Weekly, What recent changes are going on at your work / local businesses?
Posted by AntiSonOfBitchamajig@reddit | PrepperIntel | View on Reddit | 139 comments
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
Straight_Ace@reddit
I work retail, and when I’m putting away the delivery for the week I notice that a lot of items just aren’t coming in because of the tariffs and supply chain issues. Which in turn makes customers irate and scream at me when they can’t find an item they’re looking for anywhere.
NoTerm3078@reddit
Are you able to share what types of items aren't being received without violating your privacy?
Straight_Ace@reddit
It's usually coffee and certain types of cold medicine. People will throw hands over the coffee though
hectorbrydan@reddit
If we run out of coffee I am going full revolutionary.
V2BM@reddit
I’m weaning myself off of it, down to 1 cup a day.
Snark_Connoisseur@reddit
Grab yourself a coffee plant from fastgrowingtrees.com or at a different store. When the beans are ripe you roast in the oven, grind, then brew like normal. Then you can always have coffee.
hectorbrydan@reddit
Well if I lived in the tropical cloud forest that would be good advice. But I live in the Frozen North
GridDown55@reddit
We're f*cked for caffeine - no plants that produce caffeine can overwinter, far as I know
missbwith2boys@reddit
Depends on where you live. If you live in an area where camellias grow, you could grab some tea plants (camellia sinensis). Depending on how you harvest and treat the leaves, there can be more or less caffeine (so young leaves, and black leaves have the most caffeine, but if you do green or oolong, there is less caffeine.)
archgnomesis@reddit
Yaupon Holly is all over the place where I am, it is a natural source of caffeine native to the US southeast.
hectorbrydan@reddit
There are hardly any speed type plants either, I know that is different from caffeine, there is a ephedra sinica but even that I think needs mild winters.
Khat, coca, what else I am forgetting some, betel leaf, are all sub tropical or tropical.
totpot@reddit
They can grow indoors - but if you drink a pot a day, you need 40 of them.
hectorbrydan@reddit
Electricity costs a fortune up here in the Deep Woods, and I get about zero light straight in my windows. Just running a red heat lamp for baby chickens for a month cost of me a couple hundred dollars. Turns out what I was just raising meat chickens for my dog and the local predators when I thought I was raising egg chickens but that's another story.
You can build the type of greenhouse that doesn't freeze however, there is a wallapini style that digs a hole down 6 ft or more and Taps into the 50 ° year-round temperature down there, and there are ways to do it with Wells or otherwise if you can bury tubes over 6 ft down and circulate air through there. Double plastic might be enough to keep the plants alive Maybe. There's a guy in Nebraska that grows like oranges and subtropical crops.
Snark_Connoisseur@reddit
They're indoor plants
Optimal-Archer3973@reddit
I'm in the frozen north and have 3 growing. I expect to have ripe cherries from them in December. You can grow them inside, they only need 6 hours of light a day and prefer afternoon sun to morning sun. The dwarf versions only get 5 ft tall.
If you get Arabica version all you need is one but more makes a better harvest. If you buy Robusta kind they need more than one to pollinate.
SquirrelyMcNutz@reddit
There is a certain tree that produces a fruit or nut or something that resembles coffee in practice. It isn't coffee, but from what I understand, it's 'close'. I have a few of them planted, never tried it though. I'm in Zone 4 for planting, and it seems to do just fine here, dunno your situation.
hectorbrydan@reddit
I am in 4b as well, 45th parralell.
If you recall it's name I would be interested.
Chickory root is a substitute but no caffeine in it, I do not know if it grows around here either.
SquirrelyMcNutz@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_coffee_tree
I dunno if it has caffeine in the beans or not though. Also, the 'beans' are toxic unless roasted.
hectorbrydan@reddit
Huh interesting thanks I might try to get one somehow.
kantmeout@reddit
That's the problem with coffee addiction though. Once we're out of coffee we won't have the energy for a revolution.
Wise-Force-1119@reddit
The real prep is to not be addicted to caffeine.
hectorbrydan@reddit
It is not really addiction, it is a habit. There is a big difference. You do opiates for 10 days straight you get addicted. You drink coffee you just like it and want to continue doing it.
