Chocolate and Gold Ch. 08

I've lost track of time over the last four months. So much has happened so quickly that none of us had time to stop and smell the coffee, or the roses, or anything else. I'll try to put it in chronological order if I can.

First, the results of the trials were much better than anticipated. The fully formulated resin was much more efficient, so we were able to get more power than the initial prototypes. In addition, the thin panel product was fully functional as a power source, while not quite as powerful at the standard unit. No surprise there, according to Ben. We immediately submitted patent applications for the thin concept.

We had two commercially ready "sandwich" structures. We just need to fit the cells to the frames that Mike had designed. It would mean new templates, but that was not a major obstacle. The supplier provided a thousand frames two weeks after the trials were run. At the same time, AmChemTech had provided us with an extrusion specification for a non-metallic frame. We approached a local engineering extrusion firm, and contracted with them to create a die and several thousand feet of frame material using a resin from a different AmChemTech division. A local fabrication firm agreed to frame the first trial units at our site, under the watchful eyes of our people. Neither they nor the extrusion firm knew what the end product was.

We now had twenty-four-hour security at both the office and the lab. There was no sign of anyone attempting to gain entrance, but we couldn't take any chances on losing control of this development. Ben had switched his data to a more substantial safe in our office, and the laptops used in the design and development work were encrypted and secured from theft. Backups were run daily and also kept in the company safe. The lab itself had no windows, and was a conventional concrete tilt-up building, secured by rugged steel doors. There was no sign on the building, only a number.

The trial meeting was a bit chaotic, with enthusiasm for the results overriding the need to chart a path forward. Up to this point, we had spent very little money, thanks in large part to our benefactor, AmChemTech. It seemed appropriate to call them in to show them what we had created with their help, as well as ask their advice on how to present this product. That was passed after some noted reservations about the length of our exclusivity with the resin was satisfied by the safeguards of the patents.

Ben contacted the Houston office and invited the senior management to a meeting at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in September. They were also asked to invite their president to the meeting as a formal thank-you for their support as well as an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the cell. They jumped at the offer, and within a day we had the president's confirmation that he would attend.

Where we were hung up was what to do about marketing the product. It was Charlie who came up with the suggestion that produced a consensus of agreement. She suggested we "leak" the information about an amazing new solar cell on the Internet. Possibly through one of the popular sites like YouTube. Once the "bait" was trolled, it was bound to generate interest, and then we could begin to publish press releases about the Metzler Cell. Then, we could distribute a "beta version," just as if it were a software product. We would insist on feedback from the beta users, telling us what they didn't like as well as what they saw as the end uses.

We shot some good quality video demonstrating the cell and loaded it onto YouTube under a fictitious name and cut it loose. It took about an hour before the hits started coming. Charlie was giggling about all this of course. Three days later, we made another video showing some of the additional features of the cell and launched that. In the meantime, the site had registered hundreds of thousands of hits. The word was getting out, but no one knew what the product was called.

Finally, ten days after the first YouTube posting, we launched the third video with Charlie as a "talking head" and showing the cell, finally revealing that it was called the Metzler Cell after its inventor. Based on the number hits on all three of the videos, we had huge level of interest. It was time to go to market. The question was, with whom? On top of that, we had no production facilities ready to take advantage of the interest. The scramble was on.

Winston proved his value again when, with the help of a friend in the commercial real estate business, found an empty warehouse just off I-580 in Richmond, near the bridge. We drove there with Ben, Charlie, and myself to inspect the premises. It wasn't my favorite part of the East Bay, but the building looked secure, was reasonably clean, and available immediately. With Ben's approval, we signed a lease for two years, with a right-to-purchase option. We now had one hundred thousand square feet for production and distribution. None of us had any idea if it would be too much or too little.

It was going to be up to Ben, Mike and our friends at AmChemTech to equip the new building. Once again our supplier stepped up to the plate. They gave us some recommendations on extrusion equipment, storage silos, bulk railcar and truck unloading equipment, and other useful tips. In consultation with them, we planned to put in our own frame extrusion equipment as soon as our volumes warranted it. We made room for that in section A of the building, the extrusion room. It was to be segregated from the rest of the operation, as heat and ventilation would be an issue.

Section B was the fabrication area. We would be doing our own frame assembly and building of the "sandwich" on the templates. Equipment would be required for that. Finally, Section C would be packaging, storage, and distribution. There were six loading bays leading out onto a wide parking lot, so we had no problem with outgoing shipments. The rail siding would barely hold two 100 ton hopper cars, but for now, that would be adequate. There was room to expand if necessary.

If all went well, we could be in production in late January. We would continue to manufacture samples using our trial material. These would be the beta material prior to a full product launch next year. It was important to have the cell panels evaluated in the field by actual users. Better now than when we were in full scale production. If there were any faults or weaknesses, we needed to identify them as soon as possible. We couldn't predict how the end users would apply our product, so we had to expect the unexpected.

