They have here in southeastern North Carolina. No construction planned til third and fourth quarters. They could not even get a P.O. approved for $ 3,620.00 for simple drop burials. (Original request was for $ 10,500.00).
Moody's Investor Service and Standard and Poor's has cut Charter's bond rating to near below junk. They both say, however, that Charter has enough cash to make it through 2003 IF they cut capital expenditures to the bone.
It appears that if you are going to get much Charter work this year the following must apply:
1. Be related to someone in Corporate. Preferrably anyone named McCall;
2. Have a Division Director of Technical Operations as the Godfather one of your family members...though this is not seeming to help Bigham Cable in the Outer Banks. The Division Dir. of Tech Ops is gone the end of this month.......and so is Bigham I hear. Hmmmmmmmmm.
3. Charge only for the amount of gas it takes to get to each job site. Do NOT charge for any actual labor, insurance, maintenance, upkeep, etc. and DO NOT even think about placing any profit margin into any price.
4. Suck a Manager's dick on a daily basis (you will have to do this as there will be no other means of "under the table" gratification available due to the above price structure.
If for some reason you do not qualify for number 1, which you probably won't unless you are in Greenville, SC area, try number 3 & 4 in combination. The more often the better!
Good luck.
As for me, I am out of this God-forsaken business (last day was Tuesday) after 18 years.
God bless Falcon Cable Media. They were one f***ed up company but I had 12 years of fun and misery (which the misery was fun too, lol). Plus Charter makes Falcon look great!
Just a note: I wouldn't be holding too many Charter invoices beyond the 30 day mark at any time during this year. You may wish to reference some of the contractors who lost millions when Adelphia filed bankruptcy. It won't be pretty.
Be well. Have fun. Contract defensively.
Joe Baldwin