Wise-Force-1119@reddit
That's actually not how the biochemistry works. Just because one thing is worse doesn't mean that the other isn't an addictive substance. Try going an extended period without caffeine, you will experience withdrawal symptoms.
hectorbrydan@reddit
Not the same thing as opiates at all, or benzodiazapemes or the like. Or steroids.
Your body stops producing it's endogenous drugs after about 10 days and if ypu stop it takes days for the body to produce them again.
Caffeine inhibits sleepy nuerotrans adeninose, does not lead to it's absence in body.
IncomingAxofKindness@reddit
The three times i've come off coffee / soda I just needed some tylenol for a day to deal with the headache.
Straight_Ace@reddit
It’s times like these where I’m glad I could never stand the taste enough to make it a habit. Chocolate on the other hand, that shit’s my kryptonite
DeadlyYellow@reddit
Coffee and chocolate are on a timer regardless. Enjoy it while you can get it.
Luckily for me, a medical condition stopped my drinking. Now I just get to cry every time I smell it.
Wise-Force-1119@reddit
Dude, same. Sometimes I indulge in chocolate because I love it but I pay for it. It does feel good to not be addicted, though.
hectorbrydan@reddit
I would be willing to substitute brewed coca leaf for coffee that would be acceptable. Preferable really.
ilovetheskyyall@reddit
I can’t really stockpile a lot right now but coffee is one of the things I’m stocked up on for this reason! It’s a bargaining chip.
SquirrelyMcNutz@reddit
I prefer booze for bargaining. It doesn't really go bad, after all, and doesn't really need any special storage considerations.
NoTerm3078@reddit
Thanks! I didn't realize about the cold medicine. A good hint for everyone to check expiration on their stock and restock if necessary.
V2BM@reddit
Mail carrier: small packages from overseas have slowed down considerably and I suspect will stop altogether next week. I assume punishing tariffs will go back down before Christmas for many countries and we can all get our stuff cheaply again. Zero change in people’s buying habits where I am - same volume of packages - very high. Lower income switched from Amazon to Temu/Shein quite a bit and have switched back temporarily.
No change in mail that indicates financial issues on any route, very poor to wealthy. I’ll worry when I see a lot of certified letters.
jijitsu-princess@reddit
I live near a tourist destination. Room/ home rentals down 30%. Retail down 30%.
New development in our area halted. Had the red dirt down to make the road and it all just stopped.
Home sales are dropping. Home owners are cutting sales price by 30k just to get the house sold.
brown-foxy-dog@reddit
as someone who was royally fucked in trying to buy their first house the last few years, maybe now i have a chance.
nanfoodle91@reddit
I work for a small but international company. We purchase welding consumables wholesale and sell to automotive manufacturers.
10% universal tariff was hard but survive able. 15% on general items is also manageable but there's a 50% tariff on copper/steel/aluminum and that is going to be the biggest threat to my company. Car prices are going to be insane next year.
Also this past two weeks, UPS has been holding our packages for "extra clearance" but haven't been able to clearly tell us why but we can get it released for an easy $700. that we've had to pay 3 times already 🙃 so... loving that
BigODetroit@reddit
Surgeries are down 25% for the year.
MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit
Presumably because of cost? Or are you seeing another reason?
BigODetroit@reddit
Absolutely.
ExplodinMarmot@reddit
Because we fixed everyone last year?
gyanrahi@reddit
No, people go the DIY route 🤣
Perfect-Tax-74@reddit
I just had to remove my tooth with an ice skate on the beach last week
no-permission47388@reddit
Wilson!
taylorbagel14@reddit
My local corporate grocery store has gaps in shelves in pretty much every department and I’ve noticed that the deals in their app are really only for the store brand food items as opposed to all different brands of food
un_popcorno@reddit
IT business. Quarterly bonuses paid out at 40% of target. Zero raises this year. Layoffs forthcoming this quarter.