The reception for the AmChemTech staff was an entertaining affair. We made sure everyone had a room at the hotel to avoid any problems with alcohol. It turned out to be a good decision. The guys from Houston were a really loose bunch, and were a lot of fun to party with. We made sure everyone brought their wives or "significant others" to the soiree. The president, Tyler Hanneman, was pretty cool himself. Fairly young, maybe in his late forties, he was definitely a modern businessman. What he wasn't was a stuffed shirt. It was a hell of a party, and we made sure he and every one of his people knew just how much we appreciated their help.

Ben finally showed us that he had a less serious side. He partied pretty well, with Charlie's help of course. But he was sober enough to have a long discussion with Mr. Hanneman about his future projects. I got the feeling that Ben and Tyler were going to be pretty close in the future. Mr. President couldn't help but be impressed with the young polymer chemist.

Vannie was right there with me, enjoying every minute. She and Mrs. Wong seemed to be getting along very well, but then, I didn't know anyone who didn't get along with my fiancée. Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot to mention the hoo-rah when Vannie showed off her engagement ring. In fact, that's what got the party really rolling. Charlie called down to the front desk and ordered a half dozen bottles of champagne. My lady was the center of attention for the first hour with lots of conversation revolving around when the big day would be.

We posted our next YouTube video, announcing the beta testing plan. Potential users were to apply for a trial cell, with the signed promise that they would return our request for data within sixty days. We were knocked off our chairs when we got over one hundred and fifty thousand requests within the first three days. There was only one option, a lottery. One thousand samples would be shipped by courier to the respondent chosen from all the requests that had arrived in that first seventy-two hours. Naturally, we screened the lottery "winners" for duplicate addresses and names. In addition, we held back fifty samples to be sent to selected people we thought would be interested in either using or marketing our product.

We hired several students from the university to log the lottery picks and the selected fifty designated recipients. They were made aware of the product, but their work was done in Mike's office downtown. They didn't know where our plant was, and we intended to keep it that way. All correspondence was to be done via e-mail to our new address, given only to the lottery workers and selected recipients. It was as secure as we thought was practical. Maybe a bit overboard, but we would soon learn that we had no idea what a fuss our product was going to cause.

I guess you've noticed that I continue to call this "our" solar cell. Ben wouldn't hear of not sharing the credit with Orient Pacific, or AmChemTech. In his view, we were all a part of the success, and we should all be able to call it "our" project. I gave up trying to argue with him. It was another sign of what kind of guy Ben Metzler is. I was just happy that the cell was going to be called the Metzler Cell. He deserved the recognition, even if he didn't want it.

By now, the press had picked up on the rumours of a mysterious new super-solar cell. They did their damndest to find us, but it took almost two months before American Science Journal tracked us down. It didn't matter how they did it, they found us. Before we agreed to speak to them, we wanted another confidentiality agreement in exchange for an exclusive interview. The problem we ran into was internal. Who would give the interview?

Ben was reluctant, but understood that this was a legitimate science magazine and they would want some technical information. On the other hand, they were going to want to know how we planned to use this product, and where. After several hours of debate, we came up with a committee; Ben, Mike, Charlie, and me. We were going to have to be careful about just how much information we revealed. I was the strongest link in that chain since, for all practical purposes, I didn't know anything. I would leave it to Ben to decide what was or wasn't appropriate information to share.

We sat down with two of their people in October. I was surprised that they were scheduling this interview for their January, or possibly even the February issue. It was to be integrated into a series of articles they called "Earth Shaking Ideas." I thought that was completely appropriate. In order to authenticate the cell, we brought both models to the board room and demonstrated them. It was clear they were both impressed and intrigued. I played only a small part in the interview. Charlie waxed poetic about the humanitarian applications, while Ben and Mike dealt with the technical issues. With AmChemTech's permission, we named them as the principal co-contributor.

We finished with a tour of our facilities, having obtained a written pledge that they would not reveal where it was. I was reasonably confident that they would honor the agreement. This wasn't some tabloid newspaper, it was the respected science journal in the United States. I also reminded them that this wasn't the end of development, and that there would be other products we might choose to share with them. I could see the look in their eyes as that carrot was dangled in front of them.

We rented a couple of portable offices that we put right inside our new building. One was for the plant management, while the other was for Mike and the design equipment. We brought in a plumber and expanded the washrooms from one to four. The lunchroom was also enlarged to suit the larger employee numbers in the future. All along the way we were guessing at how many people would ultimately be employed in the building. As we discovered quite quickly, we constantly underestimated our needs and were in perpetual scramble mode trying to keep up with demand.

The fifty selected targets of our beta models began to respond almost immediately. The retail sector was first, as expected. The big box stores, along with the traditional electronic and scientific equipment outlets were anxious to have the product for sale, and were already inquiring about volume discounts and exclusive rights, including private label naming. I could see Charlie sitting in front of a big box buyer and telling them that they would get what they were entitled to at the regular price, and that there would be no private label. It was a Metzler Cell, and that was the end of the discussion. I think she was almost relishing the opportunity to tell one or more of them where to go.

The other responses were just as enthusiastic, but had some specific ideas for the product's use. The outdoor retailers saw it as a multi-faceted safety and convenience item. Heat, light, locator beacon, and other practical applications were mentioned. One major supplier of marine equipment wanted to know if the cell would float. Why they hadn't just dunked it in water to find out we weren't sure, but we advised them it wouldn't, but that immersion wouldn't harm any of the components, at least in the short term.

