Holding Pattern

Things are up in the air right now. The good news is my old client and former full-time employer called me back to do some work for them last week. The company is being sold, and as a result, their software needs to be tweaked to reflect the company's new name. The tough part is trying to gauge how long they will need me.

In actual fact the company is going to go through two name changes as they emerge from bankruptcy protection. That means some of the programs will need to be visited twice.

The deal has not been "officially" signed. The bankruptcy judge was to have finalized the deal this morning but it has all been pushed back to Wednesday. Of course that starts a round of speculation. Some are saying that the outgoing regime are dragging their feet. A sort of parting shot to those that have made it clear they couldn't wait to see the back of them. Others are blaming the union. Apparently, they have to have a vote to ratify the new deal negotiated prior to the buy offer.

Personally, I am optimistic that everything is going to work out. The company has been profitable for decades and only in the last seven or eight years fell under a management team that were, shall we say, "creatively incompetent"? They pumped money into divisions that were very poor performers and neglected the divisions that were fueling their creative stupidity. As a result the poor performers were destroyed and the good divisions have been sold off. Or at least most of them. I predict the new company has a huge potential to thrive under new management. Without the distractions from an out of touch head office, this company will flourish.