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Used car review: Holden VE Sportwagon 2008-2010Motor Reviews Used Car Reviews
- Make
- Holden
- Family
- Commodore
- Series
- Year
- 2008
- Badge Description
- Omega Sportwagon
- Doors
- 5
- Seats
- 5
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Engine Configuration Description
- Gear Num
- 4
- Cylinders
- 6
- Build Country Origin Description
- ANCAPRating
- 5
- Overall Green Star Rating
- 3
- Fuel Type Description
- Petrol - Unleaded ULP
- Drive Description
- Rear Wheel Drive
- Warranty KM
- 100000
For a while there, the conventional station wagon was taking an awful hiding at the hands of the fashionistas. For reasons known only to those who forge new trends in what is otherwise the real world, the two-box family truckster fell out of favour.
The soft-roader was king of the suburbs back in the late noughties and meat-and-three-veg station wagons such as the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon were taking a hammering in the sales race.
There was no good reason for this and once Holden had identified that fact, it was free to bring sexy back ... in a station wagon.
By using the same wheelbase as the Commodore sedan, Holden was able to style a much chunkier, muscular-looking family wagon than ever before.
Available in every Commodore trim level up to and including the Calais, Holden ensured there was a Sportwagon — as the new wagon was called — for every buyer profile and every budget.
The wagon was also available in SS form, meaning it got the 270kW 6.0-litre V8 engine for some truly meaningful performance and a great towing package.
The V8 could actually be relatively fuel-efficient, too, with its cylinder deactivation technology that shut down four of the eight cylinders when you didn't need them.
The biggest challenges the Commodore Sportwagon throws up are mainly to do with ergonomics and day-to-day use.
While that swept-back roofline looks great, it compromises the luggage space. Compared with the old VZ Commodore station wagon with its "normal" roofline, the VE is a much smaller car inside.
Holden figured that it was still big enough for many families and if that's what it took to get people out of soft-roaders then so be it. It's a difficult policy to argue with.
But that small rear window and shallow side glass also means the Sportwagon can be a bit difficult to see out of to the rear, particularly for shorter drivers.
And the view forward is blighted by the fat A-pillar that, in traffic, can hide other vehicles.
Inside, big annoyances include the power window switches mounted on the centre console and not the window ledge.
But a potentially more painful one is the park-brake lever. It is not only awkward to operate but also has the habit of jamming the driver's thumb as the lever is released.
While the new five and six-speed gearboxes in the Commodore range are still to show up any major deficiencies, the
base-model cars still used the old four-speed version. It no longer holds any surprises for the trade.
Essentially, the gearbox should be fine until about the 170,000-kilometre mark, after which there is a fair chance it will need a full rebuild or major surgery.
Some cars have gone on way beyond that, and others haven't, so repair costs are worth factoring in if the Sportwagon you're looking at is an ex-fleet car or has simply covered big distances for its age.
On the same subject, watch out for cars with huge tow-bars fitted. These suggest a hard life of towing big loads and that, in itself, can shorten a gearbox's life considerably.
Engine-wise, most Sportwagons were fitted with a V6 engine - either the 175kW 3.6-litre unit or the smoother, more refined 195kW version.
Both units featured double overhead camshafts and were touted on their launch as being vastly superior to the old pushrod V6 they replaced.
The reality is, though, that neither is a pinnacle of mechanical refinement, although Holden was chasing improvements as running changes.
With that in mind, the later the build date on the car you're looking at, the better and sweeter it's likely to sound and feel.
The car's history is important, too. Being the vehicle it is, the Sportwagon (and Commodores generally) were popular with governments, private fleets and car rental agencies.
The danger with an ex-rental car is that it's been driven by 100 different people in the last 12 months, none of whom have cared a jot for the condition of the car after they've used it.
Government fleet cars are also often driven by a variety of people, many of whom can be pretty mechanically unsympathetic.
If the lower purchase price of an ex-fleet car bought at auction appeals, try to find one that has been used as executive transport and is more likely to have had just a single driver for the most part.
And no matter where you're shopping, beware of the car with lowered suspension and aftermarket wheels and tyres. Nothing screams "hoon driver" quite like that combination.
We've also heard of cars with modified suspension that give false-alarm stability control warnings, even though there's nothing actually wrong with the system.
It might have hit the market not quite 18 months ago but the model has been so popular that there are already plenty of second-hand Sportwagons out there to choose from.
Need to know
-Make sure you don't buy an ex-fleet car by mistake. That's not to say they can't be decent cars but they're worth less than privately owned cars.
-Four-speed automatic gearboxes can go the distance but 170,000 kilometres or so is about it for many. Servicing helps but it's no guarantee.
-Be wary of modified cars. As well as the changes affecting the rest of the car, a radically altered car could be unroadworthy and all but impossible to insure.
What to pay
|Omega 2008
|Omega 2009
|Berlina 2008
|Berlina 2009
|Calais 2008
|Calais 2009
Source: Glass's Guide
For dealers who may stock this car, go to drive.com.au/dealers
The BF version of the Falcon was overshadowed by the hot-selling VE Commodore but there are aspects of the Falcon that are class-leading. The wagon is huge inside even if it doesn't look as cool as the Holden. Rating: 3.5/5
Technically a size smaller than the Commodore (and Falcon) wagon variants, the Mondeo should still make it to short-lists because it's actually vast inside. The turbo-diesel option gives the family wagon concept a whole new set of legs, too. Definitely worth a look. Rating: 4/5
Similar to the Holden, the Chrysler station wagon looks the business but falls down when it comes to actual interior space thanks to that roofline. Turbo-diesel version is economical and moves well. Rating: 3.5/5
Similar to the Holden, the Chrysler station wagon looks the business but falls down when it comes to actual interior space thanks to that roofline. Turbo-diesel version is economical and moves well. Rating: 3.5/5


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1982 BEST Men's Clothing
The new building design is great, and the clothing is still the most tasteful in town.
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1 Corinthians 12:8-10New International Version (NIV)
8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b]
New International Version (NIV)
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PORTLAND -- The founder of Zupan's Markets, a grocery chain in Oregon, has died, following a hit-and-run crash in Portland Monday night.
John Zupan, 66, of Vancouver, was rushed to Legacy Emanuel Hospital with critical injuries after the crash. He later died at the hospital.
Investigators said Edy Reynoso-Ramirez, 32, was driving erratically and speeding eastbound along NEMarine Drive when he crossed the center line and crashed head-on into Zupan's motorcycle near the 138th Avenue intersection. (Ramirez pictured in police mug shot at right.)
Portland police said Wednesday Ramirez could now face manslaughter charges in the case.
The driver fled on foot but police said they found him a short time later and arrested him around 8 p.m.
NEMarine Drive was closed between 138th and 148th Avenues as police investigated. They said both vehicles left the roadway after the crash, and Ramirez' Honda Civic ended up at the bottom of a steep embankment. The motorcycle was a 2009 BMW.
Ramirez was facing several other charges, including DUII. Police said he was also placed on an immigration hold.
Zupan started his unique Portland grocery store chain in 1975. His son, Mike took over in 2000 so that he could enjoy retirement.
Background:Zupan a well-known Portland businessman
Company info:Zupan's Markets Web site


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Access4Kids device brings tablets in reach of the motor impaired
Ayanna Howard (right) and Hae Won Park (left) model the Access4Kids device that allows the motor impaired to control a tablet
The current Access4Kids prototype (top) and the second prototype with wireless sensors (bottom)
Article Summary
Even those who consider themselves particularly coordinated will no doubt have been guilty of a misplaced tap here or a badly timed swipe there when using touchscreen devices. But spare a thought for children with fine motor impairments who are essentially excluded from the touchscreen device world and all its educational, entertainment and social benefits. A new device called Access4Kids aims to bring this world within reach of such users.
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new year gift from my 1190R
2800 something Km
day before yesterday a nice tour with friends
used it to go to work the same evening and had a great ride home at seven in the morning
the bike sleeps ouside under a shelter but that's it so I plugged the charger in
today, wanting to go for a ride so I wouldn't have to deal with all the shit and fake friend's wishes for the new year... nothing
crancks over but doesn't fire
smells like gasoline
as if the engine was an old carb version completely drowned
shit is all you can do is push a button so it ain't even my fault ...
as I tried to start it the motor-management/fuel injection sign came on
happy new year...:huh
cam sensor
probably something of the kind
won't even try to fix it or to get it started myself
call the assistance and have it delivered at the dealer's
warranty... :deal
Happy new year!
Unfortunately that's a "known error" at low temparatures.
