Georgie Girl Ch. 19-21

Chapter 19 The Big Step

The morning after we returned from Sacramento, I was on the phone to Dow.

"Bob, I wanted to let you know that the tests we conducted with the state water resources board were a complete success. Your filter material performed perfectly and we're having some of it sent to you today for your inspection."

"That's great, John. Congratulations. I'm sure Rex will be delighted to hear that too. He convinced us to listen to you, so he gets a lot of credit as well."

"I'll call him right after we're done. If you see anything you don't like or we should know about, please call us. We want to make sure we've got everything just the way it should be."

"Count on it. I'll let our people know as well. By the way, we followed up on Milos Czerny. He represents a company in Romania who were developing something along the same lines as you. However, there aren't any examples of it yet and I'm hearing it might be some time before they have anything to show. I wouldn't worry about them for now. Your results in California are going to carry a lot of weight. We all know how stringent your state is on environmental regulation."

"Okay. I think Thomas was going to give you a call later on to give you a blow-by-blow of our tests."

"That's great. I haven't talked to him in a long time. I'll look forward to his call."

I called Rex immediately after hanging up with Bob Mears and he was equally pleased with the results. I thanked him for all his efforts and I hoped he would get the recognition he deserved for sticking his neck out on our behalf.

***

Georgette and Kevin had their heads together as they discussed the redesign of the shrouds. There would be only two sizes; one for the sides and one for the ends. Both would be hinged on top and designed like plantation or jalousie shutters to give ventilation when needed. It was now a matter of what material to use.

"We can get these custom-made locally," Georgette said. "If we use PVC we can test to see how they perform before we decide to add Kevlar to the composition."

"I agree," Kevin said quickly. "That would give us an inexpensive way to see if they will do the job and stand up to our testing. If they are strong enough, so much the better. If not, we can go to the stronger Kevlar option. Good thinking," he smiled.

I was watching the two of them working together like they'd been doing it for years. Kevin was a pragmatic, deliberate man with a well thought-out plan for each step he took in our development. But I was repeatedly surprised by Georgette's immersion into the work as well. The shutters were a detail, not a core component, but they treated the work like it was just as important as any other piece.

"When do you plan to apply for your license, John?" Georgette asked later that evening. We were sitting on the sofa reviewing the trials we had completed and the plans for our next testing sessions.

"As soon as my degree is granted. I'm assuming I've passed, but I'll know for sure next week. I've got all my practical experience, so I should be able to get my certification in California shortly."

"I'm sorry you missed your graduation ceremony. You worked so hard for your degree and you didn't get to celebrate it."

"I had something more important going on at the time. The woman I love was in trouble and I had to be there for her. But what about your Ph.D.?"

"I've finished my interviews and we've finalized the questionnaire. The two interns will be conducting the tests with three groups. One will be college graduates, one college sophomore undergraduates, and the final group will be non-college men who have either dropped out or completed only high school.

"I may even have to conduct testing on older college graduates to see what changes might appear in their behavior. From there, I can determine what patterns emerge in behavior. Then, I present my conclusions. Assuming they are accepted, I would be awarded my Ph.D."

"You don't sound very excited about that. You put a lot of work and effort into it."

"I don't plan to practice, John. I've made up my mind. I'm not going to go into private practice."

"Why?" I asked, surprised and concerned at this turn of events.

"It isn't important. I mean, compared to what you are doing, it pales in significance. I've decided I want to work with you at Smithton, contributing whatever I can. It's much more fulfilling."

"I don't understand. You've done all that work and now you want to ... discard it? That doesn't make sense, Georgette."

"I won't discard it. I will complete it, John. I just won't use it or open a practice."

"But why?"

"It's simple, really. I have come to understand why you started this project and why it is so important to you. These machines will have a huge impact on thousands, if not millions of people. It's going to change people's lives for the better. It's going to improve people's health. It's going to reclaim lost land. That is so much more important than what I was doing, it's not even fair to compare them.

"Besides, market research is at least partly experimental psychology. Focus groups and customer surveys... when properly run, use the same research disciplines that my thesis requires. So it's formal training for my position with the company. On top of that, if I'm going to be an officer and spokesperson for Smithton, the PhD will help my credibility."

I took her hand in mine. "If that's what you've decided, then I'll support you all the way. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have on our team than you."

"Thank you, love, but I intend to earn my way. I'm taking some industrial design courses at school and I'll be digging into design and material alternatives. You and Kevin sweat the big stuff and I'll work on the details. And, if I can keep from getting into trouble, I enjoy the market research too," she smiled.

"I don't know what to say. What will your parents think when you tell them of your decision?"

"I'm not sure. I hope they'll support me. I'm pretty sure my father will. He's as into this project as anyone. Mother might be another story, though. I'll have to wait and see."

The rough handling testing began the following week. We found a well-used patch of land east of Walnut Grove that ATVs and motorcycles regularly tore up for fun. Kevin's truck was going to get a workout that day before we returned to the shop and tested the equipment.

