Texas Gal
by C. Sprite
© 2001

 

Chapter Nineteen      How Do You Grow A Paper Plant?

Susan and I packed our things in awkward silence before going to the hotel dining room. All through lunch I sorted out options and plans in my mind as Susan continued to give me the silent treatment, and I had enough on my mind that I didn't really miss the conversation that we usually enjoyed at our meals. We dropped the key at the front desk as we left the hotel following our meal, and we found Earl waiting for us with the limo. We drove straight to the airport.

Once on the airport grounds, Earl drove right up to the plane and parked. He hurried around to open the door and then went to the trunk to get our luggage. As he placed it on the tarmac I said, "Thank you, Earl. And thank you for driving us around while we were here. Are you going back to Virginia now?"

"I expect so, Miss Darla. I'll call my boss for instructions after I get back to the hotel."

"Perhaps I'll see you on my next round of inspections."

"I hope so, Miss Darla. It's been a real pleasure driving for you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Earl."

When I turned around again I realized that Susan had already boarded the plane. The co-pilot picked up our suitcases and loaded them into the cargo hold as Earl pulled away from the plane and accelerated towards the ramp exit. I boarded and found a seat across the aisle from Susan. Since she was not talking to me, I took out my pad and began putting my thoughts down. I worked for about an hour then put my pad down and went to the galley to make some tea. I returned with a tray containing two cups and held the tray in front of Susan. She resisted for a minute and then took the cup when I continued to hold it in front of her.

"Come on, Suz," I said. "Talk to me. What's the problem?"

She glared at me. "I said it already. I warned you not to sign anything until you spoke with Grandma but you went ahead and spent millions of dollars on your own. Have you given any thought to what's going to happen if Grandma doesn't want that factory?"

"Yes, I have. Since leaving Piermont I've thought about little else."

"I still don't understand how you could do that. Spending two and a half million dollars without permission?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." I giggled.

"Oh, great. Make jokes now. Darla Anne, you spent 2,500,000.00 dollars."

"Come on, Suz. Lighten up. We're covered."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll show you."

I put the tray down and retrieved my pad. Then I sat down in the seat next to Susan and showed her what I had worked out. We spent the rest of the trip discussing the purchase and then preparing our reports to Grandma. We buckled up when Captain O'Toole announced that we would be descending. That meant that we were only about fifteen minutes from home.

Mother and Auntie came out to greet us as the plane touched down. We thanked Captain O'Toole and then exited the plane. The co-pilot had retrieved our luggage and set it on the ramp area near the hanger. The plane was already beginning its take-off roll as Mother and Auntie reached us. We waved to the two pilots and then they were gone.

When we got to the house I called Grandma right away. I had to wait until she was called to the phone and then told her that it was important that we meet as soon as possible. She said that she would be over right after dinner. With that accomplished I joined the family in the upstairs kitchen.

Mother said, "Darla, what's going on. Susan said that we have to wait until you get here before she'll tell us about your trip. What's happened?"

"Well, we had a pretty good trip, but Susan got a little upset with me because I bought a company without discussing it first with Grandma."

"A company? You BOUGHT a company?" Mother said.

"Yes… but just a little one."

Susan said, "Little… she calls two and a half million dollars, little."

Mother put her hand to her face and exclaimed, "Oh no. Darla Anne, you spent two and a half million dollars without talking to your grandmother first?"

"I had to. It was a real bargain and I wanted to seal the deal before we lost the opportunity."

"And if your Grandmother doesn't like your 'deal,' what are we going to do?"

"Then we'll keep it for ourselves."

"Keep it? And just where do you propose that WE get two and a half million dollars?"

"We only need $75,000 right away to clear the arrears on the debt, then $100,000 at the end of 30 days. I'm pretty sure that South-Core Paper will jump at the chance to acquire it once they feel that it has slipped through their fingers. I think that they expected to get it at a fire-sale price so they wouldn't negotiate with the owner. It should be worth AT LEAST 3 million to them, maybe 4. That's the estimated value of just the equipment in the plant so we should realize at least half a million profit from the quick sale. Plus we'll get the interest on the money that we hold in reserve for the annual payments."

Mother and Auntie had listened attentively as I had outlined the plan, then Mother turned to Auntie and said, "What do you think, Kathy?"

"It sounds good as long as we can find a buyer."

"We can find a buyer if Grandma doesn't want it," I said. "We only have to worry about clearing the arrears and making the first payment."

Mother said, "Well, we still have our money from the sale of your father's construction company and our house. If you've committed yourself, then we'll use that."

"Liz, if the deal is as good as Darla Anne says," Auntie said, "then I think that it's a safe investment. I'll support it also."

Mother said, "Let's see what your Grandmother thinks when she gets here. Dinner is ready. Let's eat."

