Less than three months after the resignation of Palm Coast Data Chief Executive Officer John Meneough, the company this morning told employees that Mike Taschler, who served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2007, was stepping down by month’s end “to pursue other interests,” according to company officials.
Click On:
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Taschler, read a memo circulated to employees from the company’s human resources department, “was the executive architect of PCD’s unification strategy, which brought together PCD and Kable Fulfillment Services operations, clients and key talent under one brand and in one centralized Palm Coast, Fla., location.”
“Mike was instrumental in driving the multi-state unification of magazine subscription, membership and direct mail fulfillment operations to our Palm Coast campus,” PCD President and CEO Mike Duloc is quoted as saying in the memo. The consolidation into the Palm Coast operation on Commerce Drive took place between operations in three other states–Illinois, Colorado and Ohio.
Duloc continued: “He designed key operational enhancements that have optimized both performance and costs — which has enabled aggressive investment into strategic initiatives such as dedicated business units for direct mail and membership associations, as well as innovation in e-commerce, mobile technology, and digital processing. PCD’s commitment to Palm Coast, Fla., remains as strong as ever, and we will continue bringing new products and services to bear that set the pace for our industry.”
A replacement will be announced in subsequent weeks.
In separate interviews today and earlier this month, Duloc, who could not provide precise numbers regarding the current number of employees at the company, stressed that Palm Coast Data was still on a strong footing, particularly when a number of interest to investors–so-called IBITDA: income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are subtracted–is taken into account. (Employment at the company reportedly hovered around 1,000 to 1,100 until last year. Whether it remains the largest private employer in Flagler County is in question, as Florida Hospital Flagler approaches the 1,000 mark.)
Three weeks ago Palm Coast Data’s latest raw numbers continued their downward trend. Revenue in the first quarter of the company’s fiscal 2012 calendar declined 11.5 percent, from $18.85 million in the same period a year ago to $16.68 million, as the magazine industry continues to contract (magazine publishers are Palm Coast Data’s primary customers). Overall in 2011, PCD revenue fell 20 percent.
On the other hand, PCD’s parent company’s operating and general administrative expenses decreased by $2.85 million in the first quarter, compared to last year, offsetting the net revenue decline. That’s primarily due to the consolidation of the facilities into the Palm Coast operation, though those savings won’t be recurring, either.
PCD Parent Amrep Corp., which also has land holdings in New Mexico, saw its revenue decline from $25.1 million to $21.5 million in the first quarter, a 14 percent decrease from 2011, with a net loss of $279,000 for the quarter. That compares with a net loss of $498,000 in the first quarter of 2011.
According to Taschler’s bio at the company site, he “spent more than 30 years in executive positions driving complex business and operational initiatives through large public and private corporations, including Coca-Cola Enterprises, US Foodservice, and Express Scripts. Since joining PCD in 2007, Taschler has merged fulfillment industry veterans with thought leaders from key allied industries — including information technology, retail, and banking — to expand innovation and enhance capabilities that drive value. He was also the executive sponsor and architect of PCD’s integration strategy, which centralized operations and talent on PCD’s 49-acre campus in Palm Coast.”
Well... says
Now maybe PCD will be able to retain and build its client base again. From what I hear, the problems started at the top and now that the charade has been exposed, perhaps the company can begin to grow again (I do not believe for a second he opted out to pursue other interests – sounds like an amicable push out). I’m not surprised by this move at all I just hope it did not happen too late in the game.
It'sAboutTime says
Good riddance! What the memo fails to describe is how Taschler, through his “unification strategy” drove over $40 million in revenue to competitors. These clients didn’t go out of business, they took their business elsewhere after being mistreated. In addition, PCD will have to pay back the state of Florida $3 million for Taschler’s misguided “strategy”. I can’t believe this joker held on for 4 years.
dealingwithidiots1 says
Deloc deserves a pat on the back…it only took him a couple of months to fire Taschler…this can only be viewed as a good thing for PCD. Hopefully this will only be the beginning of the top down exits…PCD could save several million dollars by simply restructuring the top ” leadership” .By eliminating the duplicity in job functions and clearing out the dead wood and slackers they could save another pile of money in salaries…
dealingwithidiots1 says
Does anyone have Rus Sanders phone number? GET HIM BACK!
