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#Written by David Tam, 1996.           #
#davidkftam@netscape.net Copyright 1999#
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David Tam
Wednesday, September 25, 1996.

                             Business Press Review
                             =====================

Church, Elizabeth. "Flood of new hires catch Com Dev's rising star."
The Globe and Mail. Wednesday, September 18, 1996. B12.
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    This article is about a small company that is growing very quickly due to
the expansion of its industry.  Com Dev Canada Ltd is in the space industry,
developing components for large corporations in the global satellite field,
such as Hughes Aircraft Co, Lockheed Martin Corp., Motorola Inc. and Alcatel.
Due to rapid growth, the company has had to hire over 100 new employees over
the last 10 months, and are looking for 130 more.  By the end, Com Dev hopes to
have approximately 650 employees.  This rapid expansion comes after having a
low-key image for 20 years, supplying satellite parts to the large
corporations.  Com Dev spends a lot on research and development, and for this
reason, they have carved out a lucrative niche in designing and producing
components for satellite microwave-processing equipment.

    The scene in this industry has also changed, forcing Com Dev to alter its
manufacturing methods.  Increasing demands for the products and shrinking lead
times are the main factors.  About ten years ago, the average turnaround time
was two to three years.  Now, that has shrunk to six months.  As this industry
matures, Com Dev is searching for ways to mass produce its products.  This idea
is relatively new to the satellite/space industry.  Com Dev is very aware of
its own industry and is willing to learn and change in order to survive.

    As a part of its growing pains from a small company to a medium-sized one,
many employees are "sad to lose the smallness" of the company.  Com Dev plans
to double its manufacturing capability and hire a public relations manager.
They plan to raise the visibility of the company.

    We have learned in class that remaining focused on the goals of your
company is very important.  Com Dev realizes this as well and they have stated
that they plan remain focused on "developing ways to produce complex satellite
components faster and more cheaply while maintaining quality."  The owner who
built the company, Val O'Donovan, realizes the process of growth and is not
reluctant to give up management control, allowing "others with specialized
expertise to run the company's day-to-day operations."  In this way, Mr.
Donovan can remain focused on the vision of his company.  He can take a step
back and look at the overall picture.  This important point was also brought up
in class by Mr. Bassel Annab of Trade-Show Multimedia Co.  I believe this
article reflects many of the expansion issues facing the original owners of
small businesses.