DallyDalton@reddit
Recent graduates and people looking for internships cannot find anything rn, it's brutal! This is for computer science and business with data focuses. We're in a pretty large tech area too.
notlikethat1@reddit
I know a class of 40 HVAC certified technicians that graduated in June, and only 2 have been able to secure employment. All industries are being hit.
throwawaywax23@reddit
Not sure the update but something big that happened that no one seems to be talking about is the ransomware / cyber attack on Nevada. Shut down a lot of services from my understanding
https://nevadacurrent.com/briefs/state-of-nevada-still-digging-out-from-under-cyber-attack/
Slight-Rate7309@reddit
I'm sure everyone knows this already, but the de minimus exemption has expired as of today, which so many people think is just about Temu & Shein, but it's affecting so much more than that. We need a $2 plastic replacement part for our cat's water fountain, but it's not available through U.S. companies. A week ago, we could have ordered it from overseas, but that's not possible any longer. Sorry, kitty.
hollymbk@reddit
Took my kid for her annual checkup this week, the doctor said they don’t know yet if they’ll be able to get the Covid vaccine this fall or if insurance would cover it. Infuriating.
Pontiacsentinel@reddit
They want to ban the vaccine, not just not pay for it. Check with your local pharmacies, they often have it and I even got it at Sam's Club last year and was charged nothing. You can read abou tthe expected ban in an article like this one (just picked from what was shown when I did a quick search, was news within last week or so) https://www.biospace.com/policy/trump-kennedy-could-ban-covid-19-vaccine-within-months-report
AgileBet409@reddit
Novavax is an alternative as well
KateMacDonaldArts@reddit
Canada is going to start producing the Modern vaccine, just saying…
Sigmund_Six@reddit
Have your passport ready to travel to get it, if you can.
LowBarometer@reddit
In Massachusetts and Rhode Island we have an outbreak of Covid, just as school is starting. I have at least 3 friends that have covid. At the same time, Medicare is no longer paying for Paxlovid. My friend was told they'd have to pay $500 for it themselves.
Boston sewer water monitoring is reporting they detected measles.
Boston is preparing a response to potential deployment of National Guard troops.
Equivalent-Buyer-841@reddit
What kind of response?
-Calm_Skin-@reddit
Give em Covid and measles?
Pontiacsentinel@reddit
Several news reports had said that paxlovid prescription coverage was extended for free to Medicare patients from February 2025 when it was supposed to end until December 2025. it would be worth contacting their Medicare provider directly.
otherwise, check this out from the drug company themselves. https://www.paxlovid.com/enroll-in-co-pay-program
Slight-Rate7309@reddit
Thanks for this. My elderly mother lives in the Southeast U.S., and she told me yesterday that nearly everyone in her social circle is either has Covid or has recently recovered from it. Thankfully, she has remained infection-free so far, and she is taking the necessary precautions to stay that way.
wellblessyourcow@reddit
Just got some paxlovid last week with $0 copay from medicare. Might want to check around
Matticus54r@reddit
Warehouse shipping and receiving for a large work vehicle upfitter…transfers between locations has like quadrupled. Yesterday I got a transfer request for 3 Yazaki connectors that cost $0.37 each. Cost $9.95 to ship UPS. I sent the same thing to same location last week. I get the feeling the company rather pay shipping than have the credit line tied up with an open purchase order.
Lots of railroad orders coming in. Mostly smaller inspection and mechanics trucks. Oddly, they are Chevy 5500 shipped halfway across the country to our shop. The Ford plant is ten minutes away.
Ingawolfie@reddit
Had to go to Costco today. A pack of three Choice grade ribeye steaks eye steak, $90. And we live in ranch country.
F6Collections@reddit
We had our first screw worm case the other day.
Expect prices to rise.
IncomingAxofKindness@reddit
You had one in a cow, or are you referring to the guy that was traveling?
Just wanting to clarify cause I hadn't heard of actually cattle cases in the news.
F6Collections@reddit
Cow
Ingawolfie@reddit
Rise, absolutely. Explode, likely.
North-Honey-6784@reddit
wow!! that’s crazy
Wise-Force-1119@reddit
At that price a local rancher would definitely be cheaper. Find one and support them! We need them.
