[bigchillcar]

do you have firing authority? are there ever evaluations conducted? i'd take my time before firing a long time vet, unless company is quickly becoming less than solvent, then more immediate action would be warranted. maybe take the guy to lunch and get him to open up by asking him open-ended questions as to his likes and dislikes of what he does, etc. you may be able to breach the subject from this angle without offending and possibly wind up re-motivating him if he comes away with the impression that you value him as a team member. maybe he feels in limbo or isn't as confident in his new role. anyway, some one-on-one face-to-face time is warranted.
ryan