You could try to switch all powered electr. accessories off before start (incl. heated grips) and try again. Battery doesn't provide enough power / bike's using too much for starting.
battery at 13.8
have tried starting for 2 minutes on end
3 second starting, stop, 3 seconds starting, stop, ... times 50
and off it goes...
I guess that's what the "Adventure" name stands for.
Yep happy new year. I had the same problem it didn't start then I charge the battery and it worked. But yes when ever it cold the bike doesn't starting easy
Same here in Ostend, Belgium! My 1190A will be towed in about 30 minutes to the dealer... My dealer states that the latest software update will fix this difficult cold start (in my case NO start) issue...
Same symptoms: cranks, gasoline smell, nothing...
Rut ro.
Did you crack the throttle a bit? Maybe bike was flooded?
I feel your pain... fortunatly my 990 fired right away, but was pouring rain so heavily that was impossible to ride... round the block, back into the shed...
my 990 will do do the same thing in the winter. will crank but no fire.
mine does this because I need to cange the oil and put a thinner viscosity oil... I know its like comparing apples and oranges but you never know.
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Mon-Fri: 7am-1am EST / Sat-Sun: 7am-11pm EST
ApplianceWhirlpool Range
Level of DifficultyEasy
Time to do repair30 - 60 mins
Age of Appliance1 - 4 years
63 out of 67 people found this instruction helpful
My oven was misdiagnosed from an appliance repair company. They said my ignitors and spark module needed to be replaced. I did this myself and still nothing. The problem happened to be a defective gas valve.First I unplugged the stove and shut off the gas supply. After I disconnected the flex hose and the 2 gas connections behind the stove, I removed the 4 screws that held the valve to the back of the stove.I went to the front of the appliance and pulled out the bottom drawer. This exposed the valve from the other side. I disconnected the electrical connections (3 colored wires) to the valve and removed it. I re-attached the new valve, putting everything back in reverse order. I made sure the 3 wires were reconnected correctly by labeling each one before disconnecting them. I made certain that my gas connections were sealed by using teflon tape and/or pipe sealant from the hardware store. I turned the shutoff valve back to the on position and checked for leaks. If I smelled gas I snugged it down a bit more until no gas smell was detected.There was nothing wrong with the ignitors or the spark module. The stove failed to pre-heat and the "tick-tick" I used to hear when the stove was first turned on was nonexistent. What the so-called experts said would be hundreds of dollars to fix unded up being a $90 part.
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Case study: MONDRAGON International Clusters (2006)
A case study on How MONDRAGON cooperative corporation is clustering its production plants in emerging countries abroad. Based on action field research conducted in India, China, Brazil, mexico, Eastern Europe and Turkey from 2004-2007 by JM Luzarraga from Mondragon University - MIK reseracher.
Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 383 CASE STUDY 6: MONDRAGON INTERNATIONAL CLUSTERS Introduction The Mondragon co-operatives history is that of a group based on geographically proximity of the co-operatives themselves, and on inter-cooperation among them. Mondragon and the Deba Valley; while compared to Emilia Romana (Becattini, 1990), it has been identified as an Industrial District. The diversity of sectors, markets and technologies among Mondragon co-operatives can be attributed to the strategies followed by Grupo Caja Laboral back in the 1970s and 80s. In 1991 the Mondragon Group's industrial divisions were re-structured according to sectors, in order to enhance the possibilities thereof. The Mondragon Group's new structure, organised around economic sectors, was coherent with the clustering strategy implemented in the Basque Country and based on the recommendations made by Professor Michael Porter from Harvard University. Today the Mondragon industrial co-operatives are not only divided into 12 industrial divisions (see Figure 3.9), but are also active members of the regional industrial clusters, such as ACICAE (automotive) or GAIA (telecommunication). It can be said that both strategies have been of great success. The having of a global dimension is a requirement for most of the Mondragon cooperatives. Increasingly they are opening production plants abroad in countries and regions that have a similar series of challenges and opportunities1. As a result nearly all the Mondragon projects abroad are dealing with virtually the same series of problems: 1 For further detail see chapter 5 Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 384 branding and acquiring a new local customer base, lobbying local governments, workforce training, workforce turnover and employee loyalty, certification of suppliers and quality control, logistics management, and issues of isolation, dissatisfaction and motivation of expatriate employees. In the same way that the Mondragon co-operatives reacted to the demands of the market with a policy of regional clustering back in the 1970s and 80s, the current market demands on the subsidiaries abroad are encouraging a clustering of these companies. Even if it does not exist as a formal policy, this emerging phenomenon invites analysis. Mondragon co-operatives FDI: share motivations and joint locations While analysing the Mondragon Group production plants abroad, we came to understand that the original motivation for opening production plants abroad was very similar for most of the co-operatives. Regardless of the specific industrial sector or co-operative activity, the countries and regions where co-operatives open factories tend to resemble to each other. In the following lines the main reasons for making FDI in each country or region are briefly reviewed2: - China and India: Access to low cost purchasing and local markets with an outstanding annual growth rate. In addition to being able to produce those products, that are not profitable when made at the parent co-operatives, China and India are platforms to purchasing, to selling or to entering in neighbouring countries. - East Central Europe: Locating close to customers this applies mainly to large manufacturers of domestic appliances and the automotive sector. The region To have a deeply description of the Mondragon production plants in emerging countries see section 5.5 in chapter 5. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 2 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 385 represents a strategic geographical position in the EU of 27 member-states3 and can serve the eastern countries (Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan), while at the same time allows production of technologies adapted to the different product life cycle (PLC) evolution (ceramic hubs and gas cookers that are substituted by electric cookers in western Europe), and enables the subsequent transfer of their production lines from parent co-operatives. - Mexico: similar to East Central Europe in terms of geographical interest, but in this case also for accessing Central America and North America markets, where Mondragon market share remains small or non-existent for most co-operatives. According to MECI 2004-08, the United States was identified as the region with the highest potential opportunities and with lowest market share. - Brazil: Access to a huge local market with a strong industrial traddition which is a world centre for automotive production. This fosters the pursuing of technology in specific sectors or products, and serves as a platform for accessing to the South American countries. - Western Europe, USA and Japan: Access to technology or in specific cases, such as Fagor Brandt and Maier UK, the gaining of a strategic position in the local market. Clusters strategy: a theoretical review Economic Clusters are a widely researched phenomenon in the field of economic geography. This form of grouping companies has been studied since Marshall's (18901920) description of industrial environments, through industrial districts (Becattini, 2004), "stitch places" (Kanter, 1995), and finally in Porter's several works (1990, 1998, 2000). The publication of The Competitive Advantage of Nations (Porter, 1990) not only At the time of writing the EU comprised of the following 27 member-states (in order of accession): Belgium, France, (West) Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands (1957), Denmark, Ireland, UK (1973), Greece (1981), Portugal, Spain (1986), Austria, Finland, Sweden (1995), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia (2004), Romania and Bulgaria (2207). Further enlargement of the EU is likely. Negotiations with Croatia and Turkey started in 2005 under the UK Presidency. Although an official candidate, a start date for negotiations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has not yet been set. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 3 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 386 defined the cluster theory but helped also to trigger a large and growing number of formal cluster initiatives in countries all over the world. According to Porter, in a global economy clusters cannot be understood as an independent fact in the competition and competitive strategy, because globalisation is a driving force of cluster formation and represents a common response to the problem of how nations and regions are trying to maintain competitiveness and the governments deal with the retaining and increasing their local region's wealth. Porter defines a cluster as a "geographically proximate group of interconnected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and complementarities." (Porter, 2000: 16). It includes a balance between competition and cooperation, from an array of linked industries and other entities, that attempt to maximise competitiveness efficiencies. Companies share many common needs, opportunities, constraints, and obstacles to obtaining competitiveness. A cluster provides a constructive and efficient forum for dialogue among related companies, their suppliers, governments, and other entities. Clusters as a source of competitiveness The main objective of the "Cluster Strategy" is to increase the competitiveness of companies, while promoting and balancing the following synergies: - Access to specialised inputs and employees. The presence of a company in a cluster may allow for access to important inputs, for example components, machinery and business services at a cheaper price. - Access to information. The being part of a cluster allows for greater accessibility (in terms of ease and costs) to market and technical information that has been accumulated in the companies and agents of the clusters. "This also applies to the flow of information between units of the same company. Proximity, supply and technological linkages, and the existence of repeated personal relationships and community ties fostering trust facilitate the information flow within clusters" Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 387 Obtaining information about current buyer needs is an important special case of the informational benefits of clusters" (Porter, 2000: 18). - Complementary products for buyers. The spatial relationship of companies