There is no question the IH managment lost focus on the details of the company. Years of neglect on a corporate level finally took their toll when the recession, or depression, that began in 1979 and lasted into the early 1980's set in.
The best reading on the decline of Harvester is a book, A Corprate Tragedy, by Barbara Marsh. Basically, Harvester was not financially strong when cash flow dried up, due to a severe economic disruption to all manufacturers of the era. Harvester could not ride things out until profitability returned and did what all companies must do to hang on - sell off divisions for cash and focus on a smaller corporate picture.
The early 1980's were very dismall. I live about 50 miles from Peoria IL and watched Harvester, Caterpillar, and all smaller companies in central IL decline. Layoffs were the norm and homes for sale were everywhere. For me, being an employee for an electric utility was salvation from layoff, but I was in a fortunate small group of the central IL workforce.
Harvester selling the IH logo was probably a condition Teneco wanted when it aquired the Agriculture product line. While I don't like seeing the IH logo next to Case, it is better than not seeing it at all.
When one reads A Corporate Tragedy, they will learn that Harvester was refocusing on better corporate responsibility when the bottom dropped out of everything for almost everyone.
The recession was so bad that central IL has never been the same. Harvester is gone from Canton and Caterpillar has never had their employment levels like then. United States manufacturing changed forever after that, with outsourcing, and moving overseas.
Try not to judge the IH boys in charge at the end too harshly. They got caught in tough economic times with a situation they inherited. They had to decide whether or not to go the bankruptcy route, what to sell, when to sell, wait or do it now, etc. It was a very stressful time for them. The book is a must read if anyone wants to know the inner workings of IH at the time.
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Today's Featured Article - Sunday Drives - by Cowboy. Summer was finally upon us here in Northern Maine. We have two types of industry up here, one being "Forestry" (Wood Products) and the other "Farming" (Potatoes). There is no shortage of farm tractors and equipment around here! I have been restoring old Farm Tractors for the past 6 years, and have found it easier and less expensive to hit all the auctions and purchase whole tractors for parts needed. My wife who works at a local school, and only has weekends and summers off, while on t
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