Silversmiths Now Working in Nylon
Or, how adaptation is the key to survival
The folks at Montana Silversmiths invited me over yesterday.
As I was making the twenty mile drive, I realized we’ve been neighbors for almost thirty years and I’ve never been inside their place. Of course I’ve seen what they do in the building. If you’ve ever been to a rodeo, or a Miranda Lambert concert, you have as well. They make the buckles and pretty much everything else you see that’s made out of silver at one of those events.
Things move fast these days. Less than three weeks ago they found themselves in the unessential category, right along with sporting events and concerts. As a business they needed to conserve cash, which meant furloughing of employees. That’s roughly 75 jobs, which is a lot in a place like Stillwater County.
This didn’t sit well with their VP of Operations, Lance Neirby. He shared his timeline with me and it’s hard to believe. He moved as fast as the times we’re living in. A…