within a cluster facilitates the coordination of product and service offerings, and the interrelationship of companies compels to improve quality and efficiency. - Marketing economies of scale. A group of firms in a single industry can provide increased economies of scales and efficiencies by conducting marketing and sales activities jointly. The increased visibility of the cluster location also increases the visibility of the participants in the cluster, making it easier for buyers to visit and purchase from the cluster or from its members. - Synergies due to a better alignment of activities among cluster participants. Relationships with suppliers and the rest of the supply chain are more readily understood in the clusters. In adition, productivity improvements can be made when joint actions are taken by the cluster in areas such as common policies for personnel, resource management, etc. - Access to institutions and public goods. One of the primary advantages of clusters is their ability to create economies of scale and turn inputs into "public or quasipublic resources", that is, into consistent and widely available inputs. An example of this is seen in employee recruitment initiatives, which attract locally trained employees, and save companies training costs. Implementing clusters, keys of success: The following criteria should be taken into account while defining clusters in order to foster the clusters' strategy opportunities: - A shared understanding of competitiveness, and the role of clusters in creating competitive advantage. Clusters must differentiate themselves from one another regarding productivity improvements and innovation. Attempting to do so with low wages, low taxes or currency devaluation strategies does not promise long term competitiveness. So that participants could understand the factors that create Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 388 productivity and how the clusters can enhance it, it is necessary to have initial discussions with cluster members about the difference between real competitiveness and subsidies, along with continuous conversations that will clarify these points. - A focus on removing obstacles and easing constraints to cluster upgrading. It is important that clear conversations that define expectations and objectives for clusters be part of the planning phase of the cluster initiative. Subsequently it is important to restate and reinforce these goals. These factors will help to ensure that attempts to control competition or to look for subsidies be avoided. - A structure that embraces all clusters in a nation or state. "Setting priorities not only is bad economics, it disenfranchises large parts of the private sector" (Porter, 2000: 16). Early careful choices help to spread concepts and processes to the clusters, and these will be included in the later initiatives. - Appropriate cluster boundaries. Clusters should be made up of companies and other agents sharing some relationship, connection or overlap. They should not just be constructed around broadly defined terms or concepts, like technology companies, high tech, etc. - Wide involvement of cluster participants and associated institutions. Clusters themselves should attempt to incorporate companies of varying sizes in addition to representatives of outside parties and stakeholders. The failure to include key stakeholders or parties can create unexpected opposition or enemies to the cluster initiative. - Private sector leadership. - Close attention to personal relationships. The positive aspects of clusters mostly result from the personal relationships, communication and trust promoted by them. Relationships will grow and become stronger depending on the degree these relations can improve the flow of information and know-how. Third party facilitators can be key agents in facilitating trust building, but from the project's start a concerted effort to promote regular communication inside and outside the cluster is necessary. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 389 - A bias towards action. Cluster initiatives must be motivated by the desire to achieve results. - Institutionalisation. As previously stated, cluster theory has specific characteristics. The creation of a cluster might be achieved gradually, as long as the clustering process is taking place. But implementing the cluster approach at an early stage helps regional development success. "Seeing a group of companies and institutions as a cluster also highlights opportunities for coordination and mutual improvement in areas of common concern with less of a risk of distorting competition or limiting the intensity of rivalry" (Porter, 2000: 17). Mondragon regional clustering strategy The creation of new worker co-operatives was promoted by Grupo Caja Laboral under two conditions: That all new co-operatives have an entrepreneur committed to the project, and that the new company was "not a potential competitor of any other existing co-operative". This strategy resulted in many worker co-operatives spread all over Mondragon's surrounding local villages, supported by entrepreneurs from: Aretxabaleta, O�ati, Bergara, Ordizia, Eibar, Markina, and Gernika4. The co-operatives' clustering policy dates back to 1964, when the first district cooperative group ULARCO (now called the Fagor Group) was established in the Mondragon Valley by four of the first co-operatives: Ulgor, Arrasate, Copreci, and Ederlan. The co-operative group was established as a private association and regulated by a multilateral contract. This clustering strategy was pursued in order to enjoy the benefits of shared resources without the problems of large-scale organisations, providing This strategy has often been described as lacking in competitiveness by business management consultants who state that the Mondragon Group should focus on fewer business activities achieving a bigger dimension instead of having smaller enterprises on multiple sectors. In 1991 the Mondragon Group industrial divisions were re-structured around sectors in order to balance cooperative size and synergies. But, contrary to what might be thought, Mondragon leaders believe that one of its biggest assets is the diversity of sectors, technologies and industries present in the group and the way they complement one another (J. CATANIA, 2006). Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 4 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 390 coordination rather than the creation of a larger co-operative. "There was some controversy over the extent to which the co-operative groups should play an executive rather than staff role" (Clamp, 2000: 16). The Fagor Group agreed to joint services in such areas as personnel, marketing, new product development, economic and financial services. More than thirty years later in 1978 the Mondragon industrial co-operatives guided by Caja Laboral, with the aim of promoting coordination among those small co-operatives outside of the Deba Valley, implemented a "regional cluster" policy. Led by Ormaechea, several clusters were created: Orbide, Learko, and Goilan. The motivation for this was the promoting inter-cooperation with new synergies based on geographical proximity, in order to obtain economies of scale. One of the Learko founders mentioned some of the success factors of the project: it was led by people with broad experience who had previously worked at the co-operatives in Mondragon; there were no commercial links between the co-operatives; there were social links and a social commitment among the leaders. "Since they had been students together in Mondragon, they had the awareness that a co-operative group could resolve problems or help resolve them" (Clamp, 2000: 16-17). The reality of 56 local industrial co-operatives with 15,130 workers back in 1978 in a closed country, where democracy was recently established, differs considerably from the present XXI century situation. At the end of 2006 the Mondragon Group's industrial division includes 100 worker co-operatives, and 118 affiliated companies with a total of 42,444 employees, 14,216 of which work at the 65 production plants abroad. Until MECI 2004-08, the Mondragon Group did not follow a specific strategy to place co-operatives production plants abroad located in the same environment. Those cases when the Group Headquarters did propose joint placements abroad were not heeded by the co-operatives. As each Mondragon co-operative is autonomous following its own strategy when moving abroad, the fact of the common placements is the case especially for those co-operatives that were forced to do so as part of a reactive or defensive strategy Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 391 (or in some cases by customers as a contract condition). During the initial phases of the Mondragon Group's internationalisation process, there was not a formal strategy to promote or guide the Mondragon co-operatives placement abroad, and the Mondragon headquarters' recommendations for placement were not convincing to the co-operatives. Having said that, at the end of 2006 among Mondragon 65 production plants abroad, there are four international clusters (Kunshan in China, Wroclaw in Poland, Olomouc in the Czech Republic and Queretaro in Mexico); the distance between factories varies from sharing a common business park to a maximum of 50 km. In all the cases the production plants share the same city centre. This is also the place where local and expatriate managers live. Wroclaw (5) Ollomouc (5) Kunshan (4) Queretaro (4) Mondragon representative offices 6 Production plants abroad 65 Source: ex novo Figure 7.65: Mondragon international clusters: location (Dec. 2006) The international cluster phenomenon is quite new; in fact if the same analysis would have been done in 2005, only the Queretaro cluster (Mexico) would have been found. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 392 For that very reason, the Mondragon international clusters can be considered an important experiment to be explored and reinforced. