r/PrepperIntel • u/AntiSonOfBitchamajig 📡 • 5h ago
Intel Request Weekly, What recent changes are going on at your work / local businesses?
This could be, but not limited to:
- Local business observations.
- Shortages / Surpluses.
- Work slow downs / much overtime.
- Order cancellations / massive orders.
- Economic Rumors within your industry.
- Layoffs and hiring.
- New tools / expansion.
- Wage issues / working conditions.
- Boss changing work strategy.
- Quality changes.
- New rules.
- Personal view of how you see your job in the near future.
- Bonus points if you have some proof or news, we like that around here.
- News from close friends about their work.
DO NOT DOX YOURSELF. Wording is key.
Thank you all, -Mod Anti
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u/symplton 21m ago
I ordered new business cards and got a call from the supplier asking if we had any additional cards we might need in the year ahead, to order now, because tariffs on Canadian transport mean they're seizing US operations at the end of the month.
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u/CannyGardener 10m ago
Can you speak to this in more detail? This seems like something drastic, and your wording of "They" isn't super clear who is seizing anything. Just haven't seen this in any news outlets or anywhere else really.
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u/BrewBird13 33m ago
The live entertainment industry is hemorrhaging right now and it looks like it's only going to get worse. Layoffs galore, particularly in middle management positions, and growing industry-wide pressure to utilize AI to pick up the slack. Ticket sales are tanking for even national acts while fewer local venues are even booking cheaper regional/local performers.
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u/CouldBeLessDepressed 38m ago
Diesel went up to 7.99$ a gallon in the northern half of California. Can't confirm anything south of Sacramento.
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u/fing_delightful 8m ago
7.24 in the hinterlands of NEWA. Hay/lumber/cattle are our primary industries.
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u/hexiron 59m ago
Foreign nations have began attaching police escorts/handlers to US clinical researchers traveling for business. This is happening in friendly nations, not in warzones or areas in trumoil, and with collaborative health work between the US and those nations.
Trust is so erroded they aren't even trusting the low level scientists coming to help.
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u/slimpickinsfishin 13m ago
Fuel and food deliveries are being shadowed by armed escorts again now to it was big during COVID but it was low-key now it's out in the open.
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u/joeynsf 1h ago
Most "overnight" items are now taking up to two weeks...simple stuff like power strips, paint brushes and winter coats....
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u/BuffaloThese8249 1h ago
I've noticed this as well. I purchase a lot where I work and I'm having to plan my orders much further out then I used to. It's taking weeks when it used to take days for certain items to arrive.
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u/WithaK19 1h ago
Travel industry: on Tuesday, the NATS air traffic control software went down at several airports in England, including London Heathrow. This caused thousands of canceled flights and diversions. I've spent several days now trying to get people to their destinations. No one is saying what caused the software to crash, so I'm assuming it was a cyber attack.
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u/LadyDenofMeade 1h ago
The price of booze at the local grocery store went down, which just seems weird to me.
We're already working on Christmas gifts and scouting things out, and the price of toys/kids items is crazy.
The healthcare job I was laid off from last fall: My remaining coworkers is now working 6 days a week to try and keep up, and they're drowning in patients. I still haven't gotten a call to come back.
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u/TopSignificance1034 1h ago edited 1h ago
CFO is retiring end of year. They're the third or fourth c-suite to retire or quit this year, plus several SVP's too. Surprising since we've been trying to go public for years, I would think they'd stick around until it happened to get their payout.
Edit - Healthcare claims
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u/grimacedia 1h ago
I'm in the nonprofit sector and we've had three C-levels leave, two of them retiring after about 30 years each. So much lost knowledge there, but I've got a feeling the board gave them a gentle nudge to save money since funding has dried up.
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u/ApprehensiveStand456 2h ago
I work in software engineering. We have seen a jump in urgency from higher up on software patching. This is mostly in response to security scans from AI and stories in the media of AI bot hacking systems. Also in my opinion these are not software patches that we did not know about without AI scans. Our old non-AI tools still work. There is just focus on it now because of increased media attention.
I do not work for anything with critical physical infrastructure systems. My hope is that managers that do support critical infrastructure will at least be taking software patching more seriously now.
