I worked at RS for about 6 years. Came in just a couple of years before things started going downhill. I watched as John Konsin came in and began taking the company into the tailspin that it's found itself in now. It's really too bad. It was such a great place to work when I first started. The pay for regular employees was fair, not great, and the bonus structure was not as fair as it could be, but it was a fantastic environment, with a lot of camaraderie and lots of fun times to be had.
I became more and more sad as I watched that environment turn toxic. As the pay and benefits went from fair, to poor, to terrible. As the company squandered the opportunity rebuild itself following the model laid out by similar companies, and decided to instead outsource the whole thing, turning a great local, American company into just another company with local headquarters and foreign jobs. I watched as many of the best people jumped ship, seeing the writing on the wall earlier than others. I, and most of my coworkers in my department, all left not too long before jobs started heading to India. We watched so many friends leave due to the massive layoffs that started the ball rolling the wrong way.
I would be lying if I didn't say that I was quite happy to hear that Konsin had resigned. I'm sure that should say was fired, but in the corporate world, CEO's are rarely ever fired, they are just asked to resign. It's too bad, because after all that he's done to the company and people that worked there, he deserves the shame that goes with being fired for cause. I saw that Rick has returned, and has given lip service to the press that if RS wasn't viable, he wouldn't have come back, but after laying off 80-90 percent of the company over the last few years, the latest round of 28 layoffs the paper indicated represents large portion of those that are left. I'm certain that this is it for RS Medical, and that by this time next year, it will have either closed it's doors, gone bankrupt or been sold to another company.
I can't say that I feel bad for Rick either. I know he built up this company, but he's also the one that retired and left it in the hands of a horrible leader. He's the one, as Chairman of the Board and majority shareholder that kept him in place so long, and approved the horrid decisions. Ultimately, it's his fault for outsourcing the whole company. It's just come home to roost.
Now, we just watch as RS goes on life support for the next year, before Rick finally pulls the plug. Then I will say, RIP RS Medical. Once you were good to so many, but your time finally came.
