NPR Reports Lehman's Y2K Overload

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National Public Radio had a 5 minute piece last night on Lehman's and Y2K. Did anyone else catch it? I tried to see if the text was on their website, but couldn't locate the story anywhere.

In short, the reporter pretty much dismissed Y2K (surprise, surprise). He even said Lehman's Y2K customers are reluctant to talk to him so he couldn't really get their perspective aside from a single interview of a man who couldn't articulate the necessity for Y2K prep very well (not surprisingly, most people have a hard time thinking clearly with a microfilm stuck in their face).

Anywaqy, the story noted how Lehman's small family run business has more than doubled it's sales in the last year and the Amish (their regular customers) are none too happy about it. The inventory of woodstoves, grain grinders and such are taxed and backordered. The Amish aren't accustommed to that. In fact, the Amish are the manufacturers of many of the products and they have no intention of ramping up production to meet the need. They say that they will continue at their usual production level and the backorder problem will simply continue to mount. Apparently they have no interest in the additional profits.

I'll try to locate the reporter and suggest he interview folks on this forum. Any volunteers? I'll gladly pass along email addresses of those willing to talk to him.

-- David (David@BankPacman.com), December 11, 1998

Answers

Hi David: Yesterday, Gary North had an article about this called Lehman's Business is booming. It is the Domino category.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), December 11, 1998.

Oops! Of course I meant microphone, not microfilm. Thanks those banking days coming back to haunt me again.

Thanks Rob, I'll check it out.

-- David (David@BankPacman.com), December 11, 1998.


FWIW I wrote a story last month about how Y2K prep is overheating niche market suppliers like bulk food, solar, nonhybrid seeds: http://www.well.com/user/declan/y2k/

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com), December 11, 1998.

Mr. McCullagh:

Off-topic but I want to personally than you for the "Bankers: Preparing for a Panic?" article. With your research, I got a letter published pronto at my local paper. Couldn't have done it without your article. Thanks again!

Lisa

-- Lisa (pleasedto@meetyou.sir), December 11, 1998.


I emailed an order to Lehman's on October 19 and got no reply. I emailed again a week ago and still haven't heard from them. I finally got through on the phone four days ago, and after 27 minutes of long distance charges and constantly having to press buttons to let them know I still wanted to hold, they hung up on me.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), December 12, 1998.


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