Customer Reviews

A Savage Factory: An Eyewitness Account of the Auto Industry's Self-Destruction

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1 star:		(5)

 

 

Robert Dewar captures the essence of an American auto plant in his compelling book "A Savage Factory." It's "Dilbert" meets "Lord of the Flies."

Dewar's true life, eyewitness account walks you through from his dis-orientation to his self-termination. The stories are both hilarious and harrowing, showing the greasy underside of Ford Motor Company that will forever stain your impression of the auto industry because of the managers and union workers whose battle for control puts Ford on a collision course for self-destruction.

Dewar's raw, front row seat writing offers no sugar coating because the hardened characters who threatened his life with a loaded gun, intimidate him with operational sabotage, break him psycholoigcally that sent him to recoup and re-group with a shrink, and confound him with petty managerial games are not conjourned from his imagination but are people who lived and breathed down his neck every day he walked the factory floor of Ford.

If you think you have a bad day at the office or a boss who is intolerable, think again. Reading this account of how the Detroit Mafia plays God with people's careers while jeopardizing their health and family life will certainly make you grateful that you don't have to don a Foreman's jacket that doubled as a bulls-eye for unimaginable abuse and one unbeievable story.

"A Savage Factory" will grip you with disbelief from start to finish and make you appreciate that you never had to live the experiences that Robert Dewar endured in order to take home a paycheck.

Bob Dewar passed away on Jan. 20, 2010.

Robert Joseph Dewar was born in McKeesport, PA on March 23, 1943 and spent much of his childhood working in coal mines alongside his father and brothers. Bob knew what it meant to pull himself up from his bootstraps and reach for the stars. Well-respected in the community, he embodied the entrepreneurial spirit.

Known for his wit, humor, and ideas always tinged with strong opinions, he was an animated storyteller who bristled with life when he wove tales. His lifelong dream was to write a book about his experiences.

A Navy veteran and graduate of Penn State University and University of Southern California, he was an avid gardener and lover of nature and wilderness. Bob had wanderlust and enjoyed camping and travel.

In 1986, he realized his dream of becoming a business owner and opened The Box Place on Colerain Ave.

Never one to sit on his laurels, Bob achieved another lifelong dream and became a published author in 2009. "A Savage Factory," which has received wide acclaim, details his true life experiences working as a foreman at Ford's Sharonville transmission plant. Recently, Bob toured the old plant with a reporter from the Wall Street Journal and saw first-hand the dramartic overhaul by Ford. The tour was arranged by the CEO of Ford Motor Company after receiving a copy of Bob's book.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; three children, Richard, Sharon and David. Grandchild, Ethan; and brothers, Jim, Herb, and Harry. He is preceded by brothers Charles, Bill, Alfred and sister Mary Ann. Memorials may be made to McKeesport Heritage Center (1832 Arboretum Drive, McKeesport, PA 15132), or buy Bob's book on Amazon.com.

(Obituary from The Cincinnati Enquirer 22 January 2010)

Robert Dewar worked as a assembly line supervisor during both the glory days of Ford when they could sell everything they could make, and the horrible days when they couldn't give away a car. His experiences with workers and management at a transmission plant are the basis for A Savage Factory.

Dewar takes us through his career at Ford- starting with his one-hour management training program, all the way to his seniority-driven layoff years later. Along the way we meet a rogues gallery of workers, managers and union stewards, and are treated to an inside look at some of the practices that helped turn Ford into an automotive basket case in the 70's.

The high points:

Some of the stories are so incredible that they cross the line from just plain sad to hilarious. The lengths both sides (UAW/Ford) were willing to go in the battle over an illegal coffee-pot strains credibility, although I have no doubt it is true.

Dewar writes in a very easy-to-read style. I ended up reading the book in one sitting, and it captured my interest enough that I wanted to see what the next chapter included.

It provides an honest look at the motivations, confrontations and the mindsets that were present in the US automotive industry during this timeframe. While I have read a lot of the history (an interest of mine), I had never quite read about it being this bad. I have no way of knowing if Dewar has exaggerated, but the tales seem credible.


The low points:

I found the effort to be a superficial overview of what was going on. There were a few war stories and anecdotes related in the book, but the author seemed uncertain if he was trying for a serious critique of Ford/UAW management-or belly laughs. He never really attains either, and the book sort of languishes in limbo between the two.

All of the characters are very one dimensional-either lazy, drunken, UAW-protected working stiffs who don't give a darn, or idiotic, dictatorial Ford-protected managers who don't give a darn. It is hard to believe that a factory of this size didn't have some competent workers and managers.


In short, I found the book amusing while I was reading it, but found that I was more and more disappointed as I replayed the book in my mind after reading it. It came up short both on providing any analysis of what was going on and funny stories.

However, if you have ever read "Heart of Darkness", (the book that the movie "Apocalypse Now" was based on) you will recognize the parallels between Marlow/Kurtz and the author as they both descend into the madness and darkness that surrounds them. Dewar is a much different manager, and probably human being, at the end of the story that he is at the beginning. The book would have been much better had this been explored in more detail.

