The Industrial Automation Quadrille

By : Jim Pinto,
San Diego, CA.
USA

This poem was written and published in 1991, when it seemed that most US companies were acquisition targets. It was during this period that Siebe bought Foxboro, Siemens bought the PLC group from Texas Instruments, Modicon was bought by AEG (Schneider came later). The acquisitions that stayed in US hands were Allen-Bradley which was bought by Rockwell, and Fisher Controls and Rosemount by Emerson.

My poem, in the lilt of Lewis Carroll's Lobster Quadrille accompanied an article The Changing Face of Competition with some interesting cartoons, in CONTROL magazine.

The original version of this poem was published in
Control Magazine, January 1991

    "Will you walk a little faster?" said Modicon to the A-B snail
    "There's a Siemens right behind you, and he's treading on your tail
    See how eagerly the Germans and the Japanese advance!
    Their marks and yen are buying more bucks - so will you join the dance?
      Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?"

    "You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
    When they take you up and throw you, to the folks at AEG!"
    A-B replied, "Too far! Too far!" and gave a look askance
    Said Rockwell would not do it and he would not join the dance.

      Would not, could not, would not, could not join the dance!

    "What matters it how far you go?" the Modicon replied
    "There's a Yokogawa waiting, upon the other side
    The further down the dollars, the closer is the chance
    Then turn not pale, you are for sale - so come and join the dance!"

      Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?


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