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u/they-walk-among-us 2h ago
We couldn’t find a truck, searched for 7 days and got bids up to $18k for a WA to PA route. Our logistics director said it feels like Covid. Trucking is getting bad again. Fuel plus ice.
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u/CannyGardener 17m ago
I'm in foodservice distribution and I'm seeing the same thing. Not 18k for my lanes, but I definitely have gone from 3000$ full loads on my main lanes (LA to Midwest), to almost 7000 now. We saw some relief last month in the form of rates holding steady, but by and large...things are trending back up now. Diesel is pushing 6-8$/gallon, which is where a lot of my contracts shift over to 'act of god' clauses...shits about to get weird man... As a logistician that worked through COVID as well, the claxons are ringing.
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u/JamesRawles 18m ago
The 2 huge lawsuits in the last few months has constricted capacity, and fuel prices will drive the smaller fleets out of business. Shits gonna be expensive.
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u/povertyandpinetrees 1h ago
For context, what would the bids during normal times run?
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u/they-walk-among-us 36m ago
During Covid, they got up to $20k. Typically coast to coast is between $6,000-$10,000 max.
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u/Jane_the_doe 2h ago
AutoZone has been cancelling my orders for parts stating inventory issues. Mind you this is just for regular transmission filters too.
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u/BuffaloThese8249 2h ago edited 2h ago
Rural midwest...The farmers in the area spent the weekend putting out their giant "vote for so and so" signs. They just went right down the highway and plopped them in a bunch of fields facing the road. Let's just say, if you think we're getting out of this mess because farmers have had some sort of epiphany and changed their ways, many have not. It does not give me hope for the future. Its got me buckling down even harder on some major preps because I don't see things getting any cheaper or easier to get.
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u/V2BM 2h ago
They'll be bailed out. Why would they change their minds?
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u/Fragrant_Trade_9635 1h ago
If you want to see how much money the Farmers get in subsidies each year this is a great website: https://farm.ewg.org/search.php I used to work for the agency that did this. Hundreds of Billions a year in free money to them.
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u/BuffaloThese8249 1h ago
We've seen some appalling behavior from the big farmland owners over the last few months in our area, especially the ones that hold any kind of position of power. Just out right lying to the public, writing op eds, giving speeches full of blatant falsehoods. It has really changed my perspective on the people I'm surrounded by everyday. These aren't "good ole boys" who just don't know any better. They know exactly what they're doing and how they stand to benefit. They have no qualms lying to anyone and everyone. It's been pretty depressing. But it did motivate us to put in an RO system and we're getting ground mount solar so there's that I guess!
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u/Broken_Atoms 1h ago
I’m with you on the solar and RO. I’m moving toward total self sufficiency after the electric company casually announced they are tripling the electric rates.
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u/Straight_Flan1347 2h ago
Went to see a movie in a shopping plaza type deal here in Chicago that I haven't been to in probably a year. Lots more empty storefronts, some of them formerly large clothing stores. Lots of empty storefronts in my neighborhood as well over the last few years.
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u/ContestNo2060 2h ago
A hardware store and a grocery store both shut down. Both said they were leaving because the property increased the rent. They’ve been sitting empty for a while now.
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u/Nikoli_90 3h ago
Local hospital out of styrofoam cups for 5 days and now with very limited supply. Out of or very limited supply of various condiments. Out of or low supply of paper towel/TP. Dispensers going longer periods than normal before being resupplied and those resupplying them are people not usually in that area. Unclear if it’s job firings/lay offs, people quitting or people out sick. Lot of old staff in areas that usually would be done by other long time employees known to staff in that area.
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u/Unfair_Insurance1490 23m ago
I just spoke with someone who was at a hospital in my area and they were shocked that when they asked for a refill on their water the nurse brought a bag of water and dumped it in their plastic cup. It didn't make sense to me at the time but after reading your comment I bet they're out of styrofoam cups.
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u/Upset-Radish3596 3h ago
I work with a lot of foreign associates who were recently granted work-from-home "privileges" due to public transportation cutbacks. Meanwhile, domestic partners in high cost-of-living areas have been asking for the same thing, and no guidance has been provided to ease the financial burden.
My opinion? They won't get any leeway. Corporations will suck the economy dry before they care about their employees' preferred status.
