The Tribune from San Luis Obispo, California • 27

THE TRIBUNE SanLuisObispocom WEDNESDAY July 3 2002 San Luis Obispo Counr Calif A Quick Look itactS-29 Carol Kleiman GM brings back zero percent financing New Jobs Detroit giant is ONLY MAJOR CAR FIRM TO POST gains in May for the year vs declines of 2 percent for GM and 3 percent for the industry Overall industry sales rebounded from a weak May to 154 million units but were 5 percent less than June 2001 Major Japanese brands Toyota Honda and Nissan had modest deefines Percentages are based on daily sales rates There were 26 Belling days this year vs 27 in 2001 GM said it brought back zero percent financing to dear out 2002 models and bolster its bid for 30 percent or more of the market intend to be on the of financing Before the new program finance rate for 60month loans was 39 percent For a buyer borrowing $20000 zero percent reduces the monthly payment to $333 from $367 a savings of $2040 over file fife of die loan By comparison a bank loan at 65 percent would cost buyers $391 per month GM also reinstated zero percent for 36 months on hot-selling models such as the Chevrolet Corvette and Silverado and several large and midsize sport-utility vehicles GM's programs Please see GM D5 financing on all 2002 models and extended the offer to loans up to 60 months on most vehicles When GM last offered zero percent financing in April it was fin: only 36 months and on fewer models Car and light truck sales at GM grew nearly 5 percent to 455628 units from a year earlier That gave GM 295 percent of die market nearly two points more than the previous June Ford Motor sales fell 11 percent in June the sixth straight month of decline and the Chrysler unit of Daimler-Chrysler dropped 4 percent sales are off 11 percent said Paul BaDew chief market analyst ship brings its own benefits and in this game to Some Wall Street analysts estimated GM is spending $2500 per vehicle ill incentives Ballew comment on the estimates but said the are relatively to what GM was spending previously In its new incentive program called Summerdrive GM offers zero percent for 60 months on 33 models Buyers can take rebates of $3000 to $4000 in lieu of a nointerest loan On some models buyers can combine a smaller rebate with 39 percent By Rick Popeut and Thom Khanjb Chicago Tubuni General Motors Corp was the only major auto manufacturer to post higher sales in June and it immediately flexed its market muscle Tuesday by upping die ante on incentives GM reinstated zero percent WorldCom Inside Business: A conversation with Kevin Meyer Former executives blamed for demise Andersen also FINGERED BY CEO SlDGMORE Response to obnoxious boss must be silence After carefully 1 doing my home-I 1 work and finding out the going tsalaries far my job I asked boss if my pay could be brought up to the average His response was that perhaps I should see if I could get another offer and use it as leverage I don't feel anything would be gained by testing the waters outside of the company How should I respond to him? A You cant really teQ him all wet but he is If you actually want to get another job his advice might be useful but you say you don't want to leave And thafs exactly what worries me: His obnoxious response may be his way of advising you to look for another job Right now your only answer is that you want to spend your time improving your value to the company right here right now not in job hunting My husband just lost his job a good one and after being out of the labor market for 15 years I had to find employment I found a job quickly but it looks as if if going to take time for him to find a comparable one so my salary is very important to the family rm getting more and more serious about my work and wonder how as a mature worker I can move up the career ladder Is there a support group I can connect with? A an excellent support group called The Older League Call 800825-3695 and ask how to contact your local branch I work in the publishing field and am concerned about my portfolio of writing samples which are necessary to get another job My editor is terrible: He lacks knowledge of the English language and grammar His editing spills into my work when it is published and reflects on me I dont want prospective employers to think these errors are mine Is there any way to make a tactful disclaimer without opening a whole other can of worms if I say what I think of my editor? A in a tough spot If you use a disclaimer you also that you work for a credible organization so your achievements might not be taken as seriously as you want Surely you can find some articles your editor didn't mess up Use diem in your portfolio without disclaimers I am saddened to realize after some 48 attempts that I am okT to be hired I learned this from a manager when I applied for a job for which I was in fact qualified A much younger person with no experience was hired Employers just want someone who will do anything for very little remuneration Isn't that dumbing down to its ultimate conclusion? A If you're being told you're the company telling you that is breaking age discrimination laws And it's more than dumbing down: It's illegal TRIBUNE PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM Kevin Maytr on of tho founders of Agilonics a San Luis Obispo manufacturing firm choso to start a vonturo hart rather than transfer away after Jobs evaporated at Newport Corp The now firm has five workers all former Newport