 

Grandma arrived right after dinner. Susan hurried down to greet her when we heard the car, while I helped Mother clean off the table and get the deserts out.

As soon as she came in Grandma said excitedly, "Darla Anne, what is it? Did you find a problem with the acquisition?"

"No, Grandma, the acquisition looks good and we both endorse it. Here's our report on the Highland Lumber Company."

I handed her the report and sat down at the table. Grandma sat also and we dished up the pie as she read.

"It looks good," Grandma said as she finished the report, "so what's so important that I had to rush over right away? You could've told me this over the phone."

"An opportunity has presented itself, but it requires immediate action. Highland's main client is in serious financial trouble and can be purchased at a good price if we act quickly."

"You mean Piermont Paper Products in Brandon?"

"Exactly. You're familiar with them?"

"Yes. Their situation was referenced in the initial report that I received. Losing their biggest client for wood products was one of the principle reasons why AGI Foods wanted to divest itself of Highlands. But we're not in the paper business. That's an entirely different industry."

"Not so different. They use wood and cloth to make paper. Ameri-Moore produces both wood and cloth products."

"What makes this such a good deal? I've heard that they're going under. That's why Highland's production has been way down."

"Their problems aren't related to their products, it's a management thing. Here's my report on it."

Grandma read the report and then said, "It looks like a good deal, but two and a half million dollars is a lot of money right now when considering the large acquisitions that we've made recently."

"Here is a picture of the plant." I handed her one of the 8x10's. "The equipment in the plant is only a few years old, and the plant itself is in excellent condition. The larger of the main buildings is only a few years old. The equipment alone should be worth between 3 and 4 million. We only need $175,000 to close. The rest of the debt is already structured."

She reread the report and thought for a minute. "It looks like a good deal. Do you think that Mr. Piermont will still honor this price?"

I handed her the letter of intent that I had signed with Mr. Piermont.

After reading the letter she looked up at me and said, "You committed us to this already?"

"No. I signed it in my name so I only committed me to this. I didn't feel that I had the right to commit Ameri-Moore."

"And what if I wasn't interested?"

"I've worked out a basic plan to sell the plant to South-Core or someone else as soon as I've got the financial situation straightened out. We have enough money in the family to see us through the initial reorganization. I estimate that a real quick sale should reap us half a million profit, at the very least."

Grandma looked at the reports and the picture again. "You didn't have to offer this to me. The way that you have this worked out, you could do this on your own."

"Grandma, I would never go behind your back. I did this for you, but I had to have a backup plan in case you weren't interested. I had to be protected."

Grandma smiled at me. "Darla Anne, you're one in a million. I didn't send you up there to buy a paper factory, yet you find this deal on your own and offer it to me on a silver platter. Well, I think that it's a great deal. Thank you. And thank you Susan."

"Don't thank me, Grandma," Susan said. "This was all Darla's deal. In fact, I told her not to do it until she had spoken to you. I was afraid that you wouldn't be interested and that you would never trust us again."

"Susan, I have come to trust Darla Anne's judgment completely. And even if I hadn't been interested I would never leave any of you unsupported for anything that you had done in Ameri-Moore's interest. I'm not saying that she should go on a buying spree, but if a wonderful opportunity presents itself, then Darla Anne has my complete permission and support to make such deals on behalf of Ameri-Moore. We sometimes have to act quickly in special situations. Naturally I hope that any deal is a good one, and this one looks like a plum. Well done, Darla Anne."

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Do you know where I can reach Mr. Piermont so that we can act quickly and avoid the foreclosure problems with the bank?"

I handed Grandma the list of phone numbers that Matt Piermont had prepared for me.

Grandma smiled and said, "You're as prepared as usual. This is wonderful, Darla Anne. And now, if you'll all excuse me, I have to get back home. I have a very early appointment in Dallas. Goodnight, my dears."

"One last thing, Grandma," I said. "If you decide to keep the plant and begin rehiring people I wouldn't rehire any of the sales department people."

"Why not?"

"Mr. Fahey told me that they walked out en masse some months ago. I suspect that they might have succumbed to bribes that were an attempt to force the sale of the company since they would offer no reason for their departure and didn't have other jobs to go to."

"Hmmm… well done, Darla Anne. I will pass that along. Goodnight everyone."

Susan and I went to bed early. We were both exhausted from our trip and the stress of the Piermont purchase. We spent the next three days relaxing and riding every day. Mary and Judy were home on Saturday and Sunday to enjoy our family rides also.

 

On Monday morning I went to work with Auntie for the first time. I was anxious to for a close-up look at a drilling operation. I stayed by her side during the next 2 workweeks and accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the process. Much of the time was spent 'in the field,' but Auntie also included me in all of her business meetings.