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 393 Mondragon's international clusters abroad MONDRAGON INTERNATIONAL CLUSTERS MAIN SINERGIES INTERCREATION (order by COOPERATIO DATE importance) N DEGREE Customer management COOPERATIVES INVOLVED Maier Batz Fagor Ederlan Automodulos Fagor Electrodomesticos EIKA TAJO BRAZIL PROMOAUTO (Brazil) 2001 HIGH Country learning Government Supplier management Customersupplier relationship Government Country learning Government Country learning NUMBER TYPOLOGY BY TYPOLOGY BY OF COOPERATIVES LOCATION PEOPLE INVOLVED DISTANCE (Dec 2007) MONDRAGON (finish in 2001 COOPERATIVES & SAME except NON INDUSTRIAL Fagor MONDRAGON PARK (<5 Km.) Ederlan COMPANIES Brasileria) (Gestamp,...) COMPONENTS DIVISION COOPERATIVES: Fagor MasterCook, Eika Polska, Tabiplast 1, Tabiplast 2, Coinalde y Embega MONDRAGON COOPERATIVES FROM DIFFERENT DIVISIONS: Irizar Mexico, Erreka mex, Eika Mejico, Mondragon Assembly Mejico WROCLAW (Poland) 2001 MEDIUM 2144 SAME CITY CENTER (< 50 Km.) EMBEGA COINALDE Irizar Group EIKA Mondragon Assembly Matz Erreka ORKLI DIKAR-Wingroup OIARSO ORBEA BATZ Fagor Arrasate 550 SAME INDUSTRIAL PARK ( < 5 Km.) QUERETARO (Mexico) 2001 MEDIO Supplier management Management model (Irizar & M. Assembly) Government Common investment & construction Country learning MONDRAGON KUNSHAN INDUSTRIAL PARK (China) 2004-2007 HIGH Logistic management Supplier management Common services People management Common training programs Government Country learning Customer management Fagor Industrial MONDRAGON COOPERATIVES & NON MONDRAGON COMPANIES: Orkli MONDRAGON Ch, Wingroup INDUSTRIAL Shanghai, Oiarso PARK Ch, Orbea China (2007) Batz, Fagor (under Arrasate, Fagor constructio Industrial & n) GESTAMP (2008) 500 COPRECI CZ EIKA CZ MAIER BATZ 900 SAME CITY CENTER ( < 50 Km) (* Except Cikautxo & F. Ederlan) FILIALES DE COOPERATIVAS: Copreci CZ, Eika CZ, Foundeika, Maier CZ, Batz CZ, Cikautxo SL, F. Ederlan SL, Treboplast OLLOMOUC (Czech Republic) 2007 MEDIUM Supplier management CIKAUTXO (SL) F.EDERLAN TAJO MATZ ERREKA Source: ex novo Figure 7.66: Mondragon international clusters description The Mondragon Business Park in Kunshan, China (2007): On November 14th 2007 the first Mondragon Business Park outside of the Basque Country was inaugurated. There are four production plants there: Wingroup Kunshan, Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 394 Orkli CH, Oiarso CH, and Orbea CH. Two are relocations from previous placements in the country, and two are new ventures in China. Mondragon expects to have 2,000-3,000 employees by 2010. Coincidence and shared needs In 2003 Wingroup Shanghai was informed by the local government that they had to move their factory to another location within two years, due to the creation of the Shanghai Automotive City project. At the same time Orkli, which had a rental factory in Ningbo, was searching for another location to start its own greenfield project. Both parent cooperative managers met in Mondragon. This was an excellent opportunity to look for a new location together and for building a common project. A short time later two other cooperatives joined the project: Oiarso (medical equipment co-operative) and Orbea (a bicycle manufacturer). The former Wingroup Shanghai Manager, who had lived more than four years in China, coordinated the construction of 300.000 square-metre business park at a cost of 30m. In December 2006 he was delighted with the results of the project, having overcome many difficulties in the three years of the construction process. He explained that to his disbelief a brand new business park stands where only a few years ago there was nothing but muddy fields; and he stated that "the construction was the easiest part; what was much more difficult was dealing on a daily basis with local Chinese bureaucracy and paperwork". Those with an awareness of the country can imagine what he was referring to. Current and future synergies The Kunshan Industrial Park was analysed in December 2006, interviewing managers and employees; since then a short contact has permitted to keep abreast of their progress. At that time, the park was almost finished, with three of the co-operatives preparing to Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 395 move in. Although it may seem premature to identify synergies as a result of the cooperatives' new location, the managers already can point out some items: - Investment: the cost of land and construction has been considerably cheaper (more than 30%); it has also been possible to find a better location (individual smaller projects would not have been able to do this). For Oiarso (an 80-employee co-operative) the working together has been crucial for the feasibility of the China project. Oiarso China expatriate manager affirmed: "We are too small to think of coming to China alone. The factory we built is even larger than the one at home, and our workforce here will be also larger. For us, the being part of the Mondragon Kunshan project allows us to come as co-owners with MCC Investment and ask for financial resources from banks outside the Mondragon Group". - Government relationships: in China, the relationship with local and regional government officials is crucial for any project's feasibility. In the Kunshan project this political issue has been particularly important for having construction / planning and operational permission or for receiving services (such as electricity or water) on time. Mondragon co-operatives have merged their individual capacity, and have only one interlocutor managing their Guanxi network. - Country knowledge and expertise transfer. Probably the largest asset for a manager in China is his knowledge of the country. Usually, most of the expatriate managers will be fully operative at least a year and a half or two years after their arrival. As the current Wingroup Kunshan manager affirms, "it is a little annoying to be constantly answering questions and providing contacts to those who that have just arrived, but when I remember what happened when I first came four years ago � that any small issue became a headache � I am glad to transfer this knowledge and country expertise to the comers". All the production plant managers at the park agreed on the importance of having been located in the same park with a common entrance. As the former Orkli CH general manager, states "it is the feeling as living in the same house; while everyone has their space for their needs, we are still able to meet each other in the Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 396 living room or corridor and go into our day-to-day problems, sharing among us the lessons learned. Being located only a few kilometres away would have reduced significantly this knowledge transfer and the opportunity for common initiatives". - Feeling at home: at present, China (and especially Shanghai) is radically different from the late 1980s or 1990s. One of the most experienced Basque expatriates from Igeo Partners affirms, "back in the 90s we were coming and going on a monthly basis and always after the first week in the country everyone fell down into a deep depression and sense of loneliness." The 21st century Shanghai seems to be closer to New York than to a developing country, with its vibrant city centre and 18 million citizens. The colossal skyline, numerous discos, julebu or karaoke are radically different from rural villages in the Basque Country such as Mondragon, Eibar or Ordizia; even Bilbao with its 1 million inhabitants can not be even compared. Therefore, it is important to have colleagues who share a similar lifestyle, especially for a community with co-operative values. Nevertheless, it has to be mentioned that nowadays at branches and at parent cooperatives, Mondragon co-operative managers are in some way different from Arizmendiarrieta's first followers, whose day-to-day life was inspired by the Christian social doctrine. - Customer image, branding and marketing: in countries such as China, where the quality and capacity of the factories is constantly scrutinized, being part of a common business park branded with your company's label has a strong impact. This applies not only for smaller companies such as Oiarso or Orbea with little expertise in China, but also for experienced companies such as Orkli or Wingroup, an indoor fitness equipment producer whose main clients are European retail chains and some multinationals, Carrefour for instance. The Wingroup manager states: "I am sure that this new placement will allow us both to have a better relationship with current customers, and to attract new international retail chains whose procurement centres are located in China, as well as to look for reliable suppliers in China that will assure high volume capacity and at European standards of quality control". Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 397 The above examples are some of the most important synergies identified by Mondragon Business Park managers in Kunshan as early as 2007. They also revealed other synergies that will appear once they start producing. These are: - A common salary5 policy: a united force allows subsidiaries to operate with a common salary policy. Otherwise, there would be competition among production plants regarding the similar type of employees. This process is already taking place, and a minimum monthly salary of 850 CNY (81.26 EUR & 117.29 USD) has been defined (The Chinese official minimum monthly wage in Shanghai is 750 CNY)6. - Training centres, educational programmes, and employee social benefits. A CEIBS7 University study makes clear that according to the leading multinational executives in China, corporate education centres and programmes serve as the best tool to retain employees and reduce staff turnover. "GE opened its secondlargest training centre, outside its New Jersey headquarters, in 2003 with the 42,000-square-foot Global Resources Centre in Shanghai. The centre offers R&D, sourcing, and training courses for employees as well as for government officials and GE customers" (Fern�ndez, 2005: 49). Although it has no formal training strategy, the Mondragon business park in Kunshan already operates a site for training programmes, one of which also includes a restaurant and a building for an employee residence. No part of this initiative is to be paid for by any co-operative individually. - Supplier certification programme and management. Accepting that co-operative industrial activities differ, it is clear also that their most decisive supplier will also differ. But there are some other service providers (for instance accounting, IT and legal services, packaging, raw material, etc.) that co-operatives have the The terms "salary" and "wages" are used to express similar concepts "the amount of money employees receive", not including taxes and social benefits. 6 The East China metropolis local government announcement for Shanghai (Shanghai Daily August 8th 2006). For other cities the minimum monthly wages are for instance for Shengzhen 850 CNY (Shengzhen Daily April 19th 2006). Back in 2004 for 30 regions of China's mainland the minimum instituted wage, with Shenzhen boasting the highest monthly level of 600 CNY (about 73 USD), Shanghai 570 CNY (69 USD), and Beijing 495 Yuan (60 USD). (Xinhua News Agency July 26th 2004). 