Ingawolfie@reddit
We have a family and two good sized chest freezers. We have already made the decision to buy a whole beef this year instead of the half beef we usually do. I have a feeling the beef situation is going to get really bad, and as someone else mentioned, it’s not even Christmas yet. (We traditionally serve prime rib at thanksgiving and Christmas.)
CallieCatsup@reddit
As a non-red meat eater, what is it normally?
Syst3mN0te_12@reddit
Not Costco, but three months ago, my husband and I bought a 3 pack of thick cut ribeyes from Sam’s Club for around $47.
CallieCatsup@reddit
😱
totpot@reddit
Prices are expected to keep going up as herd sizes decrease. Canada and Australia are exporting more beef to the US, but Brazil just got another 50% tariff (76% total) which wiped out a major source of beef for the US which increased Canadian and Australian imports can't compensate for.
Pontiacsentinel@reddit
At a nonprofit meeting today one reported that their food banks in a rural area of Mid-Atlantic were having to go from allowing monthly distribution pickup to allowing only once a quarter and they would be mandated to attend a food planning and spending training. What these folks getting below a living wage are going to do, I cannot imagine.
Fragrant_Lobster_917@reddit
Is there a good way for the more fortunate to donate, or do I need to buy goods to donate?
Pontiacsentinel@reddit
I recommend you call your pantry. Some need food and some need money for purchasing hygiene items or need hygiene items. You can also buy things and place them in the little free pantry boxes if your community has them.
Standard-Mud-1205@reddit
I had to go to one of these when I was getting food from a food bank in Texas once. After I sat down with the financial counselor he said "the problem isn't your budget, its that you don't have enough income". No shit Sherlock.
Pontiacsentinel@reddit
Minimum wage is not a living wage, budgeting cannot fix that!
hectorbrydan@reddit
How degrading to make them attend a food planning and spending training. These food banks aren't really charity so much as a tax break scheme, you notice how they will not give it to anyone that does not anyone that does not have an address in the area. It is all food the groceries can donate to write off their taxes as it expires.
AdMuted1036@reddit
Do you have any reading on this?
hectorbrydan@reddit
Oh idk this is old hat, Canada does not have the tax break and food is often wasted and not donated as per canada one radio or whatever.(I used to get that on the radio.)
dakotamidnight@reddit
As in clients need to attend or the pantry itself?
The former is very messed up - it's not a budget issue usually it's the costs are too high.
Pontiacsentinel@reddit
Clients will need to attend classes.
ofjacob@reddit
Went to $ tree to pick up some coloring books for travel. Brand new store, opened at the beginning of this month. Really clean and organized, but food was the only thing fully stocked. So many other areas had nearly empty shelves.
Fragrant_Lobster_917@reddit
Could be frugal/low-income people preparing for the school year?
Numb_Sea@reddit
(Tennessee) Large automobile parts manufacturers shut down this friday and the weekend due to low demand. Rumor of the buyers of these parts plants being shut down for 2 weeks.
Fragrant_Lobster_917@reddit
Checks out with the recent news about car sales. Praying for you and your family.
Fragrant_Lobster_917@reddit
Commercial electrician and maintenance welder on our family farm.
There has been a change in the last 3 months with how corporations are pressuring GC's to pressure us tradies into doing more work than we are currently doing. As in, accelerating their projects to completion. For example, our big job currently has a schedule for the job to be done in 3 months. Today is the end of week 6 and we are all but done because of how rapidly they crammed things together.
Company I work for is small, 4 employees in 2 fields of electric (2 guys do cell tower generators 2 do corporate remodels) is going to make it so we can not do multiple contracts at one time like we have been. It is either going to give us lots of downtime, or the company is going to have to scale up or branch out to survive.
As for our farm, this summer has been pretty rough, I haven't talked the family out of spraying chemicals yet, and it has been too hot to spray. So the weeds are choking out soy pretty bad, and the corn had a late tassel. If the first freeze comes any sooner than normal, we probably will have a dogshit corn yield, and the heat has already greatly reduced the soybeans.
