12/23/16 Bonus, For A Job Well Done?

    Wow, it can still happen.  We got an email earlier this week that we were getting a bonus in our next paycheck of $500.  This is a very nice gesture from our CEO who said 2016 was more profitable than 2015.  In fact, it leads me to believe we are doing a little better than I thought.  It had been at least two years since we had gotten a bonus like this. 
    I think the fact that we got rid of a very costly section last quarter helped us achieve this.  Around two or three years ago, we went and added a section involving some equipment, a small lab, and about three people out in the Boston area.  This made absolutely no sense to the rest of us.  We were told they had a technique that was going to revolutionize some BS or other in some ceramics packaging for an up and coming company.  Days after we bought the company, the ceramics venture filed for bankruptcy, it was almost comical, other than it cost us financially.  For the last two years we carried these bozos, and I never care how smart or how special people are, if they don't make money, they are being carried by me, is how I see things.  We could not make a profit, and I kept thinking, well, of course not, we gotta pay $200-300k a year in salaries, plus their floor space, for what?  After two years, we finally unloaded the dead weight, and voila, we are profitable again.
    Just talking to my buddy here last week who encouraged me to join the chemistry group, then backpedaled and said not to expect overtime, and maybe I should volunteer to work Thursday through Sunday, in a weird conversation where I am going to leave it at he must of eaten a bad batch of grapes or something.  In that same conversation, he was telling me he was sure that we weren't doing well financially, and just being a little too negative for my taste.
    One of the shortfalls of our boss is that he wants to be positive all the time, and sometimes when things aren't great, he avoids letting out any information.  I have to guess things are going well, in spite of Mr. Worries Too Much, as we got the bonus our boss also mentioned we would be getting reviewed in the 1st quarter and either get some sort of bonus or get a raise.  It has been over eight years since I have seen a raise, so the idea of it coming up is exciting.  It would be foolish to be talking raises and stuff if we were at the brink of bankruptcy, as was indicated by my buddy, it just doesn't make sense.  My opinion is we are doing well, so here's to an even more profitable 2017.