employees Making a stand in SLO Former Newport WORKERS WOULD DIG IN RATHER THAN LOOK ELSEWHERE By Marcy Gordon AnocunoPBEH WASHINGTON chief executive of embattled WorldCom Inc on Tuesday blamed former company official for its multibillion-dollar accounting dodges and cast doubt rm auditor Arthur Andersen While striking a mostly upbeat tone about tire company's future John Sidgmore said he could not rule out the possibility of bankruptcy for file second-largest longdistance carrier Sidgmore said he did not know whether founder and former CEO Bernard Ebbers had any prior knowledge of the $4 billion hole in the company's books don't know whether he was involved and we know whether he wasn't involved mid the Sidgmore said at a news conference at the National Press Gub where he was peppered with questions about the huge telecommunications current woes mid future plans Sidgmore expressed optimism at every turn yet also apologized for at the company and pledged cooperation as the government investigates The Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil fraud charges against WorldCom last week after the company disclosed it had improperly accounted for nearly $4 billion in expenses thus inflating its earnings The stunning news also sent the once high-flying stock plummeting below a dime and triggered an avalanche of anger from politicians President Bush included want the bad guys exposed Sidgmore said want the bad guys punished And we want to move on with our fives at WorldCom" Despite the deteriorating situation he said he hoped to avoid bankruptcy but would not rule it out He said WorldCom has about $2 billion in available cash am not going to stand up here and tell you that there's no way we're going to wind up in bankruptcy of some form at some Sidgmore said right now we are working very very hard with the banks ami others to try and find ways to accomplish our goals without going into bankruptcy" Sidgmore also said that despite Please sec WORLDCOM D2 port employees Jon Vermillion and Russ Strenk In February the three founded a small manufacturing firm called Agfionics Last month die company moved into a 5005square-foot plant on Clarion Court Including the founders it employs five people all former Newjxirt employees So far it has landed one contract and hopes to win more business from local firms that produce everything from fiberoptic equipment to surfboards Meyer recently discussed his transition from a corporate employee to a small business owner the changes brought about by Newport's layoffs and his expectations for the telecommunications industry What went through your mind when tho layoffs wore first announced at Newport? It was hard not to feel a little bit of resentment having uprooted my family and brought them out here My wife is Please see MEYER D5 Name: Kevin Meyer Job: President Agilonics San Luis Obispo Residence: Morro Bay Background: After obtaining a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York Meyer helped manufacture light bulbs for five years at Sylvania plants in Kentucky Puerto Rico and Boston He then spent a decade working for Abbott Laboratories first in Mountain View and later in Salt Lake City where he was operations manager for its medical supply manufacturing plant Favorite book: Hunt for Red by Tom Clancy Favorite Internet bookmark: wwwfoxnewsxom How ho defines success: 'Being happy in what you do and feeling like you've made a Business philosophy: through simplicity doing it right the first time and enabling the success of the customer' By Raven Railey The Tbibunz I ast September Kevin Meyer was faced with a dilemma: One year after moving his family to Morro Bay from Salt Lake City to become plant manager at Newport Corp he was given the option of being laid off or moving again to remain with die company He wasn't the only one After aggressively expanding its San Luis Obispo work force to almost 180 workers during the first half of 2001 die Irvine-based telecommunications equipment manufacturer eliminated all but about 30 jobs in die city Meyer decided to stay and pool his resources with two other New KSBY upgrades to digital broadcasts Barbara counties The station which is owned by Santa Bar bantbased SJL Communications is in the process of being purchased by New Vision Group of Atlanta Ga Leslie Stevens Please see KLEIMAN D2 The nonprofit San Luis Obispo organization moved into its new 350Osquarefbot office at 1320 Nipomo St in June more than doubling its previous space For the past eight years the group had occupied an historic house at 1204 Marsh SL simply outgrew where we were said Edie Kahn the network's executive director IVase ee BUZZD2 Local television station KS- have a UHF antenna and DTV BY began broadcasting in receiver decoder on their an a new digital format on UHF log TV or an HDTV-ready Channel 15 Tuesday television set the station said The channel uses Currently The standard definition a Tonight Show with television (SOTS') SSj Jay Leno is pre- which produces pv i w- sented in tire new images equivalent 11 177 1 format as well as to the quality of some movies and digital cable accord- sw sporting events ing to die station KSBY Channel 6 is a Local viewers can watch local NBC affiliate serving K5BY-DT Channel 15 if they San Luis Obispo and Santa SLO nonprofit expands A larger staff and expanded services has prompted the AIDS Support Network to change locations Business Editor Rmn Utley 781-TO2 Far 75179C5 Toll Email:.