CattaTronixRex@reddit
Unifirst has replaced a high number of American jobs with cheap labor from Colombia. No biggie for those American families though, right? Greed over all.
2quickdraw@reddit
Minor, but went to our local Costco yesterday, there was zero Kirkland organic peanut butter two pack. Partner thought maybe they missed it. Looked online today, an hour each direction from where we are, and it is completely out of stock. I bought the large container of organic virgin coconut oil, used to be $12.99, went up to about $16.99 maybe a month or two ago , and it was $26.99 and it was liquid, so it had been either in a hot truck for long enough for it to clarify, and just put on the shelf, or it may have been because they have turned the AC way down. All the stores we go to are way hotter inside than usual. Also a noticeable percentage of the usual produce they carry was missing, as well as a number of usual items that we usually pick up.
CornRaisedAnarchist@reddit
Warehouse that mainly supplies convenience stores and truck stops in the Midwest, our suppliers have raised the price extensively on imported goods to the point that we're in talks of no longer stocking those items, but we did just secure a large contract with Love's
IncomingAxofKindness@reddit
Any examples of what products? We talking convenience foods? Or more durable / disposable goods you would find in the stores (phone chargers, deodorant), etc....?
CornRaisedAnarchist@reddit
Food stuffs are our main foreign goods, we have a few niche products for local Asian markets that we will not be restocking, it's mostly candies and drinks that our suppliers are having issues getting. It's mainly Japanese and Canadian goods we're having issues with. I'm not in sales or corporate so I don't really know any specifics, just what little info trickles down from corporate. I know we will not be getting a restock of Sprecher drinks, multiple maple syrup brands or any of our Japanese candies anytime soon. Prices are going up across the board though and the companies been eating the cost for now, but I doubt it's going to last past the new year and most of our contracts with mom-and-pop shops and smaller companies are on the chopping block.
Pontiacsentinel@reddit
Not my work but worth noting. https://www.reddit.com/r/supplychain/comments/1n2o21e/shipping_costs_from_suppliers_in_china_are/
4peaks2spheres@reddit
We're legitimately so fucked.
slaveleiagirl78@reddit
Produce at my local grocery stores is getting terrible. I bought a watermelon, cut it the next day, and it was rotten inside.
I work in income based housing and I am seeing an incredible uptick in homeless applicants. I get multiple calls a day about housing. I know the weather change is part of it, but it's overwhelming.
Also seeing that contractors are increasing their charges for labor. We had a painter do a two bedroom apartment and charge us $1000, now he wants $3000 for the same size apartment. It's crazy.
North-Honey-6784@reddit
damn, that’s insane
Syst3mN0te_12@reddit
Nearly all of the honeydew melons at my local big box store were already molded and sinking in on themselves. It’s getting harder to find tomatoes that aren’t moldy. I’ve also noticed the cucumbers in my area are getting so big they’re dry and unpleasant to eat. My husband and I have a garden, so we aren’t doing too bad, but yeah. I feel for people who don’t have the space or time to plant.
Theunknown87@reddit
Yes! Strawberries around here at the stores are weird. They’re either soft or they have mold.
We just bought a watermelon the other day and it was still green inside lol
AnomalyNexus@reddit
Super fragile to supply chain. Noticed same in UK post brexit...all the really sensitive stuff like strawberries took a noticeable hit on what the best before date says versus reality inside
PNWoutdoors@reddit
We sell globally, and I have personally seen one client cancel their contract and an inbound lead decline to meet with us when they learned we are headquartered in the US.
Both wanted to find a Canadian or European provider.
We're seeing these massive economic, political, and cultural headwinds in a big way right now. It makes me expect budget cuts and layoffs by the end of the year.
Far-Policy-8589@reddit
I'm with a large, well known consumer product manufacturer. We have vendors cutting us off for very, very past due invoices; critical supplies that we can't operate without. We're adding millions to our debt monthly.
There are 2 main companies in our industry, last year our new CEO increased our prices to our customers (who then pass those increases along to the consumer) by 10% to 30%. We went from ~8% above market share 4 years ago, to even market share with our competitor 2 years ago, to 10% below their market share. Our CEO is shocked fuckin Pikachu at the category loss.
