Reflections on GTM over the years

Mike@GTM

Unfortunately, there is no GTM without Sam. Sam is the type that would go down with the ship and keep fighting the whole way. He doesn't give up easily and would never sell the company that in his mind, he built. While it is true that it is his company, he didn't design or build any of the parts: his employees did.

I will say that getting a company to the level that GTM was at was a huge undertaking, but at some point you cannot single handedly manage such a beast. Sam simply did not want to let go and let someone with more experience running a successful business do it properly. The most frustrating and frightening time I had at GTM was when Sam had to have brain surgery. He simply was not going to be physically able to run the business. If he died, the company would have been toast. I offered to help run things while he was out for surgery and recovery, but he just wouldn't let go and the company suffered as a result. But the rabbit hole is much, much deeper than that and the seeds of GTM's self destruction had been sown much, much earlier. Credit can be a useful tool, but it can sink a company really quick as well. Sam, just isn't very good at managing money and meeting obligations.

It's funny, I'm just reminded of a conversation Sam and I had. He claimed that everyone misses a car payment, right? I looked him dead in the eye and said I have never missed a car payment in my life and I have an 811 credit score. I guess that right there says everything that is wrong with GTM and why it is in bankruptcy.

DEpointfive0

I completely understand, and I know that getting a compnay to GTM's "size" is incredible to do too.

Now I say "size" because their catalogue is massive... But what good is a massive catalogue when you can't deliver on a tenth of it?

I actually met you Mike, not sure if you remember, you showed me some install guides or something for the MHI kit. I was delivering sway bars for SS_Firehawk

In any case, it's kinda a shame that GTM's last days are among us. It was cool seeing these moronic one offs of parts that would never hit production.

Going back to what you said, what Sam's issue is, is that he's too power hungry/greedy with "his business" HE needed to be in control of everything, which is too difficult to do. And he made his catalogue too massive which isn't feasible... I am a cost analyst of a company that has 5000 SKUs... I think GTM has just as many... Difference is that we do $150,000,000 a year...
I've told people this 1000 times. If GTM could stock the stage 1, 1.5 and maybe 2 SC kit, they would FLY off the shelves. That's really all they need to make to survive.
Supposedly they didn't want to go through with the Mitubishi turbos because 20% would fail. I said what they should do is have 50 sitting in boxes, customer calls and says the turbo failed, next day air one out. Customer will still be happy with the amazing service... Better than not having a product to offer in the first place, and the kit was such a great deal that it didn't matter.


In any case... Let's see what happens... And maybe I'll meet you again Mike, beer on me

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Mike@GTM

Yes, I remember meeting you and I think it would have been awesome to have a cost analyst on board. The company really could have used your services something fierce.

As for the Mitsubishi failures, that would have been a huge problem and would've killed the company just as quick as not doing anything at all. It was a rock and hard place position, no doubt.

The conundrum is that there is no one single thing that destroyed GTM. There are a lot of factors and a lot of variables. However, the thing I always seem to come back to is that ethics has a lot to do with it. ******** will get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

DEpointfive0

I don't think it would've been this bad, lol
But they had other issues, manifolds, etc...

And I'm right there with you on the last statement.



I am actually really sad the ride is over... It's been over for a while... Just more amazing that it's actually for sure on it's last legs

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Mike@GTM

Let's just say that if a wastegate failed to open, bad things would happen, yes?

There are definitely memories I cherish and there were some good times, great parts, and awesome work. That's partly why I didn't leave sooner. There were things that really sucked, but there were things that were pretty damn awesome too. It certainly wasn't boring. lol

I wish the white dragon would have been finished...that would have been epic!

DEpointfive0

Lol, at least I got to see the White Dragon in person although Sam was really Nazi about me taking pics of it even though the owner of that car and SS had asked me to take pics of their cars... Lol

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OMGWTFBBQ

... I might have missed it, but whatever happened to that project?

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DEpointfive0

It's on a god damn lift at GTM... Such a shame

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Mike@GTM

That's not surprising. Sam wants tight control over information and you never know what he's told a customer.

Before I left, we were going to make it even more awesome using the new V3 manifolds. For all I know, Sam is probably still giving the owner the dog and pony show. He'll drag that on for years if he can...there's a 240sx there that was there before I started working there and was still there when I left...5 years later.

But don't think that showing up with some muscle is going to get you any traction with him. Sam held onto a guy's MR2 for ages and when the guy showed up and starting giving Sam hell, Sam called the cops and had the guy removed from the premises.