Chocolate and Gold Ch. 08

Oh yes, Dupont called us back and told us they were ready to enter into negotiations regarding the development of the cell. We politely advised them that we had already obtained a supplier with a suitable resin, and wouldn't require their assistance. We thanked them very much for their interest. Apparently, no one at Dupont looked at YouTube, or if they did, they didn't put two and two together.

It took three weeks to resolve the federal government problem, all of it done "beneath the radar." Ben's father had quietly advised his superiors of the implied threats, and was assured that it would be political dynamite if they were brought to light. Mr. Metzler indicated that there were other copies of the conversation, and thought it would be "unfortunate" if they fell into the wrong hands. The problem disappeared along with the two guys who visited us that afternoon.

However, Mr. Metzler Sr. let it be known that if the federal government saw a strategic use for this product, their decision would be paramount and we would be involved with them whether we liked it or not.

Work progressed at a rapid rate in the new plant. Mike had taken nominal charge of supervising the general interior construction. He had the time and the experience, so it was a natural fit for him. What would take up more of our time in December and early January would be hiring people to work in the manufacturing, assembly, and distribution areas. Our best solution was to hire a professional firm to interview, background check, and recommend potential employees. In the end, we would be responsible for hiring.

We had over five hundred applications when the advertisement appeared in the local papers. Thank goodness we didn't have to look after all the interviewing and checking ourselves. We were pretty specific with the personnel company on what we were looking for. To begin with, we needed almost one hundred employees, but with the likelihood of many more in the months to come.

We were spending money seriously now, and not a dime had come in at this point. It was time to produce some revenue. The easiest way was to award some development permits, with a fee attached of course. The first to step up to the plate were the recreation manufacturers. Almost every major manufacturer of outdoor, RV, marine, and survival equipment purchased a permit with the agreed fees. We were pretty sure that not everyone who had bought a license would commit to the cell, but at this stage, they couldn't afford not to at least look at the concept.

Late in the year, Charlie was given the task of contacting the major non-governmental organizations. We wanted them to know we were thinking of them, and that we would support those that had a genuine use for the cell. It would be up to the various NGO's to tell us how they proposed to use the units. Charlie grabbed at the opportunity with both hands.

When I sat down with the board just before Christmas, I offered the concern that we had outsold our capabilities, and we needed to address that immediately. I think the other members were a bit surprised by my statement, but Mrs. Wong and Winston both agreed that our orders were rapidly outstripping our production capabilities. We were growing too fast, and that was putting a strain on both our manufacturing and financial situation. We were buying our raw materials in advance of orders. We had orders for over eight million units in the first quarter, but only the production capability of a little over five million. Either we needed more capacity, or we needed to slow down our sales. Someone was going to be disappointed. It was Vannie who solved the problem.

As far as my lady was concerned, this was a marketing problem, and that was her area of expertise. She sat down with our new production planner, Louisa Andreotti, and looked at where the orders were coming from. They segmented every one by category and decided which should have priority. Within a week, they had a plan to present to the board.

I knew Vannie wasn't just a pretty face, but I never realized she was a clever strategist when it came to dealing with customers. She was our unofficial marketing manager, and she was proving her worth. It would be she that went to the customers who we had to delay and explain it to them. Her strategy, however, allowed her to assure them that no competitor of theirs would be supplied before them. They would all still be on a level playing field.

It also meant we had to step up our plans to expand the plant. Again, we would be spending money in advance of sales, but it was essential that we didn't let key customers down this early in the game. We had a great product, that was a given. But customers were fickle, and we had to make sure we didn't turn them off.

So that was what our first four months of Metzler Power Inc. was like. I don't think any of us really had a day off, and yet, I never once heard a complaint. Only Mrs. Wong kept normal hours and the day-to-day of Orient Pacific Imports ticking along nicely. The rest of us were moving at warp speed, as someone characterized it.

Ben is already working on the next generation of the Metzler Cell. He has two objectives that he has revealed. One is to find a way to make the sandwich smaller. He has already discussed this with the manufacturer of the light-trapping fabric, and he hired the inventor of the fabric to join our group. His other ambition is to raise the output of the cell to above 100 watts. My only concern is that Ben is off and running miles ahead of all of us. Only Charlie seems to have a handle on him, but then, that's the good news. She's the control gate for Ben.

When the American Science article breaks next month, I expect there will be a lot of other new interest in our product. Winston and I will be spending almost all of the first quarter of next year on the financial side of the company. Rapid growth brings about its own problems, and many companies fail because they can't cope with too much success. We have a plan, plus an informed lender, but just the same, we have to make the results prove the project is financially sustainable.

Oh, by the way. That target price for the original cell concept? It's within reach, but not just yet. We have a lot of debt to pay down, but we've proven that we can make that thirty dollar target. For now, the only person permitted to market product at that price will be Charlie, and only to selected not-for-profit organizations. Charlie is good with that, and is quietly celebrating her special status. She's found her cause, and it's a good one.

So there you are. Harry Zheng is alive and well and pretending to be the President of Orient Pacific Imports. I'm surrounded by relatives, friends, and new employees. It's all come by accident, or at least that's what if feels like. Who'd have thought a marine biologist would be caught up in high finance and big business management. I sure never did.

As far as my life in the future? Well, I'm marrying the girl of my dreams. I mean ... the girl of my dreams! When Vannie and I are on our honeymoon, we're going back to that "clothing optional" beach and she's going to recreate that incredible moment when she and I ... well ... you know. And I'll bet we make another visit to the Casino in Monte Carlo. You never know your luck.

END

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Many thanks to ErikThread and DaveT for their editing skills. Special thanks to Dave for his technical advice and references. I think they made the story better. Just the same, it is a fantasy (so far).