Work, work, & more work??

sageadvice · May 23, 2009

My little plumbing business is finally humming right along. No big projects booked yet but lots of small remodel jobs and service calls. Kinda nice to be making decent money again!

I was terrible slow most all winter, anybody else picking up more than they were like i am?

Joey

NMPaul · May 23, 2009

Yea Joey, I own a couple Aamco Tranmissions and they have rebounded this year. Last year was near disastrous.

BoneJunkie · May 23, 2009

I have been blessed, work has really picked up for me. Winter was harsh, but its back to six days a week for me.

maddglasser · May 23, 2009

Good to hear biz is good, spread the wealth now! Hire me as your outfitter! It is way to long between hunting seasons!;-)

sageadvice · May 23, 2009

Hey, that's great to hear guys! Was kinda wondering if it was ever going to pick up. I'm happiest when there is plenty, not too much, to do, time fly's, and the bills get paid with some left over. Sitting home waiting for the phone to ring is no fun at all.

Maddglasser, the closest i ever came to using a outfitter was having Manny help me , he used to guide, last year with an area that he grew up in. Not that i wouldn't like to hire one, just that it isn't in the budget and all these years have done pretty good considering all the places i've been, many for only the one time. Thanks though, i'll keep you in mind!

Joey

maddglasser · May 23, 2009

MAN I am cheap, I stand corners and wait for huntin trucks to drive by. Naw just kidding, I can't wait for hunting season to finally start. I am getting cabin fever down here in the AZ desert! Can't wait for the 120+ crap to start!

BeanMan · May 24, 2009

Farming season started about a month ago. 7 days a week until early July after the corn is layed by. Then it will be only 6 days a week until late November.

Beantired

WapitiBob · May 24, 2009

Terrible. 1/5 of a normal year.

eelgrass · May 24, 2009

Joey, that's good to hear! I went back to work the 18th in the sawmill and it looks like we'll be running through the summer. A buddy of mine works in a Redwood sawmill and they start 6 days a week, 10 hours a day through at least June. They make mostly fencing.

I predict another rough winter though.

Eel

3blade · May 24, 2009

Last dec and jan were my best ever. It has slowed a little since then but its still a little over last yrs pace.

stinkystomper · May 24, 2009

boy I wish it was pickin up down here. we've cut prices by 50%, laid off 9 people, cut all bonus' and insurance and have permanently revoked all vacation. in addition I've cut my pay 70%. just enough to pay my own bills. I've sold one workover rig already. I've either gotta find investors so I can expand n generate more cash flow or find a day job so I don't have to take owner draws from my own company. Times r down right harsh down here. I sure hope they turn around but it looks like at least a 2 yr drought for me before this freakin price war subsides.

He who stomps the greatest stinky wins!

mesquitehunter · May 24, 2009

I've got six septic system's on the books right now. Since spring 08' untill now I've only done one other.

completesportsman · May 25, 2009

I work for a commercial HVAC company. We have had plenty of work until now but if we don't get more we are going to be in trouble by late summer.

Most of our work is plan and spec work like schools, retail centers, etc. we have to bid on. Where there used to be 5 or 6 contractors bidding on a job now there is 12-15 bidding everything. People are basically buying jobs!

At least it seems like available work to bid on is picking back up its just hard to get low enough to get a job.

sageadvice · May 25, 2009

Looks like we're getting mixed reports in how things are going out there. So far, i've been able to keep the bills and accounts paid on time though at times, i've had to use some available credit to do so. When there is little or no work it's easy to second guess and get depressed. I know the feeling well and at times have even thought of throwing in the towel and going back to the apprenticeship of a champion drunken bum that i was well on my way to being myself 12 years ago.

Whoa!! That's when i shake myself out of those awful thoughts and do something positive to help get back to work! Lately, the phone has been ringing. Some calls are better than others. I hope all you guys out there going thru tuff times get the phone call that you are looking for!

