Jim’s Daily Rant. Small Con-Man On The Waterfront. [Working here Adam, Working here.]

While riding the lawn mower I remembered my childhood on the waterfront. Starting at ten, I worked as a janitor and barnacle scraper after school for several years. My employer was a boat and motor sales and repair shop, carrying Johnson outboard motors. I learned so much about life working there.

On several occasions I had to walk a half mile up the main street to our competitor’s shop who sold Evinrude motors. I was also the parts runner. One day I had to fetch the motor cover from an Evinrude 90 horse power. It was as big as I was. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out what the mechanic was going to do with the blue cover.

When I managed to return with it, he removed small screws and took off the Evinrude decals. He then painted the cover Johnson white and attached Johnson decals. It was then that I learned the same factory built both brand of engines to keep out the competition. All the parts were interchangeable!

I recall a day in High School hearing two jocks arguing over which motor was best to ski behind. I didn’t say a word. I just let them have their fun.

The reason I had this memory today is for those that might say Walmart will never team up with Target. I too have heard the story that Target was founded by Sam Walton’s wife after he passed and his kids were screwing up his business model. I say that’s BS. People marry because “Opposites attract”. I call that expression BS too because the real expression is “We got married because opposites attract. She was pregnant and I wasn’t.”

The odds are almost impossible that a go - getter with the stuff to venture out on his own in business would be attracted to a like minded person. There is no way. So in my opinion, Mrs. Walton rented her name so Walmart could corner the market.