Question for Craig - The "All Opinions are Welcome, but Sorry no Instigators" Board

rockready · Date: Mon Mar 15 11:27 PM, 2004

Question for Craig

Date: Tue Mar 16 1:16 AM, 2004

During the roughly 18 years that I worked at HP / Agilent, the predominent comonent of our output was in the category of "Intellectual Property." Yes, we manufactured products there too, but we (the entire top floor of the two story building) were involved in developing new technology and not specifically production. Many of the products that we designed there were manufactured overseas. Some of the lower levels of the building were used for some manufacturing. Other parts of the lower level were used for potential new product testing and evaluation against Corporate and International Standards. Other parts of the facility were used as a "Hub" for "demo" products for their irnstrument divisions. Furtheremore, other parts of the building were used as an "HP Repair Center". That area was the southernmost portion of the older building. Before that became the repair center, it was the sheet metal shop with all of the chemical processes affiliated with such a facility. An HP repair facility was ultimately maintained (after outsourcing took hold of the sheet metal process) in the area where all the sheet metal and chemical processes had previously been performed. PCB's were processed just North of the Sheet metal shop inthe old building during a portion of my career there. The RT division of the NJD of HP was a manufacturer of PCB's (Prnted Circuit Boards) for multiple HP divisions.

The important thing to realize is that a lot of the products that we developed there were not manufactured there. Many were made in Korea (KIO) or Malasia (UPS's) or elsewhere. Manufacturing was but a fractional piece of the total operation there.

Craig Maier

ps. I have the most number of Patents from that Division of HP/Agilent in its history comared to all else who worked there. You can see my patent plaques in our Library right here on 136 Meriden Road, Boonton, NJ. All are welcome, including the "idiot." We pray that we will not have to take them to another town because christ church prevails in overtaking our town and turns it into New Ireland.

Date: Tue Mar 16 9:03 AM, 2004

I've lived here for almost 30 yrs and never saw any problems with traffic of any kind at HP/Agilent. The few trucks that delivered or picked up did so from the Meridan Rd entrance, so there was even less impact on Green Pond Rd. They were always a good neighbor to RT, which is one reason I am so surprised that they pulled this move, trying to sell to CC, without extensive talks with the town.

Date: Tue Mar 16 9:05 AM, 2004

Sorry for the long winded answer above. The short answer is that most manufacturing that had been in the US has moved offshore. R&D work requires very little truck activity. So, if the new occupant is in the R&D business (like we at HP/Agilent were predominenly, esecially towards the end) it will generate little truck traffic. But if a circus moves in there, it will be quite another story!

ps, You are all invited to visit the Maier Museum here on Meriden Rd before we move. It is loaded with plaques and awards from my career at HP. We can sit down and chat over a cup of coffee.

Date: Tue Mar 16 9:25 AM, 2004

My Observation

I have lived in Oak Meadows (behind Agilent) for the last 12 years. When HP/Agilent was in operation, I never noticed any adverse impact from truck traffic. Occasionally, we could here the back up "beep beep" from the trucks when the wind was blowing from that direction.

As far as traffic was concerned, Agilent, like most companies that employ professionals (not factory clock punchers), had employees coming in anytime between 6:30 and 9:30 AM and leaving anytime between 4:00 and 7:00 PM. Traffic was never an issue because 3000+ people were not coming and going at the same time.

My Commentary

Like Craig, I work in the technology sector (except I cant retire for many years). The trend over the past couple of decades has been to design, develop and evaluate products domestically, and then manufacture overseas for 1/10th the cost. Unfortunately, a lot of design work is now going overseas as well, to places like India, were computer scientists and engineers with masters degrees are happy to work for 15K or less a year, compared to an average of 90-150K in the states. I am sure the people at Agilent are taking this into consideration with regard to the marketability of 140 Green Pond Road. Supply and Demand is in play here. There is more vacant office space in Morris County than there are workers to fill it. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope a legitimate corporation buys this property, pays taxes, and brings good jobs to the good people of RT. We need an asset, not a liability.