The book is entertaining enough that it is probably worth a read, but I will most likely give it away with no plans to ever re-read it. If you ever owned a Ford and had transmission problems, reading it will just aggravate you.

Do not open "A Savage Factory" unless you have a day or so to kill because you won't be able to put it down. My dad told me about this book and gave me his copy to read when I was home on vacation. "A Savage Factory" is an eye-witness expose of the corruption that went on during the manufacturing of Ford transmissions during the late 1970s (e.g., when quality was at its very lowest). The book reminded me (and I'm sure it will remind others) of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" that was published in 1906 and that exposed the shocking horrors and corruption of the meatpacking industry. The author, Dewar, gives a detailed and very scientific/analytical account of the entire process of manufacturing transmissions as well as of the psychology of the auto-worker and mid- and upper-level management. The chapter about the mental health hospital that dealt especially with burn-outs (or near burn-outs) from Ford was hilarious (but also enlightening for anyone working in a fast-pace, stressful environment). The sad thing about "A Savage Factory" is that everything that Dewar describes in the book--as shocking as it all seems at first--is probably not beneath the bozos that have been running the auto industry into the dirt for 30 years. WARNING: Do not buy this book if you have ever worked in management at Ford (and probably GM too)!

I read this book with tears in my eyes as my husband worked at Ford in Sharonville in the 1970's. He worked there from the time he was 17 until he was 60 because he wanted to save enough money so that his only son would never have to work in this type of environment but I didn't realize that until I read this book. In the 70's, I only knew of the long hours, drinking and the arguments we had and the financial worries we had when the oil embargo hit. I now know that the pressures of his job and conditions he had to work in were a huge factor in our divorce. You would have to be super people to survive what Ford dished out. My ex died soon after he retired from Ford from congestive heart failure. He was 62. He didn't get to see his only grandchild or enjoy his retirement - his body was just plain worn out. Most of his friends died even before retirement, mostly from cancer. While he told me some things about what went on at Ford, I had no idea the scope of the abuse. He was not the type to complain. He was a hard worker and a good father and husband but Ford just beat him into the ground. Mr. Dewar shines a much needed light on the subject of man's inhumanity to man. I was so sorry to hear of his passing. May his star shine bright in heaven. Thank you Bob.

Having worked in the auto industry, as a supplier to Ford Motor Company, and having had a 285+ pound Ford Assembly Plant Manager in my face, cussing me like a Sailor from 3" away, leaves me sympathizing with the author's attempt to maintain his sanity in the day-to-day environment that he accurately describes as "A Savage Factory"!

This book is a "MUST READ" if you have ever been a supplier, stock holder, relative of a Ford employee or the owner/victim of the poor quality produced by Ford Motor Company. This "Revealing and Shocking" account of the constant war between the UAW "Rank and File" and Ford middle and upper management leaves one wondering HOW Ford was able to avoid the bankruptcy that devoured its competitors.

The Author's account of the face-to-face meeting, with an employee that confessed to coming into the plant to "Kill" him and other "Honkies", provides a true picture of the stresses and pressures that Ford placed on the employees with its "Make the Numbers or Else" mentality! His account of his meeting with the Doctor at "Rollmans" is a turning point in Mr. Dewar's life and provides him the tools to continue to drive toward his ultimate dream of leaving corporate America.

One reviewer stated that Mr. Dewar "embellished" his witnessed/lived accounts of his experiences at Ford to sell his book! I am sure that his facility was much different than the Sharonville facility where the Author worked, and he should be thankful for that! Having worked for Mr. Dewar, during the "sanity" years at Signode, I can assure you of one thing: If he says it happened, It Happened!!!

If you purchase this book, Lock yourself in a room and read it cover to cover, OR hide it when you finish reading a short session. My copy was "Kidnapped" twice before I could complete reading it! Better yet, Buy multiple copies and share them with your co-workers when they start to complain about how bad "They" have it!

Unfortunately there are too many people who aren't putting two and two together when reading this book and are giving it 5 stars. I am well aware of the crap that Ford built in the 70's as my family suffered through a Pinto that completely rusted out, a Thunderbird that would stall out and a Fairmont that got below rated gas mileage and had it's transmission fail. My negative review is based on a lot of things in this book but I will concentrate on one chapter.

Chapter 11 is called Quality Is Job One. Most of us probably remember that ad campaign. In this book the Author claims to have been at Sharonville when Ford was using this ad campaign. He basically states that it was nothing more then a publicity stunt and it was business as usual at the plant. He talks about how Bill Cosby was brought to the plant to film a commercial and The Cosby Show was the #1 rated TV show at the time. This is where the math don't add up. The Author says he worked at Sharonville for 6 years. Chapter 7 is about the OPEC Oil Embargo. The OPEC Oil Embargo started in October of 1973. That means that the latest the Author could have started at Sharonville would have been early 1973. If he worked there for 6 years then he would have been laid off in 1979 or early 1980. I found two online articles in May of 1998 that said Ford was ending its Quality Is Job One campaign after 17 years. That would mean the ad campaign started in 1981. I also looked up and found that The Cosby Show started in 1984. Therefore the Author could not have been at Sharonville during Quality Is Job One and The Cosby Show and the chapter is completely made up.

