(83d) Managing Through Extreme Change

The Department of Energy Weapons Complex, a nuclear chemical enterprise employs hundreds of thousands of scientists and engineers.  Through its birth during the Manhattan project in the 1940’s to the end of the Cold War, the DOE Weapons Complex was a rapidly expanding enterprise that provided career growth and service towards a national mission.  After the Cold War ended, the weapons complex has been slowly decreasing in size through a series of layoffs, furloughs, reductions in benefits and contract changes.  While the DOE Complex was originally built by world class industrial companies, the current contract practices and potential legal liabilities have changed the field of companies that now operate the complex for the Department of Energy.  These new types of companies formed as limited liability corporations, are typically partnerships of engineering and construction firms, aerospace companies or not for profit research companies.   Managing businesses in a declining industry and opportunities within the nuclear chemical industry will be presented.