Covert Industrial Activities?

[drew1]

We have heard of Industrial Espionage where one company tries to steal another's secrets. Also, we have heard of disgruntled employees sabotaging and breaking equipment. But has anybody heard of a competitor actually infiltrating another company and sabotaging a plant's operations?

An example may be a plant being loaded up with created positions filled by people with prior connections. These positions would not be in the production department, but a smaller one such as quality or maintenance. Disruptions then follow.

[RKDinOKC]

Think that type of sabotage has been going on in American companies for years, but not with specific employee placement. It's been done by the dumbing down of the professional mindset in favor of social and political acceptability in the available workforce at all levels.

[widebody911]

That sort of sabotage has been going on for years, but not with specific employee placement. It's been done by shipping the jobs (and more importantly the intellectual property) overseas in favor of the C-suite being able to buy new yachts this quarter.

[unclebilly]

I don't think this is done intentionally, at least it is not premeditated.

I have seen where guy from failing XYZ company gets hired into senior management at successful ABC company. Guy brings over cronies from XYZ co and they screw up the culture, initiate boondoggle projects, and implement overweight process that eventually kills ABC co.

[Porchdog]

I used to work for a manufacturer of fire protection equipment.

One of our competitors had noticeable interchange of their employees with one of the approval agencies. This same competitor was notorious for copying new product innovations from other companies (and no, patents don't always discourage that).

We reached the point where we insisted that certain agency employees have no access to our samples that were being tested. We further insisted that long term corrosion tests be locked up and we would seal the locks.

I remain convince that approval agencies are a hotbed of industrial espionage.