If this guy has one chapter that is complete fiction then what else in this book is lies. I hope that anyone who wants to buy this reads this review before so they don't believe this is a non-fiction book. Unfortunately there are very few of us who realized that is guy is a fraud.

This book should be in the top 50 on Amazon, it should be required reading for all managers and trainees in American Industry because it not only applies to the automobile industry, but all American Industry.
A Savage Factory grabs you from page one and you can't put it down until it is done, and when you finish it, you are as drained as author Bob Dewar must have been at the end of a shift as a foreman at Ford.
In a true, from the heart, no sugar coating narrative, Dewar shows the current combat between labor and management which has gone on for years. It is not a wonder why autos cost so much, the amazing part is how they ever get any shipped off the line.
Dewar details the daily battle ground of the factory floor and his part in it as the middle man, getting his men to do their job, providing them the tools to do it, and dealing with the authoritative management style which was required at Ford.
The "numbers" were the requirement at Ford, production numbers or numbers of 4600 forms, writing up labor for various bullcrap infractions. Ford insisted on one or the other.
When management and labor are at war, it is amazing anything gets produced, and Dewar chronicles the war, battle by silly battle and the resultant poor product which comes from the situation.
Despite modern management taught since Fredrick Taylor days (1890's) the reality is American management is stuck somewhere between the Dark Ages and Slavery in treatment of labor.
This is a must read book, it is insightful and illustrative of what industrial workers face on a daily basis. as well as what managers who are caught in the middle need to fight each day.
The moral of the story is that this book has reality outside the auto industry, it is the same in steel mills, foundries, and machine shops. It is hoped that Dewar will follow up this great book with others on what is wrong with American management, and maybe, just maybe, someone will pay attention.

My father worked for 30+ years in the UAW, employed by Ford Motor Co in two Cincinnati transmission plants. I had heard that relations between hourly and management were contentious and hostile, but Mr. Dewar provides chilling insight on a sad and depressing era in Ford's history. Stories that my father shared seemed too preposterous to believe, but all were verified in shocking detail.

Ford Motor came within an eyelash of imploding, and it is hard to fathom how an American icon could become so insulated and cling to such archaic and ruthless tactics, all in the name of sales and profit. Mr. Dewar does not set out to condemn Ford, rather he seems driven to record his Ford experience and work history as it unfolded. It's a great read and should be required for a lesson in how not to manage an organization.

Andrew

After spending the first 35 years of my 55 year adult work career in the automotive and other hard goods manufacturing, I really looked forward to reading this book. My auto employment was at a GM facility. I functioned first as an hourly employee, first line foreman and up through the ranks to the upper end of middle management. This guy's account is full of fiction. He focuses on the worst aspects of people and says nothing good about anyone other than himself. He describes being thrown into his job as a foreman with just 39 minutes of a walk around tour by his boss. He implies this short training to the desire of his boss for him to fail. Fiction! Anyone who has had supervision experience knows that if your subordinate fails, then so do you. On page three this guy describes the workers as:"they were hard resentful,; unhappy faces; dulled, stunned faces". He describes one of them as glaring at him "and I could read his cursing lips.......I wondered why he hated me. He did not even know me." He describes his boss's boss as "a fully clothed skeleton. His face was a mass of wrinkles, and his right eye was obviously false. A yellowish liquid like Elmer's glue, or the snot under a three year old's nose , seeped from the fake eye, which was turned to the right.....". This typlifies the tone of his writing. He describes the UAW Committeeman as insulting him in great detail. I knew none who would say this to supervision, especially when they have just met. On page 12 he details how an employee in his area of responsibility threatens and mocks him the first time they meet and comments about he might have an industrial accident that you read about in the "Wall Street Journal". It just goes on and on and gets no better. He speaks of his college degree frequently (note: many of us had degrees, which we used as a tool to do our jobs). He speaks frequently of how offensive the profanity was in the shop, yet he uses it extensively in his book. Not everyone working in the shops swears just for the sake of it. It's more of his unfair exaggeration to put people down and inflate his own importance. Most of the workers in the shops are decent working people.

By his own account: he worked voluntarily in this area for six years, until they let him go; he stored notes that he had made for those years and stored them in a box in his attic after he was let go; thirty years later he retrieved these notes and wrote this book, when it looked like Ford was going down the tubes to expose their horrible quality and other bad behaviour. Why wait so long? Also, he admits that no publisher would publish it and he did it at his own expense.

I am amazed that people were taken in by this book. I am unhappy that I bought it. I was impressed by some of its endorsements by people like Jerry Flint. Now I wonder if he really knew about the many other things he wrote for Forbes. This book is an exercise in paranoia and negativity. I wrote this to save others from making the same mistake I made in buying it, but if you enjoy poor fiction and negativity, then have at it.