7 China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 5 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 398 opportunity to purchase jointly, receiving better price conditions and service, sharing at the same time mutual costs and knowledge. - Logistics, transport and quality control policy: managers identify these activities as something of mutual use for the whole business park. While each factory has its own volume, product specification and transport requirements, it is still more efficient to merge these activities with payment agreed upon in accordance with specific use. These inter-cooperation opportunities will be carried out in the following months. The Mondragon international business park policy, until now active only in Kunshan, appears to be a significant opportunity; the former Mondragon Group President has already stated that this strategy will be probably implemented in India and Russia during the coming years. The Wroclaw cluster, Poland (2001): Since 1997 when the Fagor Electrodom�sticos Group arrived to Poland, buying Wrozamet (a longstanding Polish factory), many other electronic home appliance manufacturers (Electrolux, Whirlpool, and LG) have also arrived and many component suppliers opened factories in the Lower Silesia. Four components co-operatives (Eika Polska, Tajo Tabiplast, Coinalde, and Embega) have recently opened plants in the same area. In this clustering process examples of inter-cooperation are already taking place: - There are customer-supplier relationships among the production plants abroad. Highly influenced by the role and size of Fagor MasterCook with 2,000 employees working at the remainder of the subsidiary, suppliers of Fagor and other large domestic appliances manufactures have placed themselves there. - For the first time in the history of the Mondragon Group a production line of one co-operative has been placed inside the factory of another co-operative to serve as an internal supplier. This is the case with Tajo Tabiplast, which has 21 employees, and is now an "in-house" supplier for the new washing machine factory built in Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 399 2006 by Fagor MasterCook. Fagor has two in-house suppliers: a local Polish company, and Tabiplast. - The Basque government has established strong relationships with the Lower Silesian regional government, in order to encourage regional inter-cooperation. In 2006 SPRI, a private company that the local government uses to support entrepreneurial activity, opened its second office in Poland. This office is part of the new Euskarri policy that SPRI has implemented, which includes a business centre and a new FDI plants incubator. - Personal relationship among expatriates: the personal relationship among those working in Wroclaw is very close. It is not uncommon for expatriates to meet at the local language school when attending Polish lessons, and to share problems about suppliers or customers, fix schedule meetings to work on a project, help each other by advice giving, provide contacts or personal support. Until now no common initiative has been undertaken to encourage these potential synergies or to create a formal organisation with the aim of coordinating such activities and promoting inter-cooperation synergies. The Queretaro cluster � Mexico (2001): The companies in the Queretaro cluster in Mexico, not unlike the factories in Kunshan, do not share an industrial sector but rather a strategic location. Since Irizar Mexico landed in 2000, three more production plants have been opened at the same business park: Eika Mexico, Erreka Mex, and Mondragon Assembly. The co-operatives placed in Queretaro have never created a formal cluster programme, but because of personal relationships they are already inter-cooperating in the following areas: - Place selection, and investment: based on the positive experience of IrizarMexico, once Eika decided to open a factory in Mexico to enter the American market, also decided to place itself in Queretero. At present, the plant is located Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 400 200 metres far from Irizar in the same business park. Mondragon Assembly and Matz Erreka did the same, and are settled, the former 5 km and the latter 50 metres away from Irizar (some co-operatives have bought the land where they are located, others are on rental contract). Fagor Industrial, which was also arriving in Mexico at the same time, did not decide at the end to buy land together with Mondragon Assembly, but to place itself in San Lu�s Potosi (approximately 400 km away). Its Uruguayan manager states that Queretaro "is more expensive; I found better conditions for investment in San Lu�s", and continues: "I also have a close relationship with other Mondragon subsidiary managers". - Local government, trade unions and lobby groups: the weight of local government in Mexico is strong. The Basque government has a good relationship with the governor of Queretaro, and all these personal contacts help to overcome local bureaucracy. Regarding trade union representatives, all of the Mondragon production plants in Queretaro have the same person as the local representative. As Mondragon subsidiaries have slightly better employee conditions than other multinationals, the relationship is smooth. - Shared accounting, IT and legal service providers: based on the positive experience of Irizar, every new co-operative arriving in Queretaro contacts the same service providers. At the end of 2006, all the production plants shared the same service providers, and used their size and economies of scale as a negotiation tool. - The personal relationship among production plants managers is strong due to a common life style. The families of managers build relationships that encourage the expatriate managers to meet socially8. - Relationships with universities and training programmes: while Mondragon production plants maintain links with local universities, until now they do not have a common policy or training programme. In 2006 four Socrates students Many are close friends, meeting to have dinner, to participate in the activities of each family's children, or to play mus on Sundays. Even for the moment they do not have an Euskal Etxea (a Basque cultural association) in Queretaro, a feeling of community is strong among the Basque population in Queretaro. It has to be mentioned that everyone agrees that their wives' role on creating personal relationship among cooperatives' expatriates has been of great importance. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 8 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 401 from Mondragon University, in collaboration with the Tecnol�gico de Monterrey educational institution, completed their undergraduate theses and internships at Mondragon production plants. Since them a student exchange program has been established. Such initiatives reflect new opportunities for educational programmes that need to be explored and coordinated in the future. The Olomouc cluster, Czech Republic (2007): Since Copreci CZ was established in 1997, many other Mondragon production plants have opened with the aim of supplying domestic appliance and automotive manufacturers; however, this has occurred mainly in the last 3 years, and by the end of 2007 the following subsidiaries were already in action: Maier CZ, Batz CZ, Cikautzo CZ and SL, Matz Erreka, Tajo Treboplast, Eika CZ, and FoundEika. Until 2006 the cluster relationship was an informal one, in which subsidiary managers shared their expertise and knowledge based on personal relationships. In 2007, due to having four production plants from the automotive sector placed in the same region, the Mondragon automotive division scheduled a formal programme for monthly meetings. The objective was to encourage knowledge transfer and the identification of potential joint initiatives. At present, the formal meetings include not only Mondragon production plants from the automotive sector, but also any plant located in the same region. Production plant managers feel that the monthly meetings schedule is very important and comply with them, though the daily tasks make difficult at times the sharing even of the informal knowledge. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 402 The Olomouc clusters involve an additional difficulty by the fact that some of the factories (such as those in the Slovak Republic) are more than 200 km away from each other. The monthly meetings are rotary, with each meeting taking place every month in a different factory; and this policy allows also the managers to visit all the factories during the first year in charge. In June 2007 at a cluster meeting, it was decided that it would be beneficial to programme meetings not only for general managers, but also for the individual departments of each plant (such as accounting, HR, sourcing and logistics), with the aim of spreading the inter-cooperation mentality among the subsidiaries. It is clear however at the Olomouc cluster that this was a brand new initiative, and that inter-subsidiary cooperation is still developing. Additionally there are exchange programs between the Mondragon University and Czech Universities, and in fact a few students from Mondragon have already done their careers' final projects at Mondragon production plants in the Czech and in the Slovak Republic. Potential synergies among international clusters When analysing the clustering of Mondragon production plants abroad from a global perspective, one can identify a multitude of positive synergies, all based on geographic proximity and on location sharing. Based on the information provided while visiting and interviewing subsidiary directors, we found the following synergies common to all the clusters: - Branding, marketing and management of lobbying efforts: mainly at local and national government level, and at the customer and supplier level. - Sales and sourcing management: customer opportunities based on economies of scale and certification, supplier opportunities based on scale and negotiation capacity, supplier certification processes and quality control. - Human resource management: education and training programmes, common labour conditions, professional career management, employee social benefits and Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 403 (consequently) the reduction of employee turnover and a growing sense of loyalty and belonging. - Logistic and supply chain management: enhanced agreements on transport conditions, as well as a coordinated structure of logistics and scale-based synergies. - A commitment to the local environment: a commitment to positive socioeconomic impact based on employment creation capability, the promotion of social transformation capacity of people-centred enterprises inspired by cooperative principles, and the creation of opportunities for new, local social enterprises based on the same principles. - Project financing: improved conditions for each co-operative, based on joint land and construction projects, as well as on construction process management. Such potential synergies are made possible by the inter-cooperation network among the production plants. subsidiaries. - Geographical integration: There is a varied degree of subsidiary placement integration in foreign countries. Four types of geographical integration with corresponding levels of inter-cooperation synergies are stated here: Overseas production plants located in the same region, but separated by distances greater than 40 km. Overseas production plants located in the same urban area at a distance among the subsidiaries less than 40 km and with managers sharing a common residence. Overseas production plants located in the same industrial area or park, the distance from each other less than 5 km. Overseas production plants located at a Mondragon business park, with a common entrance and shared services such as a restaurant, security or landscape maintenance. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 This is influenced by the following aspects of the project: the industries and ownership of the companies, and the distance/integration among Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 404 COMMON PLACEMENT SINERGIES Same region being production plants located > 40 Km. Same region Mondragon being production industrial park with plants located < Same industial park common entrance 40 Km. and < 5 Km. and services sharing managers (restaurant, training the same city centre,...) center 3.0 4.0 1.8 3 4.5 4 0 65 3.25 3 7 7 7 8 8.5 8 2 152 7.6 2 10 10.0 10 10 10 10 10 200 10 1 BRAND MANAGEMENT COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT PEOPLE MANAGEMENT LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE & INNOVATION MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT FINANCE TOTAL AVERAGE ORDER Source: ex novo 2.0 1.3 0 1.3 1 2 0 22 1.1 4 Figure 7.67: Mondragon international clusters: synergies by distance among production plants In the above chart, the relative importance of the potential synergies resulting from geographical proximity is ranked. This ranking is based on the fieldwork conducted while visiting and interviewing Mondragon co-operative managers abroad. - Typology of subsidiaries: there are several possible types of production plants that could be placed in a joint project: A combination of Mondragon and non-Mondragon companies. Mondragon plants from different industrial divisions. Mondragon plants from the same industrial division. Mondragon plants from the same industrial division, and with a customersupplier relationship. