Pros

This corporation is one of the only large technology employers left in the region. Hewlett-Packard has a skeleton crew running their cellular test equipment operation and General Dynamics (Itronix) laid off hundreds. So Itron is about it for large tech employers in eastern WA and north ID.

Cons

A large amount of time and effort is applied towards planning and strategies by middle management and the rank and file. Much of this effort is wasted. In general and more often than not, plans and strategies are overturned when inexperienced and politically motivated employees and managers torpedo the company due to chicken little outlooks and short term, fire fighting goals. Itron is a loose amalgamation of many small mergers and acquisitions in the energy marketplace with no truly coherent integration strategy company wide (it has been several years since the M&A aspects settled out). Looks good on paper. Works poorly in the real world in this corporation. With a P/E of around 250, fireworks are due by Independence day 2010.

Advice to Senior Management

Get acquired by a larger company with capable operations structures in the 2B$+ business arena to operate effectively. Its either that or continue to rudder this ship of fools constructed of lifeboats from cast offs under Captain Blye (with a bad Austin Powers English accent at that). Shagadelic at best.