Susan had elected to stay home with Mother during this time. I would have continued going to work with Auntie but it was time for Gina and Maria's visit. Grandma's plane was making a number of trips to Vermont because of the two acquisitions so it was a simple matter to arrange a very slight detour to New Jersey on one of the return trips. Gina and Maria arrived during the last day of my two weeks with Auntie. Mary and Judy had to work during Gina and Maria's first week with us, but they would be home for the second week.

When I saw Gina and Maria I couldn't believe how much they had both changed since we had seen since them last year. They were less like the kids that we knew and more like young ladies, but they hadn't lost their warmth and spirit. When I told them that I couldn't believe how much they had changed, they said the same about Susan and me. I guess that we were all growing up and it's the teen years when changes in attitudes and maturity become most obvious.

We spent the next week riding every morning and hanging around the house in the afternoons. We played board games, tried on clothes, experimented with different makeup looks, fixed one another's hair, or just lazed about. One afternoon we baked a kitchen full of cookies, cakes, and pies. I knew that Gina was looking for an opportunity to see me alone, but Susan and Maria were always around. Only once did she find me alone when I went upstairs to look for pair of earrings that I wanted to show them.

Gina walked in as I was bent over my makeup table, going through my jewelry box. She came up behind me and put her hands on my hips. When I straightened up and turned around she wrapped her arms around me and pressed her lips to mine. With my arms clamped tightly to my sides, I surrendered to her kiss as she pushed me back against the table. We must have stood like that for several minutes until we heard Susan calling for me.

I squirmed until Gina relaxed her grip and then pushed at her saying, "Susan's calling. I have to answer or they'll come in here."

Gina backed away, releasing me reluctantly, and I hurried quickly to the door to see what Susan wanted. She was still downstairs.

"Grandma's on the phone. She wants to speak to you."

"Coming."

I did a quick check of my face and hurried downstairs. Gina followed along behind me. Grandma just wanted to make sure that we would be home for the next few hours since she wanted to drop by and see us.

When Grandma arrived, we convened our meeting in the downstairs office. Since it was Saturday, Mary and Judy were home, and they went riding with Gina and Maria while Grandma, Susan, and I held our meeting.

As soon as we sat down, Grandma said, "I wanted to bring you up to date with the Vermont situation. Things have been moving along quite well. Highland has been fully integrated into our lumber products division now and production has been stepped up tremendously."

I asked, "Do you want us to do an inspection?"

"No, not at this time. I wanted to talk to you about Piermont. What do you want to do about them?"

"Pardon me?"

"I need to know what you want to do about Piermont Paper Products? You're the company president."

"The company president?"

"Of course. It was your baby. You gave birth to it. Now you have to care for it."

"Grandma, I don't know anything about paper manufacturing."

"Well, neither do I… and I'm a little too old now to start learning. I didn't know anything about lumber, textiles, or cattle ranching when my husband got ill. I had to learn it."

"But school starts in a couple of weeks."

"That gives you two weeks to set the company on the right track. I've assembled a temporary, basic management team to organize the company's records and financial situation but they're all on loan from other divisions. None of them knows the paper business so it's the duty of the president to chart the company's course. The company plane will be here tomorrow afternoon to pick you up and take you to Vermont."

I sat there dumbfounded. It's true that it was my action that brought the company into Ameri-Moore, but I never expected that I would have any further responsibility for it.

"Grandma, I have to leave for college in a couple of weeks. I don't have time to learn all about the paper business in that time."

"Darla Anne, a good senior level manager doesn't have to know every facet of the business. You don't think that the president of General Motors could design a carburetor do you? You don't think that the president of IBM could repair a computer, do you? And I don't know the first thing about cutting down a tree, or recognizing the diseases that infect cotton plants. There are specialists in every organization to handle the details. In a big company, the company president merely charts the course, establishes policy, and supervises the top-level managers. Bob is expecting you on Monday morning."

"Bob?"

"Bob Warren. He's the one that I assigned as temporary executive vice-president. You've met him in the Portland office."

"Yes, I know Mr. Warren."

"He's been in Vermont for three weeks now along with a couple of dozen others from various offices. They've been sorting things out and getting everything organized. He can fill you in on Monday. Just let me know if you need anything."

"Can Susan come with me?"

"Of course. If she wants to."

Susan smiled and said, "You couldn't keep me away with a team of horses."

"Well," Grandma said, "I'm glad that that's settled. Oh, by the way, the team has identified $237,000 in past due uncollected charges. They were sending out bills but no one was following up on accounts that didn't pay. They've already collected enough of it to cover the loan arrears. Combined with collections of current invoices, they expect to have enough cash-on-hand to make the first annual installment to Matt Piermont next week. That limits Ameri-Moore's investment to the loan of personnel. This was a wonderful find, Darla Anne, and we've set up Paper Production as the fourth division of Ameri-Moore because its operation and marketing is so different from the Wood Products division."

