Before the Internet Revolution - The World of Industry

1989 was a year of tumultuous events and the beginning of the greatest entrepreneurial story of our time.   From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the dawn of the dot.com economy in 1995, two startup companies from Orange County, California made the world safer and advanced the business culture.  Triconex and Wonderware operated locally but defined themselves globally.  They defined an era of entrepreneurship in the age of globalization.   Risk taking men and women became part of a greater good.  Their passion and success reached beyond their grasp.  The wall of Industrial automation had little time for an avant-garde movement launched from Bauhaus laboratories in Southern California.   

But Bill Barkovitz of Triconex sold the world on a better safety system and Wonderware's Dennis Morin changed the business culture.   Triconex held its IPO in March, 1992 and Wonderware had its spectacular debut on the Pacific Stock Exchange in July, 1993. 

"With immediate effect, all persons are free"

"East Germans are free to travel where they wish, with immediate effect."

These were the words of East German Politburo spokesman, Guenter Schabowski.  They were uttered on November 9th, 1989 as suddenly free East Berliners crossed the crumbling Berlin Wall for the first time since it was built in 1961.   The Fall of the Berlin Wall caused a new paradigm in the world order. 

The statement was profound, but it was not an original thought.

That same year in Irvine, California, Triconex CEO Bill Barkovitz and Wonderware Founder Dennis Morin were challenging investors, markets, and employees who wanted to be part of a new world order (and make more money).  The world of industrial applications was a conservative one.  Much of the industry had their own proprietary safety systems and operator interfaces.   They supplied the control and process systems for their factories from established vendors, who ofter were as large as themselves.

It was time for something new, with a stamp from the evangelical sun culture of Southern California, and time for insanely cool products to enter the world of automation.  It was time for Wonderware's InTouch and the world's premium safety system from Triconex.  Their products were not new technology, nor where they incremental changes.   They were business solutions of relentless quality and reliability.   Through users groups and steering committees, users became part of the experience, an unheard phenomenen in non-consumer product markets. 

With immediate effect, the fall of the Berlin Wall signaled the start of the History of a Safer World.  Within two years, both Triconex and Wonderware were mentioned by Business Week as two of the fastest growing companies in America.  A New World Order indeed.  This revolution was complete by 1995, and was broadcast on the World Wide Web. 
 

"We don't realize the most significant moments in our lives, but we remember them"

The man who opened the door was not the same man who closed it.  There was one founding and two visions.   A unique path was followed from two different directions to the same destination.  

Mickey, Manufacturing, and Evangelism

The evengelical sun culture of Orange County, California, is a place where extremes have thrived culturally, politically, and in the business of manufacturing.  Orange County was the base for the political career of Ronald Reagan and for a time, home to Timothy Leary in Laguna Beach.  Disneyland opened in Anaheim, in Orange County, California, in 1955.  Walt Disney himself led the opening day ceremony.  The same year, the Reverend Robert Schuller preached at a drive-in theatre in Garden Grove, California.  Orange County itself was officially separated from Los Angeles County by the California State Legislature in 1889.  Some historians point to taxes as the defining issue for independence, others say it may have just been a troublesome commute for those who wanted to get business done and had to travel up north.

We fast forward to Irvine, a master-planned community incorporated in 1971.   City planner envsioned a technology park in the city alongside UC Irvine, and soon enough, the manufacturers came.  They were led by Western Digital, a powerhouse in the disk drive market.   Roger Johnson became CEO of Western Digital in 1982.  A prominent local business leader, he also was an original board member for Triconex.   In 1992, Mr. Johnson invited Presidential candidate Bill Clinton to speak at the Western Digital campus, and the event drew a sigificant crowd.   Mr. Johnson, a Republican, later served in the Clinton administration. 