Anonymous says
Wonder if Taschler’s family members that work there will be the next to exit?? They should be.
JMILLER@GOOGLE.COM says
At this point they are just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titantic
dealingwithidiots1 says
now all they have to do is replace the KING/JONES team and re-organize HR and there might be a chance of turning things around…
Anonymous says
Hopefully this means that there is no security in the positions that his children were GIVEN (they were not internally advertised positions, just created for the sake of a job title.) I’m all for hard working, but when you have the laziness that you do around this place, there should be no position safe.
It hurts to think that you’re contributing 3-4x the effort as a job one of these ‘gifted’ positions while they sit on their ass for the majority of the day (facebook, watching tv on computers, etc.). Oh wait, the personal cell phone calls must be top priority.
Daybyday says
Get Mike Fox Back too!!!!!!
Old timer says
I hear that Bob Scherer helped SFG in TX and they are taking PCD’s accounts. Where is Bob these days?
Alex says
Is there an opportunity get our old building back for our new City Hall.?
Just_human says
The air has just gotten lighter and hopefully the employees can breathe a little. The control freak is leaving along with the locks he insisted on. Now the others need to go: Lee, Borth, Taschlers kids. Maybe, just maybe, the company can pull themselves out of the hole that Taschler and his puppets dug for those people.
hope it works out says
Anticipate the employees will now be comfortable enought to speak up and recommend changes for the good of the remaining clients.
Peace at Will says
Get Rich Hovey back. He once run almost the entire company. He was the best! He let his management team do their jobs. Cost were kept within budget 99% percent of the time. He believed not only in his management staff but in the employees. He is very well missed.
Flyonthewall says
All of the current regime needs to be removed and as many of the good leadership team that they ran out of town brought back so we can get this ship going back in the right direction and restore confidence back to the clients.
Anonymous says
Not only should they bring back some of the old management team like Russ Sanders and Rich Hovey but some employees that were laid off or quit because of the current management should also return.
Anonymous2 says
Ineresting choice for Taschler’s replacement….. Little birdy told me it’s going to be Mr Burke who used to run the CO location.
is that so says
Rory Burke? What a joke. Why would anyone that worked for Kable and got let go or anyone else that worked for PCD in the past WANT to go back there?! Hopefully those people have found a better door of opportunity that opened up for them.
Well... says
I was also told that it was going to be Burke replacing Taschler. I guess one crony system is replacing the other
bob upndwn says
Rory Burke is coming back from the dead folks. Hope he fires Borth as the first order of business.
BeenThereDoneThat says
The article says, “Mike was instrumental in driving…”
Don’t you mean, Mike was instrumental in dividing…”?
Get those losers out of there- especially his cronies.
Peace at Will says
To “bob upndwn” i would think it would be Mr. Lee out first before Borth. The clients out right say they don’t like the Lee.
Finally says
Yes, Stalin has finally been removed from power. Definitely a HUGE positive. If anything at all it’ll increase company morale 100%. Duloc seems like a great guy so far. He actually has a personality which is a huge improvement over Taschler.
I agree with the above poster… Lee should go. One of our biggest clients can’t stand him and they refuse to even attend meetings when he’s there. That’s pretty terrible. I can understand why he might get away with that with Meneough/Taschler at the top but he shouldn’t any more. When a person at that high of a position makes SUCH a negative impact with a big client… You need to go.
Koehler needs to go too. That guy is a TOTAL joke. He went from being the Director of Corp Tech for a while after they drove/fired Pieart away, to being SVP, Director of Sales? How does that work? That was a remarkably seemless transition from a high level technical position to a high level NON-technical position. It almost makes you wonder if he wasn’t qualified for one (or both) of those. Hmmm…
Anonymous says
All of the upper management from directors up need to go. Most of them were put in place by the old regime of Taschler, Meneough, Koehler and Lee. Get some of the old managment team back in there that the clients respected. The director of Corp Tech, Andy Califino definitely needs to go. What a useless piece of crap he is. He’s got his nose so far up Lee & Taschler’s asses that I’m surprised he can even breathe. While they’re at it, get rid of Gary in HR too.