Joey

swbuckmaster · May 25, 2009

I work for a company that is global, only has 15 employees, and are the only ones in the world that does what we do.
We also work for large governments, oil fields, and mines. You would think we would not be affected by this market.
We haven't had hardly any jobs for 8 months.

I think the economy is only going to get worse.
With inflation most certainly coming, the current administration spending worse than any administration in history and taxes are going to be raised.

My only hope is the gas prices stay low. If they go up you can bet we will be even worse off. Sorry Stinky!

southmountain · May 25, 2009

work is steady Im on salary . I have put off the jobcutts but come tomorrow I let two guys go . Only loosig 350.00 bucks a hour as a company down from 416.00. Hey everybody go out and buy alot of milk and cheese this weekend what ya say?

Chesterwyo · May 25, 2009

I work in the oilfield. Business is down a lot from last year. My shop went from making over 250,000 a month to doing about 40-60000. Our salary has been cut ten percent and our bonus has been cut 50 percent. Every job we bid on we are offering 70-75 percent discounts on and we are still getting outbid by several thousand dollars. It could be worse though one of our competitors left town in the middle of the night. Abandoned their brand new shop. Just packed up and went back to texas. Stinkystomper, have you given any thought to moveing a rig to Pennsylvania? It's pretty busy there right now.

huntaddicts.com

firemedic56 · May 25, 2009

I'm very lucky myself,...I'm a fulltime firefighter with a small city,....we have 40 firefighters in our dept. Just lost 2 to retirement and one to another dept. We need about 12 to 15 more fiefighters to be even close to NFPA standards but we are unlucky enough to have a mayor and city council in office now that have no respect at all for us or the job we do. My job is as secure as any in the city, plus we formed a local with the IAFF last year which is a help. Business is as usual for us...mostly EMS calls,...but hey.....that's job security I guess! HA! I can retire in less than 4 years and I can't wait....best job I've ever had by a mile,....but I HATE dealing with the city government...worst part of it by far.

littlejoe · May 27, 2009

We laid off 60% last October. Company 401k gone, 10% across the board wage cut. Salary workers working more and hourly workers only 32 hours per week. The plastics world is just plain terrible from auto, medical, construction, military, all divisions are down big time even compared to 08 and 08 was terrible. I am convinced it has not rock bottomed yet. My boss, company owner, has a good feel on things 90% of the time and he is convinced it will rock bottom sometime this year and take 10+ years to recover to where we were a couple of years ago. Not good. Hope he is wrong for all of our sakes. Good luck to all.

Hardway · May 27, 2009

Work is slow here too, I do survey type work for a hiway const. company. We used to do alot (bout 60%) private work like subdivisions, but now its all public work. Went from over 2000hrs a year to about 1600.....about 25k cut in my wages. I never counted on the OT and just saved it so were doin ok, besides my wifes buisness has been really sucessfull so I cant complain. We usually dont work in the winter months due to rain but this year was so slow getting going I decided to go ahead and get my knee surgery done so I'm out on dissability right now. We've picked up quite a few jobs close to home that are just gettin rollin so I should have plenty of work close to home once I get goin again.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

MuskegMan · May 27, 2009

When I worked private is was either "Feast or Famine."

Never just the right amount of work . . .

stinkystomper · May 27, 2009

chesterwyo
Have I considered moving a rig to pensylvania? Heck, right now I'd move a rig to alaska if someone could give me a years worth of work. I tried to offer a guy 10% sales comission on a rig just for being the salesman and he turned it down. Said he's got enough money. wth?! If someone offered my $1500/week to make a few sales calls I'd be all over it. And yeah I'd love to move to pennsylvania but I have zero contacts over there. If any of you guys on here have any contacts for rig work and want to make a little extra dough give me a holler. I'm sure we can work out something. I'm currently in the process of expanding and I'm really hoping to have things turned around in about 3 months. Gonna hit other areas where we have more work. Cross your fingers.

He who stomps the greatest stinky wins!