site visit, page-12

Hi Keeting,

Five years ago (pre PPY) Ramy Azer had a lathing machine that could produce sheets of fibre at a rate (apparently) faster than they can today. The main differences between that machine and the current one are that the current machine is now automated and it produces 1.6 m whidths instead of 30 cm widths.

In 2005 Ramy seemed to be able to produce high quality, perfectly flat sheets whith this veneer. Today the Walkamin factory is producing wrinkly sheets of fibre and their current production rate (from November last year to date) is (apparently) around 300 square meters a month! (caalculated from announcements of export to Egypt).

This, in my opinon, is pitiful.

Presumably one of the functions of management is to ensure research and development happens. Where is the progress?

It's always nice to be able to blame other people for failures. I for one do not assume it was the contractors' fault simply because PPY said so. I mean PPY has done so well in the other aspects of their work haven't they! (?)