Mail

James Martin
Principal management consultant
The Wexford Group International
Alexandria, Virginia

Finding Freezers

In your article about identity theft, you say that "the biggest weapon in your arsenal against identity theft" is to "lock things down" by freezing your credit files ["The Dangers of Identity Theft," May]. That got my attention. Then you tell us that New York and California allow it, among "at least two dozen states." But you never list the names of the other states. Don't you have a responsibility to tell those of us readers who are not in California or New York whether our state is included? We would like to know whether it is worthwhile to go through the hassle of contacting Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

William Eleazer
President
Elex Publishers
St. Petersburg, Florida

The Editor responds:
As of July, these are the states that will allow you to freeze your credit files without a police report: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The roster is expanding; to keep up-to-date, and for information about fees, consult the websites for TransUnion (www.transunion.com/corporate/personal/
fraudIdentityTheft/preventing/securityFreeze.page) and the Consumers Union (www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/
003484indiv.html).

Shift to Reverse Auctions

Greg Gartner has figured it out: You should use the information from reverse auctions to drive change and to determine how to maximize value for your customer ["Reverse Auctions: A Supplier's Survival Guide," May].

I disagree with Bob Emiliani's suggestion that an alternative to reverse auctions is the Toyota (NYSE:TM) model of partnering with suppliers ["The Case Against Reverse Auctions," May]. Yes, the Toyota model is powerful when used correctly. But partnering with a supplier that is not competitive in the global market not only is a waste of time, but it also puts your organization at a tremendous disadvantage. To use the supply chain as a competitive weapon, it is critical that you first use strategic sourcing to find the lowest total cost and highest performing supplier. Only then should you partner with a supplier.

Matthew Miller
President
K2 Sourcing
Belgium, Wisconsin

Engaging the Union

Valerie Woerner did not include her employees in her decision about how to turn around her company, Snokist Growers, and that's what led to her additional losses and the unionization of her workers [Case Study, May]. It's too late to reverse what was done, but there are two actions she can take right now to ameliorate the hostile environment.

First, she should employ the principles of Jack Stack's The Great Game of Business and open her books to the union. Show the workers exactly what the bottom line is and how much she can afford to pay them. Second, she should transmit the core values and corporate culture throughout the organization through a concise and passionate mission statement. Although most mission statements are jaded and rhetorical, if they truly reflect the company's core values and are continuously reinforced, they can inspire. Disney's mission ("To make people happy") is a great example of this.

Frank Settineri
President
Veracorp
Sparta, New Jersey

The Business Gospel

I enjoyed reading Leigh Buchanan's article about servant leadership ["In Praise of Selflessness," May]. Though I was until recently a pastor rather than a businessperson, I have subscribed to Inc. for probably 10 years. I find it very stimulating, with a lot of application to the local church, especially as we have moved into the so-called megachurch era. I have served on staff at two such churches, and we still have much to learn. I typically move through each issue of Inc. page by page in anticipation of the "dessert" at the end--one of Buchanan's columns. They are always sharp, succinct, and extremely applicable. I often pass them on to church leaders.

Don Byers
Seating consultant
Series USA
Greensboro, North Carolina

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