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 405 COMMON PLACEMENT SINERGIES Mondragon Mondragon Mondragon Mondragon cooperatives and non cooperatives with a cooperatives from cooperatives from Mondragon customer-supplier various divisions the same division companies relationship 3.0 2.0 0.4 2 -2 2 10 19 0.95 4 6.7 6.7 8.2 10 10 9 7 169 8.45 3 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 200 10 1 10 8.0 8.8 10 9.5 9 5 184 9.2 2 BRAND MANAGEMENT COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT PEOPLE MANAGEMENT LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE & INNOVATION MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT FINANCE TOTAL AVERAGE ORDER Source: ex novo Figure 7.68: Mondragon international clusters: synergies by production plants profile In the chart above, the relative importance of the potential synergies (according to the typology of subsidiaries) is ranked. This ranking is based on the fieldwork conducted while visiting and interviewing Mondragon co-operatives managers abroad. Lessons learned and conclusions about the Mondragon international clusters The above analysis leads us to the following conclusions regarding the capacity for intercooperation and for potential synergies that have emerged from coordinated placements of the Mondragon production plants abroad: - The most important alternative is that of having a common Mondragon business park where Mondragon oversees production plants are located. It is of great interest that the plants are located as close as possible to other Mondragon companies for many purposes, especially for the fact of sharing the same industrial park. - Inclusion of non-Mondragon production plants, which might have a positive impact on project financing, scale and competition. However, this alternative does may reduce potential opportunities for inter-cooperation in the Mondragon subsidiaries. In addition, it might have a negative impact on the social dimension and on the expansion of co-operative principles. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008 Mondragon Multi-localisation Strategy: Innovating a Human Centred Globalisation 406 - As a consequence of the level of integration and of shared activities (supplier quality assurance and logistics / supply chain management) a common structure is needed to manage activities for all the production plant clusters. - Even if the three alternatives (Mondragon distinct division subsidiaries, Mondragon similar division subsidiaries, and customer-supplier relationship among Mondragon subsidiaries) present positive synergies, it seems that the most beneficial is the clustering of production plants (no matter the division) with no customer-supplier relationship. Those production plants from similar industrial divisions might be more likely to enjoy all of the potential synergies to the fullest extent; nevertheless, it is worth promoting joint location no matter the division, for even low levels of inter-cooperation can be extremely beneficial. Those production plants with a customer-supplier relationship might have economic interests that are at odds, preventing the exploration of broader inter-cooperation strategies. Such a strategy was a part of the Mondragon cluster policy in the Basque Country back in the 1970s with groups such as Learko or Goilan, and resulted in unequal relations between cooperatives. - Mondragon social transformation capacity abroad is strongly reinforced by having a common business park. This approach could be a beneficial opportunity to share common co-operative values, though it also involves the risk of assuming non-cooperative values and practices. Therefore, specific guidelines and rules should be stated and brought about, accompanied by Mondragon University educational branches or/and training centres, as well as by Mundukide social projects in the region of the park. Jose Mari Luzarraga PhD Mondragon University - 2008


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Assistant Lead Keeper, Large Carnivores
Requisition ID#936WL
This position contributes to the success of the Chicago Zoological Society by, under direction of area managers or supervisors, providing experienced care for animals and perform related work of maintaining buildings, grounds, and interpretives in assigned area. Inform, assist, and direct guests as necessary. With guidance, perform a wide variety of departmental supervisory activities as assigned, including supervising and instructing Keepers in assigned area. Relieve Lead Keepers as directed. Perform all routine and new duties with minimal direction.
Perform in a proactive leadership role and communicate regularly with area supervisors/ managers regarding animal management, facility maintenance, and staff supervision and development. Assist in departmental hiring, scheduling and work assignments, and the development of departmental goals, plans, and priorities. Routinely monitor and review the work performance of keeper staff in assigned area and ensure completion of tasks in a timely and effective fashion. Participate in Keeper performance appraisal process as assigned. Responsible for current animal and equipment inventory. Verify employee work schedules. Provide written reports as assigned. Handle personnel situations in a timely, objective, and consistent manner, and in accordance with Society policies and the union contract. Ensure compliance with all Society policies and procedures. Observe assigned animals closely and objectively. Apply knowledge and prior experiences to affect or implement change where appropriate. Maintain and utilize animal records. Observe condition of assigned area, animal enclosures, and equipment. Monitor and clean public spaces, plants, and interpretives as required. Report maintenance needs, and perform minor maintenance tasks. Clean animal enclosures, pools, and service areas as required. Maintain detailed and current knowledge of natural history, husbandry, and captive management of species and individuals in assigned areas. Maintain proficiency in area routines and specialized procedures. Monitor guests to ensure animal and human safety and protection of Society property. Communicate with and assist guests. Take initiative to facilitate guests' appreciation of animals and enjoyment of their visit. Demonstrate knowledge of and implement Society-wide and area emergency procedures as directed. Train and direct work of interns, seasonal employees and full-time keeper staff as assigned. Actively participates in and supports the annual employee survey and action planning process. Encourages maximum survey participation, shares survey results, and engages all reporting staff in the action planning process. Facilitates regular survey discussions and the creation of specific action plans for improvement, including SMART measures, timelines, and specific employee accountabilities. Monitors and documents progress. Incorporates survey action planning into regular work group/department meetings on an ongoing basis. Holds staff accountable for implementation of action plans and continuous improvement. Shares actions and successes within and outside the work group/department. Other related duties as assigned.
Bachelor's degree in relevant biological field or equivalent combination of training and/or experience required. Minimum four years Keeper experience or equivalent required, with one of the four years at Brookfield Zoo preferred. Must possess a track record of exemplary performance as Senior Keeper or equivalent experience. Detailed and current knowledge of natural history, principles of animal behavior and husbandry required. Diverse experience caring for and exhibiting a wide variety of large and small carnivores in a zoo setting preferred. Must be able to work with live animals safely. Good communication and interpersonal skills. The ability to interact in a courteous and professional manner. Ability to maintain good working relationships with staff at all levels, internal and external to Animal Programs. Communicate effectively and promptly with co-workers, managers, and guests following appropriate communication channels. Basic knowledge of the management of captive populations including related AZA conservation programs. Must be capable of dealing with emergencies calmly and efficiently. Proficiency in learning and integrating information, knowledge, and direction quickly, and completing tasks as needed. Good decision-making skills. Ability to integrate and apply knowledge and prior experiences to affect or implement changes and make sound independent judgments where appropriate. Incumbent must demonstrate the ability to develop proficiency in perceiving and acting upon relevant changes in animal behaviors and conditions. Incumbent must possess or acquire knowledge of the Chicago Zoological Society, its mission statement, policies and procedures, and incorporate into daily job responsibilities. Incumbent must demonstrate the ability, or the ability to develop a proficiency, to perform assigned routines and specialized procedures as directed. Must possess a proven record of consistently and accurately performing job duties. Good problem-solving skills. The ability to identify problems and utilize appropriate information to develop solutions. Track record of demonstrating initiative in analyzing and solving problems, and recommending ideas and viable suggestions to improve operations. Demonstrated record of making recommendations and suggestions that are well thought-out and researched. Ability to work with minimal supervision. Strong supervisory skills. Demonstrated ability to promote good morale and productivity in the workplace. Proven ability to train and direct the work of interns, seasonal and full-time keeper staff. Demonstrated ability to effectively mediate routine personnel issues and conflicts between staff. Ability to serve in a leadership role in directing the management and operations within assigned area. Ability to ensure short-term goals are developed and achieved. Solicit input on improving operations and animal management procedures. Demonstrated capacity to guide the professional development of co-workers. Must represent the Society in a professional manner at all times. Good time management skills. Must demonstrate flexibility, creativity, and responsibility in use of time. Basic knowledge of the Chicago Zoological Society's conservation programs, or the ability and willingness to learn programs, as they apply to assigned areas. Must be able to maintain confidentiality with regard to personnel and other privileged matters. Must be reliable. Valid driver's license required for Illinois residents within 90 days of hire; valid out-of-state license required for out-of-state residents. Spanish fluency a plus, but not required. For The Living Coast and Seven Seas keeper positions, SCUBA Certification required within one year of employment. This is a full-time position with rotating shifts, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.