A Western Digital employee who worked under Mr. Johnson, Bob Rasmussen, came to work for Triconex in the early 1990's.  Mr. Rasmussen was  a graduate of the California State University of Long Beach.  Not long after being hired by Triconex, he assumed full command of the manufacturing operations for the company, supervising over 100 employees.   His facility manufactured the world's leading emergency shutdown system for industrial plants, and therefore was required the highest quality and international certification standards.   He was a product of the people-centric culture inspired by leaders like Roger Johnson and Triconex CEO Bill Barkovitz.   Over a decade of his leadership, his facility produced over 100 million dollars annually for the corporate parent, and each year faced the same external and internal pressures that each manufacturer faces, particularly in a high-cost area like Orange County.  Mr. Rasmussen's team consistently exceeded his goals each year.  Eventually, corporate cost  targets, and markets demanding lower prices led to the decision to outsource much of the Triconex manufacturing base.   It was a facility that was built into the original business plan by Jon Wimer in 1983.  Denny Harris, hired in 1986, brought quality controls into the process from his background from Ford Aerospace.

Mr. Rasmussen steadfastly announced the outsourcing move to his team in April, 2009.  The transition would be complete in December, 2010. There were over 200 people in the room during his presentation, and at least 100 people in the audience realized that their jobs would be affected by the announcement.  It was Mr. Rasmussen's forthright delivery, he was a man who could speak to hundreds, yet connect with each individual in the crowd, that instilled that bit of confidence in each listener.   The future would be different, but there was going to be a tomorrow.  And for the next 18 months, as those who lost their jobs said their goodbyes monthly, there were hugs, tears, and yet not a single incident to disrupt operations.   It was the culture that sustained the family during the times of transition. 

After overseeing the move, and Mr. Rasmussen himself left Triconex after 18 years to join his old boss, Kevin McGlensey, at FMC corporation.  Mr. McGlensey had been a former President of Triconex.

The History of a Safer World.

"Now Norm, whatever you do, don't touch the espresso maker" - Phil Huber

The people-centric cultures that drove the astounding success of Triconex and Wonderware officially ended in December, 1995 with the respective departures of CEO Bill Barkovitz (scheduled) and Wonderware founder Dennis Morin (not so scheduled).  

Or did they?  Unofficially, the culture still exists, and indeed thrives in Lake Forest, California and other global reaches that Mr. Barkovitz and Mr. Morin established during their picaresque reign.  

One need look no further than the ubiquitous espresso machines in each breakroom at the Lake Forest campus as .   Controllers come and go, and these companies have had good ones.  Norm Farquhar was brought in by Wonderware in the early 1990's to become the new Vice-President of Finance as the company grew from startup status to being mentioned by Business Week as one of the most promising small companies in America.  By 1994, it was rated by many analysts as a better by than Cisco Systems.   Mr. Farquhar replaced Beccie Dawson, who moved to head the Human Resources deparment.   Mr. Dawson had been hired by CEO  Peter Pitsker in 1989 as the "Corporate Conscience" in 1989 and served as the company's first controller.   Actually, Beccie did not become Mrs. Dawson until after she was hired.  Founder Dennis Morin was building a company gym for Wonderware and asked a gentleman named Jim Dawson to install the equipment. 

Mr. Farquhar, as was his duty, began looking for ways to cut costs immediately.  He eyed the espresso machines as a candidate for making the list to er, take a look at.   After all, who would notice save for a cult like staff of programmers working 24/7 on the leaded beverage?   Phil Huber, already a legend as the chief technologist and co-founder of Wonderware (as well as playing a significant role at Triconex) stopped by Mr. Faquhar's office soon after he hired to offer encouragement.   Phil offered to help the new controller in any way he could, and he would always be open to cost cutting ideas.  There was one exception, however.  As he left the office after offering his own thoughts, Phil turned to Norm with one foot already in the hallway (positioned so those outside would hear) and said:

"Now Norm, whatever you do, don't touch the espresso maker"

The sound of steaming espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos are still heard in the breakroom!

The History of a Safer World

History of a Safer World Goes Live Worldwide!

