Chiquita non grata

Late last year I blogged about Chiquita coming to Charlotte. My basic take back then: the company had some serious ethical problems related to human rights in Colombia and Charlotte coughed up a lot of concessions just as developing countries often do. Overall, though, I understood that the jobs coming to Charlotte were the reason the city went so, ahem, bananas for it.

Now, after a few short months of settling in, we find out that Chiquita is in terrible shape, so bad that the CEO, Fernando Aguirre, is stepping down and says the company needs someone experienced in turning out troubled firms.

Now I understand all his tweets about having insomnia (which the article also notes!). Bonus quote:

Aguirre defended his business decisions over his tenure. 

“Right now, I wouldn’t change anything. The only thing I wish we could have done differently is, obviously, get better results,”

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/09/3440152/outgoing-chiquita-ceo-company.html#storylink=cpy

I think we all wish we could do nothing different and somehow get better results. Perhaps like the Charlotte City Council.