Relieved employee says
Good riddance to everyone associated to Tashler, Lee, Califino, Koehler, Borth, and let us not forget Shipley, Sharley and the 2 non managers who have manager titles … ummmm Wanner and Murphy… what the hell do they manage anyway? I’m sure they all get paid big bucks to sit around and play games all day in print programming, and now Sharley has an office to hide in.
yoohoo says
The management at PCD totally sucks from the Directors (most but not all) on up. Hope Tash takes his kids and and all the other yahoos that he brought down from Missouri back with home with him. Hope Duloc does some more cleaning house and quickly.
Don't give up says
Hang in there, things will get better as soon as they get rid of the King/Jones team. They are useless!!!
forwardthinker says
YES! Don’t give up…. King/Jones are an egocentric couple of nitwits that throw their weight around , achieving nothing but poor moral and despicable working conditions. It isn’t bad enough that the employees are getting substandard pay and working in a hostile environment. Those two need to be thrown out and soon.
forwardthinker says
I was appalled to hear that they have cut the incentive program in the mail receiving dept. Those machine operators work their tails off trying to keep up with the ridiculous production standard put in place by Jones of the King/Jones team. Not only do they get harassed on a regular basis, should they fall below the above production standard, but they are making substandard pay … The only thing allowing these people to make a little extra was the incentive program. Now they have taken that away. Yet… Jones and her minions are able to get all their hours in and receive a decent salary . It is just amazing that King/Jones are able to implement production standards without ever actually doing the work themselves . They have sat in their lairs long enough….. get those two outta there.
Don't give up says
I’m with you forwardthinker, things keep getting worse. It’s time to remove the king/Jones team. What are they waiting for?
audra says
thank goodness i got out when i did, when russ sanders quit and bob elkin got fired, i knew then that my time was up, just could not take one more day of all their bull. I worked for 22 years there and had no idea that i would have to look for another job at this time in my life, however, i wouldn’t change a thing, i sleep at night now where i used to lay awake all night wondering if i would be one of the next to be fired. Good luck to all of those that have to continue working there, i realize you have no choice but to stay. thank goodness taschler is gone there is a god.
Anonymous says
Mr. Duloc and Burke
Only Borth’s suit comes to work.. Hius next original idea will be his first. Why is he still there?
Former employee from CO says
Take heart. Burke at least knows the industry and did a great job in Colorado under difficult circumstances. Clients know and respect him. You at least have a chance now.
Former Kable Fulfillment Employee from Colorado says
Hahahahhaha… it’s about time to fire all the upper management………….! Move the company back to where its belong and will survive
MO resident says
To all of you who hated Taschler, he is known as a hatchet-man and single-handedly destroyed Dimac Direct, a $300mm company headquartered in St. Louis. He doesn’t understand feelings of people. His militaristic style has no place in business. I feel sorry for all of you who had to put up with this, but good riddance. Perhaps PCD will now bloom like it should. You are all good people…hang in there.
appreciated says
Wow….has the atmosphere changed. Holiday decorations, parties paid for by the company, a real change in morale…things are looking up. People are actually smiling again. Here’s to the future!!!
bird from the past says
Don’t let all that fool you… they still are letting people go by telling them they are eliminating their job
Me says
Good, I have worked at PCD for 8 years and simply put MANAGEMENT SUCKS there! All the big Whigs need to “persue other opportunities” John Menough got out at the right time with his millions he made off the little people who work there, PCD does not know how to take care of their employees and they get rid of all the good people just to hire someone else at minimum wage or someone who doesn’t know what the hell they are doing and they wonder why they are in a huge deficit.
audra says
they are still letting people go, i can’t believe one of the last ones just ercentley, pcd says that an accounting position is no longer needed, really? then who is receiving the money coming into the bldg, or is that saying they are going down and soon i hope. nothing against long time employees, i wish you all the luck on the world.
whyowhy says
Makes sense that Duloc would bring back Rory. Duloc was completely against the consolidation to FL from the very beginning. That is why his Father in Law removed him from head of fulfillment. When the PCD consolidation fiasco happened and things did not work out of course they brought him back! They want to bring Kable/Kable CO/Kable OH success back. Those locations were not perfect but their clients were extremely loyal! They stayed through thick and thin, The systems used were forward thinking and progressing to only help the clients. They are trying to make PCD into the old Kable and it will not work. So sad so many jobs were lost in all locations. I feel sorry for all PCD employees and Kable employees that have lost their jobs or will lose their jobs.