They are successful because they have invested a lot into automation and efficiency. We're the cleanest, greenest, leanest and newest shop I've ever seen. And we do so much with so little in terms of workforce. We have a very good thing going for us. It would take probably $100m to build what they've built.

Sales, however, is not very... effective. They don't go out and look for work. We rarely get dog and pony shows. We aren't putting our name out there. We are at the mercy of our small selection of deep-pocketed customers.

We are well positioned to take a lot of larger competitors by storm in the region. Up until recently I thought that's what we were doing, but I guess I was mistaken.

However I think I'm going to have an honest and up-front conversation about where the company is headed. It seems to be the most logical way forward. Really understand what the reasons are for our current direction and see if it's something I can live with. I'm comfortable if it's not going to work and I have to start looking, but it's just kind of a sad feeling. I was totally ready to fly this flag to the top.

It sounds like you work for a rather large company if it would take $100m to be as competitive as this company, yet at that valuation, it doesn't make sense that they're trying not to grow bigger then what they are, because they'd be easily wiped out if any of their large customers went to a competitor. Also, where do you exactly fit in this picture? Since you believe they can gather more business by focusing on Sales, is that where you are positioned in the company / part of your job responsibilities or is it just your gut feeling that they can be so much more? Either way, best of luck in your conversations with your boss.

Thanks!

I'm IT but I assist Planning and Production Control. Our "sales team" is my boss and one other guy who's not really effective. They get paid commissions on their accounts. They do nothing to go out and get new accounts. There's a lot of low hanging fruit because nobody knows our name, yet if you do a side by side between us and most competitors we have the same capabilities with half the overhead. That's where the automation they've invested in really helps out. But when our regular customers aren't enough to fill the machines up with work I feel we have a duty to go out and fill them up with new work. My boss disagrees. I want to bring in my own contracts and grow the company that way.