Case for Analysis Covington Corrugated Parts - 1173 Words

Case For Analysis: Covington Corrugated Parts amp; Services Abstract Covington Corrugated Parts amp; Services is a Virginia based company providing precision machine parts and services to the domestic corrugated box and paperboard industry. The business is owned by Larisa Harrison and operates from a 50,000 square foot factory in the rural Shenandoah Valley with 150 employees, many of them now nearing retirement. Due to changes in the economy and new competition their dominant 70 percent of the market share is rapidly declining. While management was focused on building the business, the box and paperboard industry was changing; plastics and reusable containers were becoming more prevalent. Management is now faced with the task†¦show more content†¦The company’s managers have differing opinions on which path the company should take to achieve growth and the current structure is not designed for the challenges they face. Major Issues While management was focused on getting the job done the external environment changed. New competitors and higher quality machines were changing the manufacturing industry and the company lacks a strategy to change with it. Each of Covington’s managers has a different vision of the company’s future making consensus and decision-making a major issue. The lines of authority and responsibility are blurry, causing conflict between managers and department directors. The latest manager’s meeting can be described as chaos. An additional issue facing the management team is the replacement of the workforce being lost to attrition. The loyal, hard-working employees have set a high standard for future members of the Covington team and the younger generation has not yet established themselves as a similar strength workforce. Problem Analysis In the past two decades Covington has been successful operating without a clearly defined organizational purpose. While this organizational design was not a problem in the past, it is now a threat to the company. The latest quarterly earnings illustrate that the once stable Covington is not