IFF
GT and I don't always agree on this 'n that but in this case he is 100% spot on.
I think GT is actually pulling his punches a little and not surprisingly if you understand how this little village perched on the West Coast, called Perth, works. As a little village and, if you don't want to get tarred and feathered and run out of town, you'd better tread carefully.
I you had, like I, and an increasingly diminishing number of persons who have been around West Dunnuda for the last 30 or so years, you would see a distressingly familiar scenario of too many trying to access too little, AND with Govt and Big Business (read Woodside et al) dancing together in a conspiracy that will bring them ALL undone.
It seems that NOONE has learnt ANYTHING over the last 20 years or so and they keep ,making the SAME DUMB mistakes.
GT got the fundamentals dead set, they have never and will not change for the foreseeable future or until our population doubles at the least, AND there is a rush to repoplulate the regions.
The scenario as correctly described is a dead set return to square one fundamentals.
It's a long story but Skywest were at the best staggering along, heading for oblivion before Rick Stowe bought them along with Transwest, then through his purchase and resale of East West to Ansett, they became part of the Ansett stable and the rest is history.
The point being the owners then needed to and did have BIG pockets, patience and a grand strategy of sorts.
The new Skywest does not appear to have any of these and their alliance with Alliance has a touch of desperation about it. If Skywest do have a strategy it is hard to see and on the evidence fatally flawed, I reckon I could write Alliances.
GT was too kind with his use of "street-wise"
I am reminded of the Uncle Remus folk tale of my childhood.
Brer Rabbit and the Tar baby. There's a lesson in there somewhere for the Directors of Skywest.
Guess with whom Skywest are going to be competing in the purchase of increasingly scarse F100 resourcs for a start.
The miners have a lot to answer for with their FIFO policies and with weak Government gunning for development at any cost we have managed to depopulate our regions, concentrate our popn in the City and in the process deny RPT services to remote areas that would otherwise be available..
Skippers must bear some responsbility for this as well.
There must be a fundamental rethink of thethe problem, but I digress.
The new owners of Skywest do not seem to have a grasp on the fundamental realities of this "peculiar" market.
Bill Meeke and I have been known to go head to head on the odd occasion, but he DOES know how this market really works and if we disagree on anything in regards to this market it is only around the edges and perhaps in the manner of tis execution.
I don't know the how and manner of his removal but his prsence may well have been the lesser of two evils.
I just know the Skywest investors will be getting REALLY excited about the China gas deal and what it will mean AND Mr Ryan is not without clout in the Government and Oil & Gas Halls of Power in securing a seat at the table for Skywest.
But first things first, because the revenue stream from that is a long way off, too far in anay event to save Skywest, and the investors pockets in any aren't deep enought to fund the wait, beyond the next 6 months anyway.
The Skywest Pilots??
The majority, if not all are fiercely loyal and dedicated to ensuring the company is a success and grows into what they all know it will become.
Quite so and no doubt of that, but it doesn't matter how professionally you operate and how much you wish, it is out of your persoanl control. Unless you have a seat on the Board and can influence the role of the Government meddlers, all of your laudable efforts are as the sound of empty drums and tinkling bells.
If there is any action required by your guys, it is to ask your Board to get some real advice about how this business really works and an understanding about why we are where we are today.
Then I am sure Mr Ryan is clever enough to work it out from there.
It's a loooooong way from hooking a marlin and the initial heat and excitement of the moment to getting it safely alongside. It requires a lot of patience, courage, understanding its wiles and experience, especially when they see the boat and make that unexpected dash.
There is no quicker way.