Not that anyone will be surprised by this, but the whole slide started when we were purchased by private equity.
ObviousOrca@reddit
This is interesting to read and thanks, but aren’t you worried about exposing yourself by giving such details? Please be careful out there x Just happened upon the big short film recently after a long while...couldn't finish it tonight, but probably worth a watch again sometime soon.
Current-Tale8250@reddit
JCP just had an internal meeting yesterday and will market everything up 50% because of the India tariffs.
After-Leopard@reddit
When does this hit? Normally I wait a few weeks to go back to school shopping until it gets cold. But maybe we should head in sooner
Optimal-Archer3973@reddit
go now, it will only go up. shop walmart first.
Absinthe_Parties@reddit
they've done this in the past. mark prices up 50% and then offer constant sales and coupons to entice shoppers. Is this a similar move? Or just a 50% price hike without sales and incentives?
Ricky_Ventura@reddit
Absinthe_Parties@reddit
yeah I get that, but the point i'm trying to make is are they REALLY marking everything up 50%? Or are they doing that + incentivizing shoppers with big sales and coupons? So that it is actually more like 10% actual cost rise?
Seems like an overnight price hike of 50% would be a suicidal business decision. that's A LOT
CannyGardener@reddit
If your product cost goes up 50% ...there just isn't much of a choice but to push it up 50% on the sell side. They could go 60% and offer discounts, but if your cost goes up 50% via tariff, then your sell has to follow or you won't be in business for very long.
Absinthe_Parties@reddit
So does all their product source from India?
Clothes are $$$ enough already. if a $40 hoodie suddenly goes up to $60 overnight, i'm shopping elsewhere.
CannyGardener@reddit
Yes, mostly. And again, it doesn't have anything to do with "clothes already cost too much". The producer's cost went up 50%, they MUST pass that through, or they MUST go out of business. They probably think that a 50% increase on all of their products is ridiculous as well, but what are they supposed to do? It would be far more than a 50% increase to reshore all of those shops to the US, so I suppose we are lucky in that sense?
Absinthe_Parties@reddit
Yeah, i get what you are saying , but i'd like to hear from the person that was in the internal meeting. There has to be more than just "hey, we are marking the entire store up 50% due to tariffs."
I mean, does JC Penny source everything they sell from India? If I were a shareholder in JCP I would be extremely concerned with that large of a price hike.
Not saying you are wrong, just feel like there is more to this info drop.
reincarnateme@reddit
Walmart prices just had major increases
pinecamper@reddit
Do you have a source that mentions specific items? We've been keepin track of a few products, but I am interested what else might be impacted.
reincarnateme@reddit
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/21/nx-s1-5509592/walmart-tariff-costs-rising-earnings
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tariffs-tariffing-walmart-shoppers-employees-202508912.html
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings
pinecamper@reddit
The yahoo finance article is exactly what I was interested in, thank you!
splat-y-chila@reddit
boy am I glad I just bought more fabric last weekend
TrekRider911@reddit
JC Penny?
bigboyvapesinc@reddit
No shit seriously?
pinecamper@reddit
This is so crazy that I cant even begin to bring myself to believe it.
Accomplished-Bet8880@reddit
All of this. I work with many large companies. Manufacturing, processing, ag. Everything has been impacted. Supply prices have soared with no end in sight. Margins are tighter. Many ranches will go bankrupt this year. Large operators I’m talking billions are having huge issues. Ownership selling off assets. Cutting the dead weight. Large layoffs. Canceled orders. Buyers now buying form other countries. It isn’t talked about in the news but it’s here. Everything we’ve talked about or knew we were getting we have gotten. I have a very large client that is non white that is now worried about driving around at odd hours for fear of arrests by ice. If this guy gets taken in the entire business collapses. Pretty wild times.