If interested in being considered for this opportunity, please email your resume/cover letter noting position title and ID# 936WL in subject line and in your cover letter to: firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information about our organization and career opportunities please visit our website at www.czs.org
The Chicago Zoological Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer – M/F/V/D – Diversity candidates encouraged to apply and identify themselves.
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AM3 & Det50 Not Isolated..."There is another"
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Hmm...is it just me, or is anyone else suprised the the FX5900 is only about 20% slower then the 9800 in Halo? Considering that Halo is supposed to make decent use of PS 2.0 effects, I expected the margin to be much bigger (refering to the 45.xx dets, btw). Nothing like difference we've seen in TR:AOD and HL2. And actually, it seems the det 50s don't really improve speed that much. Actually it's very odd that they make a bigger difference at lower res then at higher res (the difference between the 50.xx and 45.xx dets in Halo and TR at 1600x1200 is less then 1 FPS). Hell, I'd expect a bigger boost from the cheats alone, let alone any real optimisations they made. Though it's still very odd...why is it only certain backgrounds are darker? What is causing the backgrounds to be darker like that? Obviously simply making the background darker won't impact performence, but what effect is it that's being cut out that's causing it?
Actually, even TR:AOD isn't as bad as some of the benchies I saw. Every other benchmark I saw put it at around less then half the FPS of the 9800, but in this benchmark it's only around 40% slower. Sure, it's a huge margin, but the 41 FPS the 5900 pumps out is a lot more playable then the 25 FPS I saw before. I'd like to see what happens with HL2 once the public benchmark is out.
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Pronunciation: Koprivitsa
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Nothing says summer quite like seafood, recalling the collective memory of summer afternoons spent fishing on a lake or river, on the beach, or surfing the ocean.
Ahi Tuna Salad with Mango Salsa
All the flavors of summer in one light, satisfying dish!
Salmon Bibimbap
A super tasty Korean recipe for sweet, spicy salmon (or halibut, mahi mahi, tilapia) ready in 15 minutes!
Lemony Catfish with Cherry Tomato Couscous
A tasty catfish recipe that doesn't involve blackening or frying, a true summer treat.
Halibut in Kadaifi with Harissa Sauce
Kadaifi is the angel hair-like pastry dough from Lebanon, creating a texture much like extra crunchy panko crumbs.
Sweet 'n Spicy BBQ Shrimp
There's nothing like shrimp fresh off the grill! Tasty by themselves or the perfect addition to a pasta dish or salad!
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Cheap MLI to Rockford flights
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Browse the most popular airlines servicing the Moline (MLI) airport. Visit their flights pages to learn more about the most popular routes these carriers fly.


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1/1/2015 » 6/30/20152015 Webinar Series
5/28/2015Webinar - The ALLL in Troubled Debt Restructuring: Identifying & Accounting for Impaired Loans
6/2/2015Webinar - Introduction to Call Reporting: Overview of Requirements & Reporting, Updates & Mistakes
6/3/2015Webinar - Collection Call Techniques: Compliant Telephone Scripts & Responses
6/4/2015Webinar - Commercial Loan Application Danger Zones
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is bringing its 2013 SBA Minnesota Lender's Conference to the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest (formerly The Northland Inn) in Brooklyn Park.
Take this opportunity to learn how to maximize your credit union's participation in SBA lending programs and build your network of SBA program and industry experts! Small business loans financed through the SBA provide needed access to capital for start-up and existing small business owners across Minnesota as more and more of them need capital to support growth and create jobs.
This conference will show participants how SBA loan programs can be a key part of your lending strategy, and a tool for attracting new customers with competitive loans for capital expansion and working capital needs. This event includes workshops on a variety of SBA-related topics, along with an exhibit hall featuring companies that offer products or services related to commercial lending.
Date: Thursday, Sept. 5Time: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Location: Minneapolis Marriot Northwest, 7025 Northland Drive, Brooklyn ParkCost: $75 per person, not-for-profit organizations; $150 per person, for-profit organizations
To register for this conference, click the "Register Now" button below. With questions, email Thomas Osborne at the Small Business Administration office.


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EEOC Disability Employment Update
Presented by:
The Mid-Atlantic ADA Center in partnership with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Greenbelt Marriott
6400 Ivy Lane
Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
Map and Directions
EEOC Disability Employment Update
EEOC attorney's Jeanne Goldberg and Aaron Konopasky will present the latest information on the new regulations implementing the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, recent court cases and other employment issues.
Who should attend this training?
Disability Employment Update is designed for human resource professionals, mangers, employment specialist, and ADA coordinators, who should benefit from a more in-depth discussion of the ADA's employment provisions.
This course has been awarded:
- 5.5 Re-certification Credit Hours by the HR Certification Institute
- 5.25 Clock Hours by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification
Documents from Training:
Download all at once in a zip file
Training Participant List (MS Excel)
ADA Amendments Act Case Summaries
ADA Amendments Act Final Rule - Questions and Answers
Employers' Top 10 Factors to successful Reasonable Accommodations Outcomes
Mid-Atlantic ADA Center Training
National Disability Employment Resources
Additional Resources:
Questions and Answers: Promoting Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce
The Americans With Disabilities Act: Applying Performance And Conduct Standards To Employees With Disabilities
Work At Home/Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation
Enforcement Guidance: Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
Questions and Answers for Small Businesses: EEOC Final Rule on Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008


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Without a deal between Athens and Brussels and the IMF on economic reforms and repayments of loans within the next couple of months a Grexit or Graccident would be the most extreme outcome. We cannot rule out that the parties will fail to find a solution seeing as how the Greeks are dawdling and in the light of the harsh words uttered by, among others, Germany.
The UK consumer can look forward to further downward pressure on retail prices and this should lead to another increase in consumer spending. However, if the imbalances in the UK economy are to be addressed, British manufacturers urgently need to invest in order to increase productivity, which remains weak...
Despite the crushing weight of evidence over the last twelve months to support the assertion that Cook is a disastrous captain, Giles Clarke and co have never wavered in their support for him. He may be inept tactically, weak as a leader and struggling even to justify his place in the team, but he is handsome.
In a press release dated February the 19th addressing the so-called "single resolution mechanism" to be decided by the European institutions, the Council of the European Union stated, in what is perceived as a negotiation declaration towards the European Parliament, there was agreement between the partners that: "bail-in and not bail-out is the main guiding principle for bank resolution."
Pietersen is arguably the most talented English player of the modern era. Simply by looking at his statistics it's clear to see that he was on the way to smashing the record book and becoming an England legend. However, look past the statistics and some would say you'd find an enigmatic talent, unwilling to adapt his game or listen to authority.
Average euro zone inflation was a provisional 0.7% in October, much weaker than the ECB's official target of "close to but below 2%". It is not just the low level of inflation that has been a concern for the Bank, but the rapid decline in recent months: between July and October the rate fell by 0.9 percentage points, from 1.6% to 0.7%.
No fewer than four Regional Fed Presidents are due to speak this week, plus Bernanke, and they represent a pretty wide spread of hawks, doves and centrists, so we should be able to watch their lips to get a better sense of whether the bond market was correct in its surprisingly large response to Friday's suspect US unemployment report.
Just another brick in the wall. In what is a potentially vital piece of the jigsaw in the project to keep the Euro afloat, the ECB had a mission: design a bank asset quality review that was just tough enough to gain credibility, but not too tough, for fear of scaring the horses and inducing queues of depositors to form outside banks when the results come out.
In dramatic breaks with history, Mark Carney and Mario Draghi persuaded the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (BOE) and the European Central Bank Governing Council (ECB), respectively, to issue what amounted to forward guidance on the path of future monetary policy, without having to actually formally announce they had done so.


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Tellico Desktop Database
Linux has a fantastic collection of database servers, but many users just want a simple desktop database. Tellico fills the niche.
Tellico [1], formerly known as Bookcase, was originally designed as a literature database. Now the program not only gives users a virtual bookshelf but also helps organize video, comic, coin, and stamp collections. You could even manage your wine cellar with a little help from Tellico. Just recently, the program introduced a feature for user-defined collections, giving users a handy tool for small data sets. The only restriction is that Tellico does not support database relations.
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Code.org and College Board Team Reach Out for Talented High School Coders
New partnership will bring more and better CS training to US schools
A Peek Inside TeslaCrypt Ransomware
Criminals offer online help over Tor network
Mumblehard Still Spams
Sophisticated malware is still present on Joomla and WordPress sites around the world.