By November, Vannie had returned from Naples and was happily ensconced in our apartment. Her mother and Jessie had set a date for their wedding, and of course we were invited. They were to be married in Fort Myers next March, near where they would make their home. The townhouse had been put up for sale, and Mariah had moved all her possessions to Jesse's house. I gathered from Vannie that his home wasn't far from qualifying as a mansion. Above all, Vannie's concerns about her mother's happiness and welfare were past. When she returned, she was content and focused only on us.

We had decided to get married in May of the following year. It would be civil ceremony, since neither of us pretended to be religious. The reception would be somewhere in the city, not yet chosen, but the honeymoon, if I got my way, would be on the French Riviera. I still had vivid memories of that afternoon on the beach in Ste. Tropez. When I broached the idea to Vannie, she jumped at it, and at me. She thought it was a brilliant idea, especially if we included Monte Carlo on the itinerary. I knew exactly what she was thinking, but I had to admit, it sounded like fun.

Why did we wait so long? The Metzler Cell, of course. The official launch of commercial product would be in the first quarter of next year, and I expected all hell to break loose for a while. I wanted to make sure we were all settled down as far as planning and operating before I escaped for a couple of weeks. I knew Mrs. Wong, along with Winston, could hold the fort if we had the processes in place. That was my responsibility.

Charlie's birthday was in early December, and she got a surprise birthday present from Ben; a diamond engagement ring. He proposed formally to her and she accepted. There was never any doubt, and truthfully, Charlie was expecting it at some time in the near future. Just the same, she was a very happy young lady, as were all of us in the family.

Ben, as was his custom, did nothing without preparation and planning. He had already taken Charlie to meet his parents and obtain their permission. It may have been a formality, but it was an important one. While Ben's parents weren't conservative Jews, they observed the important occasions and protocols. Ben was mindful that his mother would be the most likely to be upset or concerned about a mixed marriage, but happily, she embraced Charlie and welcomed her. They thought that would be their biggest obstacle, and it was overcome gracefully. His father was too proud of his son's accomplishments to deny him anything.

The last significant potential player in the game was our beloved federal government. At first, we ignored them. We simply didn't have time to fool with the various layers of bureaucracy that would inevitably descend upon us. But, like most organizations with too much time on their hands, they didn't give up. Finally, we granted them an interview in mid December. It went pretty much as we expected.

The came, they saw, they hemmed, they hawed, they went away, they came back, they offered to take the project off our hands. Like that was going to happen. They weren't very happy when we sent them packing. In fact, I got the distinct impression there was an implied threat that if we didn't cooperate with the mighty Fed, we would find ourselves in a lot of grief. I thought it was time to talk to our company lawyer again. Everyone agreed.

Mr. Myron Schulman was as meek and mild-mannered a man as you would ever want to meet. He looked after all our legal affairs, most of them domestic and commercial situations. However, I had it on good authority (Mrs. Wong) that when cornered or upset, Mr. Schulman became a pit bull of extraordinary tenacity. Since Ben, Mike, and I had all been present at the meeting with the Feds, I thought it wise to have all of us at our meeting with Myron. When I gave him the outline of our concerns, he dropped everything and came to the office.

"Guys, this sounds like fun. Why don't you see if you can give me word-for-word what these clowns said," Myron began, a sly smile pasted on his face.

"I can do better than that," Ben offered. He pulled out his miniature recorder from his pocket and pressed play. The entire meeting had been recorded, and Myron listened intently, particularly to the final ten minutes.

I should have remembered that Ben was a well prepared man. He didn't go into any meeting without some kind of plan. How he knew to record this one was just another example of his foresight.

When the recording ended, Myron clapped his hands together and laughed out loud. "My god, boys, this is going to be fun. With your permission I'm going to make a couple of copies of this recording for safekeeping. Then, I'm going to visit the local F.B.I. office and let them hear it. After that, I think farther up the Justice Department food-chain would probably be interested. Yes sir! This is going to be fun."

"Uhm, perhaps I can help with the Justice Department," Ben spoke up. Myron looked at him curiously.

"My father is with the department, and has the kind of connections that would give us an opinion without too much fuss being raised. I'd be happy to pass it along to him before we get anyone else involved if you think that would help."

"Damn right it would," Myron exclaimed.

"I think it would be a good idea if you were there with me, Myron. I know Dad trusts me, but you represent Orient Pacific, and their interests are at stake too."

"Thank you, Ben. I appreciate that ... and I agree. Set it up for whenever it's convenient and I'll be there."

Problem solved? It seemed like it. Myron sounded so positive, and with Ben's father's connection, I expected this problem would go away. The question was, would we hear more in the future?

AmChemTech's connections helped us expedite the equipment for the new plant, aided of course by the sizeable down payment and the fact that the machinery market had been at a very low ebb. The extrusion equipment would be ready by mid-December, and all the ancillary equipment would be on the site even sooner. Installation crews would begin even before the New Year, and our resin supplier would assist with their technical people in the installations that involved their products. We just couldn't ask for a more cooperative supplier.