The material we listen to helps us develop our ideas, think innovatively, and ultimately promotes progress.

Diamond C is passionately and proudly a Learning Organization. The success of Diamond C as a team and its team members individually is dependent on progress and learning.

Over the last year, while the overall utility trailer market has been off almost 20%, Diamond C has not. We have maintained our numbers through hard work and determination. We are not willing to submit to the "bad economy blues."

Regardless of what business or profession you are in, you can take control. Even though the market may be down, there is still a market... find your piece of it! We want to hear about what is working for you? What are you doing?

GEEZ Graphics

Are you getting the most bang for your advertising and marketing buck'$? Do your advertisements stand out from the competition's, or do they blend right in? We are excited to introduce GEEZ Graphics (formerly Diamond C's in-house graphics department) as the solution for all of your graphic design needs. GEEZ specializes in print advertisements and marketing materials, business identities, and website redesigns and updates. Use GEEZ to maximize the impact of your advertising and marketing efforts with modern, clean, and noticeable graphics designs that make your target customers say "GEEZ!"
http://www.geezgraphics.com/ is currently under construction. Check back periodically to view GEEZ's design portfolio. You can contact GEEZ by e-mail at elisha@geezgraphics.com or by phone at 903-466-2802.

NATDA

Though skeptical at first, we believe that the NATDA (North American Trailer Dealers Association) is quickly becoming a powerful tool for trailer dealers. We recently attended the first annual NATDA Convention in Fort Worth, TX. Considering that it was the first year for the show, it was a great success and we expect it to be even bigger and better next year.

This picture is of the Diamond C team that worked the show. The team did a great job representing Diamond C.

It was tough to get good pictures of the booth. This picture is of a couple of 2PSA's that we had in the booth showcasing our optional camo paint scheme, soon to be standard Arizona Beige Pearl Metallic paint color, and several other new features:
To learn more about the NATDA, just click their link on the left side of the screen.

We welcome your comments and questions about the NATDA.