Nortons current state
Discussion
bolidemichael said:
Here is a comment from 'Bob Holt', who claims to have worked from Norton.
https://www.bikerglory.com/news/the-norton-saga/
Bob Holt
October 8, 2012 at 2:14 pm | Reply
I worked at Triumph for over 7 years and left to join Norton as their 3rd employee. Stuart Garner was a joke from the start and clearly didn’t know anything about manufacturing or buisiness. Worse still he wouldn’t listen to anyone who did! I brought some excellent suppliers to Norton who were treated very badly and were ultimately re-sourced when they dared to ask for payment. Not a pleasant experience. It’s a shame Mr Bloor didn’t buy Norton when Stuart offered it to him – but Garner is greedy asked way too much. Hopefully when it folds it will be purchased by someone with integrity who wants to build a business rather than make a quick buck.
Worse than the treatment of suppliers was the treatment of customers. Testing was non-existent. We advised the necessity for mileage, pave etc. but that would cost money – and Garner didn’t have any (or worse, wouldn’t part with it). We experienced airboxes filling with oil which leaked over the back wheel and gearbox lock-ups on bikes that Garner was happy to send to customers. There was generally a complete disregard for safety in the factory too.
It’s a shame that all of the decent employees have left. The original FD was a star and Andie was really sound. We initially had some great people and goodwill which quickly disappeared.
I’m now a Purchasing Manager for a (proper) Aerospace company and most people have moved on to better things.
I’d like to say good luck to Stuart but I actually hope it folds quickly and gets a decent person at the helm.
Bob Holt.
I'm typically rarely on FB now but when I am its normally bike groups/pages and I see a lot of comments like this from ex staffhttps://www.bikerglory.com/news/the-norton-saga/
Bob Holt
October 8, 2012 at 2:14 pm | Reply
I worked at Triumph for over 7 years and left to join Norton as their 3rd employee. Stuart Garner was a joke from the start and clearly didn’t know anything about manufacturing or buisiness. Worse still he wouldn’t listen to anyone who did! I brought some excellent suppliers to Norton who were treated very badly and were ultimately re-sourced when they dared to ask for payment. Not a pleasant experience. It’s a shame Mr Bloor didn’t buy Norton when Stuart offered it to him – but Garner is greedy asked way too much. Hopefully when it folds it will be purchased by someone with integrity who wants to build a business rather than make a quick buck.
Worse than the treatment of suppliers was the treatment of customers. Testing was non-existent. We advised the necessity for mileage, pave etc. but that would cost money – and Garner didn’t have any (or worse, wouldn’t part with it). We experienced airboxes filling with oil which leaked over the back wheel and gearbox lock-ups on bikes that Garner was happy to send to customers. There was generally a complete disregard for safety in the factory too.
It’s a shame that all of the decent employees have left. The original FD was a star and Andie was really sound. We initially had some great people and goodwill which quickly disappeared.
I’m now a Purchasing Manager for a (proper) Aerospace company and most people have moved on to better things.
I’d like to say good luck to Stuart but I actually hope it folds quickly and gets a decent person at the helm.
Bob Holt.
Genuinely I hope the name and legacy lives on with someone buying it and sorting the problems. I still look at some of the models and wish I could afford as a second road bike
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