Optimal-Archer3973@reddit
That is exactly what I'm seeing plus the fact if you are ordering from any known overseas supplier no matter what they put a delay in also. I'm calling it the American backorder delay. Power plants are going apeshit over sensors and gauges. We will start seeing power plant shutdowns in a few months. MAGA members are not going to care until they find themselves jobless, homeless and starving. I'm betting for a huge chunk of them that will be by June. The bottom 30% of Americans are expected to run out of money and credit by February. Do you know what happens when 100 million Americans cannot afford food and shelter and have guns? If you think trump put NG in DC and will take them out you are dreaming. If the food scenario gets worse or hits faster than I anticipate you can bet 10 million people will be in DC by March wanting to erect a gibbet. I bet trump stations NG way out further to stop them before they get that close.
Far-Policy-8589@reddit
Ag and the food industry in general are fucked.
ThisIsAbuse@reddit
Construction related business. We are slowing from last year and won’t make our unrealistically high 2025 targets. Still, we will make money and profit just not what they hoped for. We see 2026 as the biggest concern as we were riding a big wave of contracts from 2024 into 2025. It’s slowing now.
Slight-Rate7309@reddit
The inverter on our solar array failed early this summer. Fortunately, it was fully covered by warranty, but it took about six times longer than expected for the replacement to come in. Asked the service team what was up with that, and they just shrugged. On another note, we're on our third extended power outage in a month. Service team: "Something, something, transformer." I think the power company is just holding it together with duct tape and bailing wire at this point.
raphael_lorenzo@reddit
One of my interests is electric grid reliability and resilience, and in fact this is the big driver of my prep (extended blackouts or rolling brownouts). If you have some time, read up on lead times for transformers in the US and globally. Average timelines to replace big grid-scale transformers have grown to multi-year wait times, and we’re going to need tens of millions of them (of all sizes, from giant step-up and step-down transmission transformers, to smaller distribution transformers that hang on your power poles or mount on pads on the ground) to replace the ones that are aging out. This is because their average age is also starting to either creep up on or surpass their life expectancies, and so we’re gonna need a lot of new ones just to replace the old ones on a predictable schedule. Add in storms, disasters, data center construction… it’s not looking good. This is a problem now and it’s only going to get worse.
Big_Fortune_4574@reddit
Do you happen to know much about how the PJM interconnection will fare in the coming years? Do you think that is a fairly reliable grid or no?
dee-AY-butt-ees@reddit
In this industry and can confirm
No_Advice3660@reddit
And we are still dealing with most infrastructure like the interstate highway system being 50 years beyond their life expectancy.
TannerCreeden@reddit
specialized car parts manufacturer with 5 employees, boss went to buy something the other day and it jumped 2x almost 3x in price and will now be making them in house. Sales have been slow last time i looked we were down 20% from last year and we had just recently spent a lot of time and money making a part that was supposed to sell.. weve sold 2
philschr@reddit
Utility industry is going full throttle on new construction projects and existing infrastructure upgrades still. No upcoming changes in workflow expected.
Accomplished-Bet8880@reddit
Are you talking about city, county or state level. At the county level and city we are seeing projects get stretched because of federal grants and funding. Some put on hold completely. Similar with large non profits looking at huge losses due to defunding from the fed gov.
philschr@reddit
National scale utilities. Been hearing from multiple companies that there’s more work than workers to do it, and this is info from multiple states. Granted my industry is a small subset of utility work and is specialized.
Accomplished-Bet8880@reddit
I just had lunch with one of the biggest construction companies in California. Things are fucking tight.
LassenDiscard@reddit
No matter what bullshit comes from the Orange Office, federal infrastructure spending is always popular in Congress.
ponytoaster@reddit
We have a massive push for cost saving, efficiency and such. We are typically a recession proof industry which has never had this before.. somewhat worrying. Lots of our clients are backed by big VCs overseas too, areas experiencing their own economic and social issues. Maybe the funding is at risk if captain orange makes any more odd foreign policy or tarrif changes...
Minute-Quantity-8542@reddit
More people than usual purchased food in larger quantities, particularly bulk proteins to can (make shelf stable). This could 100% be because it's the time of year that people do that. But it seems like the increase is "more than normal"
BiddahProphet@reddit
Work in the hydronics industry. We can't keep up with commercial cooling pumps. Data centers popping up left and right driving huge boom in business