"The shrouds took a beating, John," Kevin reported the next day. "Several cracks in the frames and shutter mechanism. We'll have to beef them up. The PVC slats survived, however. I want to weld the top hinges to the frame. I can see the screws working themselves loose over time. Also, the braces that hold the shutters open when we service the units bent in a couple of instances. We need stronger material there too."

"Okay, but what about the guts of the machine?" I asked, anxious about how it had survived the continuous rough handling.

He grinned. "No problem. Everything is in good condition. The attention we paid to making it durable has paid off. I think we have a solid design. If we fix the shrouds, I think we've got a commercial product."

"Damn that's good to hear. We did it! You did it! I couldn't have done it without you, Kevin. You made this whole idea come to life. Thank you so much."

"Give yourself some credit, John. It's your design and your concept. It works because you understand the process and what it takes to get a proper result. I was just a structural consultant. You used your expertise and I used mine. Together we make a pretty good team," he smiled.

He was right, of course. We did make a great team. All of us had contributed in some way or another. Thomas got the ball rolling for me with his contact at Dow Chemical. Rex Lyman put me on to Kevin Riordan, our "plumber." Georgette helped us realize that one size would not fit all and we needed two machines with separate functions. Devon created the company that would become Smithton PWTS. And behind all that, Sarah, Mary and Nan had cheered us on. It was immensely satisfying to have it come together with so few technical problems. Now, what was next?

***

"Meeting come to order," Devon pronounced. "This is an historic occasion. The prototypes have passed their evaluations and we are ready to discuss financing, manufacturing, and distribution of the Smithton PWTS. John, would you like to begin?"

I looked around the room at our directors, the TV screen with my father and mother present, along with Mary, Sarah and Nan as guests who were encouraged to participate when appropriate.

"I know this is a little thing, but I'm not happy with not having a name for our machines. I don't see us trying to market them with a forgettable handle like PWTS. I think we need something that will catch the public's attention and still imply what the machines do."

"It isn't a small thing," Thomas said. "Your reasoning is quite correct. It's one thing to have a great machine, but if the public don't understand what it does and the name doesn't resonate with them, you're adding a handicap to yourself."

"Do you have something in mind, John?" my father asked.

"No. I wish I did, but I haven't been able to come up with anything. I'd like to throw it out to our entire group to see if we could come up with a number of suggestions."

"Since that's going to take some thought by our group," Devon said, "I suggest we move on to the next topic and leave the name issue for a further meeting."

There was general agreement.

"Thomas, the next item on the agenda is raising capital. Would you like to report?"

"I have begun to seek significant funding to create the manufacturing facilities we will need. Although I don't know how much space will be required, there are any number of empty buildings in the Bay area, casualties of the current economy. While land costs are high, we should be able to lease sizable square footage at a very reasonable price, working on the principle that, for the landlords, some income on a property is better than none.

"Money is tight and I won't suggest we even bother to look at the banking community. We want venture capitalists and I have a lead on two or three that have made it known they are looking for a good opportunity. My hope is to escape without giving up much equity, but we'll have to see how that goes. John, Georgette, Devon and I are meeting with the first of these people tomorrow morning at the shop."

"Any questions?" Devon asked.

"What do you think the chances are that you'll find financing?" Mary asked.

Thomas grinned but didn't get a chance to answer.

"If I have to finance it myself, I'll do it," Nan announced. There was nothing equivocal in her tone of voice. It also brought about general laughter at her complete faith in the project.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Nan," Thomas said in a kindly voice. "This is a great project and I think we might have to fight off investors when they realize the potential."

"Do we know how much we need to find?" Sarah asked her husband.

"Not exactly, but five million will get us started. Kevin has let me know what kind of equipment will be required. Much of what we will be doing is assembly, so sophisticated machinery isn't going to be required in the beginning. Our costs will mostly be components and assembly labor, along with distribution."

"On to the next topic then," Devon said. "Where will this plant be located?"

"I see it right here in the Bay Area," Thomas answered. "We've got access to labor and transportation locally. There is an abandoned dairy operation in Fremont and a closed candy plant in Union City. The advantage of either of those locations would be cleanliness. We wouldn't have to worry about a big clean-up before the space would be usable. I have a real estate broker working on that and other options as we speak."

"They're also within reasonable commuting distance," I remarked. "There are a number of locations in the Richmond-San Pablo area, and further out toward Vallejo, Benitez and Pittsburg. But for now, we'll concentrate a little closer to home as a starting point. We're a San Francisco family, and I'd like to see us with a Bay Area base for our business."

Once again, I had made a statement and didn't think of someone else's reaction to it. I glanced quickly at the TV to see how my parents reacted to it, but I couldn't tell.

"What about future development?" Devon asked.

"We'll set aside an area for Kevin, Georgette and me to do exactly that," I said without thinking.

"What about your practice?" Sarah asked immediately of her daughter.

I saw Georgette take on her distinctive flush as she struggled to answer her mother's question.

"It's ... on hold ... permanently," she finally managed. "I'm committing myself to John's company. I think I have something to contribute, but as I told John, what he's doing is far more important than what I was planning. I think I can bring something to the company and I want the opportunity."

Sarah seemed a bit befuddled for a moment before she asked, "Is that what you've been doing back at school lately?"