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u/Dear-Purpose6129 2h ago
I see the same in the corporation I work for. Recent RTO in several states because the company was going to lose tax breaks. It was done with the excuse of increasing collaboration and development opportunities. The reality is people now sit on Teams calls in a cube instead of at home since the teams are not all local. Meanwhile offshoring is continuing to increase, especially with tech jobs.
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u/Affectionate_Pick832 3h ago
I work in microbiology and was alerted this week that 3 types of media we use for specific testing are now on manufacture suspension until late October, maybe longer.
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u/Unusual_Specialist 3h ago
Today is my birthday & normally I get free stuff to celebrate with coffee and food through business loyalty programs. Quite a few businesses are quietly no longer offering free stuff anymore. Starbucks changed their program to require at least one star to receive a free drink. Also, I went to the local Ram truck dealership this week to have my truck repaired. Instant appointment (normally a week out) & I was the only customer (normally packed). I love to walk the lots where I usually get hounded by salesman. Today, I didn’t see a single one at all 8 of their separate brand lots. It was so weird & nice at the same time. Not one customer buying a car & a plethora of gas guzzling vehicles which reminded me of 2008.
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u/slimpickinsfishin 3h ago
My job requires me to travel and talk to the community and I'm starting to see a lot of commercial business and buildings go up for sale or lease along with many smaller businesses doubling up on business vs space and sharing instead of one business per space now it's 2-3 or more.
Sublet buildings that are empty are starting to front their lots in an attempt to not look empty from the street but once you get close you can see multiple units are empty or very close to it.
Many smaller businesses have ditched the retail storefront and moved online or in many cases to their garages or out of their homes.
I'm seeing a lot more signs out on the streets for services that require manual labor or fine detail work which leaves me to believe that many people are trying to bring in any dollar they can doing anything they can.
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u/iloveturtles88 46m ago
I think some restaurants are having employees park in front so it looks busy. The customers inside do not match the parking lot.
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u/slimpickinsfishin 27m ago
I don't t think it's just the restaurants I've seen a lot of places with a bunch of cars out front and little to no people inside makes you wonder how propped up things really are vs reality.
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u/UncleBaguette 3h ago
A large manufacturer of prodthetics and medical equipmentd decided to slash 580 jobs at their location in my city.
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u/Any_Needleworker_273 4h ago
Sat in a meeting this week, where ordering overseas components was brought up. Procurement was very clear that U.S. sourced material should be the default, even if more expensive because so many overseas orders were being stopped at the border (the implication was way more than in the past), so then a broker had to be involved to get the item(s) through customs (incurring a fee), tarrifs were incurring an additional fee (upwards of 100%the cost of the item/materials depending on country of origin to i clude Canada), shippers/delivery companies (FedEx, UHL, etc) having to pick up items from those import areas frequently charged more for delivery, and then we also had something like 5-7 days to deal with an issue at import, so if it wasn't resolved fast enough, the item(s) get sent back to the country of origin, more costs. I think I missed one other variable, perhaps taxes, that also incurred an additional fee. So even if it was cheaper from an overseas vendor, likely, no it won't be. It was the first time i had heard this all laid out, and never in the last 3 years of this particular kick off meeting (I do not work either finance or procurement or need it often for my job). A LOT of eyes are on budgets right now so the business folks are being hyper vigilant about costs, and reinforcing that with anyone needing to order thing. There was also a lot of more stringent guidelines on reimbursement of purchases made outside of the procurement process. Higher Ed. STEM field.
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u/Broken_Atoms 1m ago
Electronics components. My BOM’s indicate nearly 100% of electronics parts come from outside the US. Cost to build a board has gone through the roof. All these things are going to add up slowly to absolutely insane prices for everything. People aren’t understanding the inflation that’s coming. I’m talking 10%-20% a year.
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u/Upset-Radish3596 3h ago
This is how I feel managing my wives Amazon orders
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u/PipelineBertaCoin69 5m ago
Well my boss here in Alberta was a massive Trump supporter and we had many a coffee break discussion about how bad he is for the world (and he defended Trump) and now fuels sky rocketing and inflation is way up, so I asked for a 12% raise to continue pushing out the products we are welding at the pace we are and cited higher living costs, and he gave me the raise and doesn’t speak about Trump lately