The History of a Safer World is a love story - about business!  Its a tribute to the men and women of Triconex and Wonderware.  A history from startup to the time to serve the wine (you'll have to read the book to find out which wine) that began in the evangelical sun culture of Orange County, California.   The author was recently interviewed on a webcast hosted from Manhatten, New York City! 

Here's the link for the show.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chattininmanhattan/2012/02/24/the-history-of-a-safer-world.mp3


http://www.chattininmanhattan.com/featured/guests

Gary L. Wilkinson has written the great American novel, volumes of picaresque verse, as well as several well-crafted short stories. None of which has ever been published. However, he has written many technical training manuals, user specifications, and engineering documents that describe the flow and configuration of industrial computers, and how to program the machines so they don’t catch fire and cause a ruckus. Nearly all of this output has been published by the high-tech and aerospace firms that have employed him over the years.

It is this fusion of art and machinery that has enabled him to bring to life The History of a Safer World – a love story about business. It is a beautiful story of men and machines that will inform and entertain you. He has been a witness to the space and time in which these events have occurred. He has recorded the voices of this stunning entrepreneurial triumph. In these times, their story is more relevant than ever as a legacy on how to build and grow businesses as the story takes place during the global recession that followed the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

Mr. Wilkinson was born in the gritty river town of Chester, Pennsylvania, a few miles southeast of Philadelphia. After a non-descript academic career, he joined the army. During his military service, he continuously trained to defend his county, particularly if the expert application of mops and brooms were to be called upon.

During the mid-1980’s he arrived at Huntington Beach, California. At the time it was known as a center of the punk rock music scene, with skinheads and surfers warily skateboarding past each other on Main Street, which led to the pier. There were scores of shops to buy booze and corners to buy drugs, and there was no Starbucks.

Then, on January 17th, 1988, something happened. The pier collapsed into the ocean. The city fathers used the rebuilding of the pier as a fine reason to clear out the riff-raff, some still call it the character, from the city streets. When the pier re-opened four years later, there were designer shops, high-end condos, and upscale restaurants. And, of course, a Starbucks opened.

He began working for Triconex in December, 1995. It was a magical place to work. And, nearby, there was another magical destination called Wonderware. In the evangelical sun culture of Orange County, the History of a Safer World began.

Gary's Blog The History of a Safer World

The World before and after Bhopal and Chernobyl

A muscular optimism was stirring in the year 1984.   The global economy was surging, and at the height of the cold war, Western governments held their ground during the ferocious debate in Western Europe over the deployment of the SS-20 missles.  Within 5 years, the bricks fell at the Berlin Wall.   In Southern California, a successful Summer Olympics was held, without the Soviet Union, and spirits were buoyed in time for Ronald Reagan to be easily re-elected.  Investors wallets were opening also, Los Angeles venture capitalists Chuck Cole and Richard Riordan funded Triconex.   

In December 1984, a catastrophic gas leak at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India led to nearly 2,000 immediate casualties and lasting health and environmental issues that continue a generation later.   Most of the lawsuits have been settled, but as the say, nothing is inevitable except death, taxes, and loopholes.  Public revulsion caused governments to act with new regulations and petro-chemical companies to invest in updated safety systems for their plants and factories.   Some safety analysts still believe that sabotage was involved in the Bhopal incident, but the magnitude of the disaster ameliorated any serious investigations into the cause and focus on the victims and community to recover.

In August, 1986, untrained personnel conducting an experiment during a scheduled maintenance period caused an explosion at a nuclear facility at Chernobyl, in the Ukraine.  This time, the damage spread throughout Western Europe and once again focused world attention on plant safety.  In American, construction of new nuclear plants had already ground to a halt due to the Three Mile Island incident in 1979.  The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was real, caused serious long term damage, and provided foes of nuclear energy with a powerful new agenda.

Industry, which had increasingly put dangerous petro-chemical facilities in low-cost countries, now faced unwanted scrutiny by association with the disasters.

It was time to upgrade safety systems.