"Yes. I'm taking some industrial design courses to help me understand what goes into making our machines."

Georgette's mother had a strange look about her, but I couldn't interpret it. She didn't seem to be angry or upset, but certainly surprised and maybe baffled. I hoped her daughter would explain her reasoning away from this meeting.

"Is there any other business?" Devon asked.

"Distribution," I answered. "When we have a product and a marketing program, we are going to have to seek distribution. Who is going to sell this product and how is it going to be marketed?"

"Shouldn't we be hiring expertise for this part?" Georgette asked.

I could see several heads nod.

"Sounds like a reasonable way to proceed, but who would be the right firm?" Thomas asked.

"If I can make a suggestion," Kevin spoke up. "There are companies that handle industrial product accounts. Machine tools, heavy equipment, that sort of thing. I think they would make the best use of our money."

"I can think of one myself," Thomas said. "I've had experience with Richardson Brothers in the past. I helped them finance their national expansion program a few years ago. I think they would be a good place to start."

"I agree," I said. "As far as the marketing program goes, maybe hiring a professional company could also help us with a product name."

"I can look into that," Georgette volunteered. "I know a woman from college who majored in marketing and joined one of the established firms here in the city. I could contact her and see what her company has to offer."

"Good idea," Thomas said, "but don't commit to anything until we've had a chance to meet with her and see if her company is right for our needs."

Georgette nodded, but seemed a little put-off by her father's warning. I caught her attention and gave her a smile and a wink. I was hoping my message was received. But I also had a funny feeling that Thomas was becoming the leader here. He was doing things on his own initiative. Although I had no complaint with his thinking or actions, I would have liked to know in advance as a courtesy.

"So, in summary then," I said in wrapping up, "Thomas has arranged for us to look at two properties in the east bay that might be suitable for leasing. He has also agreed to contact Richardson Brothers about distribution. He will join Devon, Georgette and me when we meet with the prospective investors. Georgette will explore her contact with a marketing firm to see if they would be suitable for our needs. Devon, as always, will be the guardian of any contracts and leases we might consider. Have I missed anything?"

"Is there anything we can do?" my father asked as we turned to the TV set.

"Well, we don't have a product name," I said, "and if you can think of any likely outlets for distribution from your days in the equipment business, that would be a big help."

"Well, it's been a long time since I was in that business, John, but let me make a few calls and I'll see what I can find out."

"Thanks, Dad."

Devon adjourned the meeting and we began to break up.

"Were you thinking we might need more than one distribution outlet?" Thomas asked.

"That thought occurred to me. I don't know Richardson Brothers, but our product is going to serve widespread needs and I wonder if one company can look after our requirements fully. When I originally conceived this equipment, I was thinking of something that could be sold in hardware stores or other retail outlets. I wanted it to have universal visibility. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'll let someone with more experience tell me that."

I could see Thomas mulling that over in his mind, but he was nodding. Was that in agreement, or understanding?

That night, as Georgette and I lay in bed, she turned to me.

"I think I'm going to have to have a talk with Father."

"Why?"

"He's taking over this project. Maybe it isn't intentional, but he's doing and saying things as if he were in charge. It's your business, John. It doesn't mean we ignore him, but I think he owes you the courtesy of discussing his ideas and his experience before he just drops them on the table like it's a done deal. He pissed me off when he suggested I shouldn't sign anything when I talked to my friend at the marketing agency. I didn't need that."

"Calm down, Sweetheart. He means well and he has a ton of experience and contacts that have been, and will be, invaluable to us. I think he's so into this project that he wants to make sure we succeed and he's doing everything he can to insure that happens."

"That's very generous of you, John, but I still think I need to remind him who invented this company and who is the driver of the bus."

"Be careful, love. I want and need your father's help and guidance. I'm the kid with the idea, all right, but he's the voice of experience and I need him. We need him. I'll put my foot down if I have to, but at this stage, it isn't necessary."

"You are not a kid," she said. "You keep proving that day after day. You are a man. A real man! My man!"

"Glad you think so. Mind if I demonstrate my manliness again?"

"Yes, please," she grinned.

Chapter 20 Acceleration

Things seemed to move at warp speed over the next six months. Georgette and I were finally married in Coeur d'Alene in early September and spent an abbreviated honeymoon in the San Juan Islands in northwest Washington. We allowed ourselves to forget about Smithton PWTS for a few days and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. We had perfect weather and it was a getaway both of us needed.

It took very little discussion to decide to lease the former candy packaging plant in Union City. It was clean, spacious, had excellent offices and was in a great location. It had also been empty for over a year and Thomas and Devon had skillfully negotiated a five year lease with an option that would keep our overhead at a reasonable level.

Kevin and I had begun to plan the layout of the assembly area, detailing what construction would be necessary to isolate the welding area from the general population. We had the space to keep it well away from any potential hazard as well as provide proper ventilation. Material storage would be racked and still take up half the floor space available. When full production was achieved we would know our capacity and it would determine our future in the building.

Kevin, Georgette and I were commuting to Union City almost everyday. He was interviewing candidates for our welding shop. Qualified welders were in short supply and it was going to be a costly part of our labor bill.