Launchpad Gets Git
Future versions of Ubuntu's code service will support the popular Git version control system used with Linux and other open source projects.
AMD Posts Code for Linux GPU Driver
New release marks the arrival of AMD's unified driver strategy.
30 Percent of New Server Equipment Goes to Cloud Infrastructure
A new study by IDC charts big changes in the big hardware market.
Windows Might Go Open Source
Azure CTO says Redmond has already considered the unthinkable.
Linux Mint Will Stay with Ubuntu
Lead developer quells rumors that the Debian version is slated for center stage.
Microsoft Frees Code for .NET Build Engine
MSBuild is now just another GitHub project as Redmond continues its path to the light.
Researchers Demonstrate Hack by Heat
Malware could pass data and commands between disconnected computers without leaving a trace on the network.


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"One of the first things I read when I joined the manly William Morris Agency was BenDavid Grabinski's script," Sonnenfeld said in a statement. "I loved the writing, and the concept: what would happen if one afternoon, the secret group that protects Earth from alien invaders was wiped out? Fortunately, they left behind an instruction manual for saving Earth. Unfortunately, a non-action-hero guy not unlike me, in terms of manliness, and a woman who hates him, find the book, and have to save the planet from an impending attack. I had a great experience making 'Get Shorty' with MGM/UA and could not be more excited to be working with them again."
Sonnenfeld's previous films include "Men in Black," "Men in Black II," "Wild Wild West" and "RV." He is also an executive producer on the TV series "Pushing Daisies."


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Follow the manufacturer's instructions for warping your bead loom. Note that you will need one more warp thread than you have number of beads in a row.
To weave the beads, tie a thread to an outside warp (tie onto the left warp if you are right-handed, the right warp if you are left-handed). Use a needle to string the first row of beads and slide them down to the knot. Bring the beaded weft thread under the warp threads and push the beads up with your fingers so that there is one bead between each two warp threads. Hold the beads in place and pass back through all the beads, making sure that the weft thread passes over the warp threads. End your threads by weaving back through the beadwork, tying knots between beads.
Square Stitch and Loomwork Graph Paper
Related free articles:
Related books: Beading on a Loom by Don Pierce
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Spelling Tutorial Software, Ultimate Spelling™, Announces Science Behind Spelling Improvement Software Platforms
With their software proven to improve a child´s spelling in as little as one week, Ultimate Spelling today announces the intricate science behind their spelling tutorial platform.
New York City, NY (PRWEB) July 27, 2012
Following a huge boom in the popularity of the Ultimate Spelling platform, many are demanding to know exactly how it works. Now, for the first time ever, the company behind the software is releasing details of the science behind its creation.
"Ultimate Spelling takes an evidence-based approach to learning. The software is based on the sound educational principles of cognitive and behavioral psychology," says Marc Slater, Managing Director of the company that created Ultimate Spelling.
The main principles of the science are as follows:
- Levels of Processing — Studies show that the more information someone is given on a word, and the deeper they process its meaning, the better they are likely to remember it. Ultimate Spelling encourages deep processing by providing a wealth of information about words, such as encyclopedic content, rhymes, visualization and more.
- Operant Conditioning — Essentially, students learn much faster when they are rewarded for the desired result. Ultimate Spelling uses this science by rewarding students for their progress in a number of ways. For example, students get an instant visual reward for a correct spelling. They can also gain a long-term sense of achievement through Ultimate Spelling´s progress tracking.
- Spaced Repetition — Each game automatically selects a sub-list of words to create a spaced repetition effect. Many studies show that spaced repetition can increase retention by up to 50%.
- Motivation — Perhaps most important, students are far more likely to improve their spelling when the experience is fun, engaging and interesting.
"Our team is always finding new and compelling ways to take advantage of the latest developments. Our spelling tutorial platform has grown to become one of the most popular in world and we put this down to our commitment to always finding new ways to help people learn faster," Slater concludes.
To find out more, please visit: http://www.ultimatespelling.com
About Ultimate Spelling.
Ultimate Spelling provides a modern and easy to use spelling software that has been designed with one goal in mind — making children WANT to learn.
It is a fast and easy way to master even the most complicated spelling, without the need to write long lists or complete boring tests.
In fact, Ultimate Spelling provides more than just spelling help. It is a complete educational resource that boosts all level of a child´s literacy.
Containing a personal computer tutor, Ultimate Spelling is the most realistic step-by-step guide to flawless spelling ability.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/7/prweb9727814.htm


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This international chain of fast-food chicken restaurants was launched in Guatemala in 1971, a family-run business that turned out Latin-flavor chicken. It hit the United States in 2002 and hasn't stopped. The Phoenix store opened near Desert Sky Mall in 2008.
Scene: The logo is a buff, friendly looking chicken in a broad hat, its name translated to "country chicken" in Guatemala. Don't be distracted by a sign for Pollo Lucky, which has a similarly amiable chicken sporting a similarly-styled hat.
Food: Pollo Campero features fried and grilled chicken. Grilled renders more intense flavor, or at least flavor that comes more from chicken than batter.
The whole chicken Family Meal ($17.49), with a grilled chicken divided into pieces, is a thing of beauty: skin on, a little charred in spots, served with wedges of lime - just a squeeze brightens the flavor and differentiates it from other chicken joints. The chicken is moist and absorbs the flavor of the grilling. Breasts and legs are meaty. This would probably feed a family of four, if the children are small.
With the meal come packs of corn or flour tortillas. The flour tortillas are flimsy with little flavor but serve as acceptable wrappers for shards of chicken.
The chicken burrito ($4.99) is a chubby roll of tortilla wrapped around bits of chicken, cheese, peas, chopped carrots, beans and rice. It could use more heat overall, but every once in a while you hit a bit of chorizo and then the spice comes through. More of that, please.
Pollo Campero's side dishes ($1.79, $3.29) are an interesting lot, far from what's available at standard fast-food operations or even grilled chicken chains.
The black beans and rice have surprising piquancy without relying on salt for flavor, with tender little beans fortified with white rice and a great oniony flavor. They'd be even better if the beans were mixed throughout the rice rather than just sitting on top. Cole slaw doesn't strike me as a classic Guatemalan dish, but the Pollo Campero version is better than average, not too soupy or laden with mayo.
Among the restaurant's "signature" sides ($1.99, $3.99) are yucca fries, fat strips of a starchy root vegetable (sometimes known as cassava or manioc) that is like a potato but less fluffy. Fried crispy outside and creamy inside, they're a bland but pleasing alternative to French fries and come with cups of a dip that's like Thousand Island dressing. The dip makes the fries. They could be even crispier and that would be an improvement. It's just nice to have something different.
I was a little disappointed in the Pollo Campero plantains. When I cook them (they're easily found in grocery stores), I slice them crosswise and fry them until deep brown on the outside. These are a little thick to cook through, so limpness is a problem. I prefer them less sweet, but it's a treat to find something on a menu you don't see on every corner in town.
Desserts: Two traditional desserts are passable. The tres leches (three milks) cake ($2.25) is soggy on the bottom, crumbly on top with a too-sweet icing. Flan ($1.89) is a little cup of custard that's grainy instead of velvety, but it actually has the requisite pool of caramel on the bottom. Are they OK for fast food? Sure.
Drinks: Try one of the signature tropical drinks, such as those flavored with mango and tamarind and also the horchata ($1.89), an iced, milky rice drink flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. It's great.
Lowdown: Bring the family for something that breaks the mold of fast food. It's a little pricier than the major chains, but how many fries and shakes can you consume before your palate calls for a change of pace? The friendly chicken might just fill the bill.
The Family Fiesta Feast at Pollo Campero.
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Tag Archives: NFL Week 2 picks
Free Football Pick: Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks
New faces will meet their old team on Saturday night at Qwest Field in NFL betting action, as we make our free football pick in the clash between the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks. To say that the Vikings offense just couldn't get anything going last week against the Tennessee Titans was a bit of an understatement. The offense accounted for jus.....
Free NFL Pick: Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars were embarrassed in NFL betting action. Today, we make our free NFL pick for Friday night's duel at Ever Bank Field between the Jags and the Atlanta Falcons. In spite of the fact that his team was beaten in Week 1 of the NFL preseason, Head Coach Mike Smith has to be considered a relatively happy guy. When his starters le.....
Preseason NFL Betting: New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Predictions
There might not have been two more impressive teams in Week 1 of NFL betting action in the preseason this year than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots. These two will face off at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday night at 7:30 ET to kick off Week 2.We never know what Head Coach Bill Belichick is going to pull out of his book of tricks,.....