Grandma stayed for another 10 minutes while we talked about inspection duties. We usually did a final round of inspections just before school started, but this year we'd forego them because of the trip to Vermont. Our last tour had been quite complete and we hadn't uncovered any serious problems at that time.

After Grandma left, Susan and I took a walk out to the corral and talked about the trip.  We'd have to say good-bye to Gina and Maria a week earlier than expected but at least Susan and I would have these last two weeks together before Judy and I had to leave for Austin. We waited until dinnertime to inform the family of our trip.

Gina was the first to respond when I broke the news. "No way. What's the gag?"

"No, really, Gina," Susan said. "Grandma made Darla Anne the president of the company, and now we have to go up to Vermont again."

Both Gina and Maria had already heard the story of how I'd signed an agreement to buy the company before getting permission so with Susan's support of my announcement they began to believe it.

"That's nice dear," Mother said, "but I won't have it inferring with your school studies."

"It won't. Grandma already knows of my commitment to my education. She only wants me to 'set a course' for the company. There will be people there to handle the day to day operations like her employees do at the other three divisions."

"How can she expect you to do that? You haven't had any experience with paper manufacturing."

"I guess that I know as much as anyone else in Ameri-Moore does since it's a new area for us. I really want the factory to succeed. It means a lot to the people of the area because of the scarcity of jobs up there. I started all this so it's only right that do what I can to support it."

"But, PRESIDENT?" Gina said.

"I guess that I'm not fit for anything else. Judy and I have to start college in a couple of weeks so I can't take on a real job."

This drew a laugh from everybody.

I blushed and added, "You know what I mean."

Maria smiled and said, "Nothing like starting at the top."

"Let's celebrate by cutting into one of those new chocolate cakes," Auntie said.

For the rest of the night everyone kept referring to me as Madam President.

After church the next day Susan and I packed our bags. Fortunately, we had just baked so we had a couple of pies for the pilots. It had become more than a just a custom to bring the pilots something and I was glad that we wouldn't be disappointing them on this short notice trip.

We said our good byes to Gina and Maria as we stood on the ramp in front of the hanger. They would be gone before we returned and we were unsure of when we would see them again.

As Gina and I hugged she whispered in my ear, "We'll have to wait for another day, little one."

When the plane touched down we said goodbye to Mother, Judy, Mary, and Auntie. Captain O'Toole always liked to be off as quickly as possible so we didn't waste any time once the plane had stopped in front of us. The copilot stored our bags in the hold and we boarded the plane after one last goodbye to everybody. And of course we waved as the plane began its takeoff roll.

As the plane worked its way northeast, Susan and I discussed the situation in Vermont. Of course neither of us had the foggiest idea of how to run a business. The only thing that we had going for us was the reputation that Grandma had created for me. People would expect that we knew what we were doing and our path should be the easier for it. We wouldn't have to spend a lot of time explaining ourselves because, until we messed up, everyone would believe that everything we did had some underlying meaning

As the plane rolled to a stop on the ramp in Vermont, a big black limo pulled up next to the plane, and as we stepped down from the jet we heard, "Hello Miss Darla. Hello Miss Susan."

I turned, smiled, and said, "Hello, Earl. I didn't realize that it would be you meeting us. I thought that you'd be back home."

"I haven't left the state, Miss Darla. I've been kept busy driving for the folks coming and going to the new mill and Piermont." As he put our bags into the trunk he said, "I've reserved rooms for you at the Holiday Inn again."

As we reached the hotel, the bellboy sprinted to open the door on the limo as it rolled to a stop. He managed to get to it before Earl this time. I smiled at him as we exited, and he went to help Earl with the luggage. When we arrived at the front desk to sign in, an older man suddenly appeared from a door behind the counter and gently nudged the desk clerk out of the way.

"Welcome back to Vermont, Miss Drake. I'm Mr. Cummings, the manager. It's a pleasure to have you with us again. Sign here please."

After we had signed in, Mr. Cummings came around the counter and led the way to our room. As he opened the door and walked in to hold it for us I said, "There must be some mistake, Mr. Cummings. We only reserved a double, not a suite."

"No mistake, Miss Drake. The hotel has upgraded your accommodations. We have been very pleased to have the employees of your two companies staying with us, and wished to express our appreciation. Thanks to you, this area is expected to begin recovering from the economic slump that we've been suffering from. This room is yours for as long as you're with us, and whenever you visit in the future."

"Thank you, Mr. Cummings. I'm sure that my sister and I will be very happy here."

As we spoke, the bellboy carried in a very large fruit-basket, and a large flower arrangement. While Mr. Cummings reorganized the flowers a little since they had shifted while being carried, I read the card with the fruit-basket.

Mr. Cummings said, "The flowers are courtesy of the hotel. Is there anything else that you will need right now?"

"No, thank you, Mr. Cummings. You've been very kind."

"Not at all, Miss Drake. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

After they had left, Earl said, "What time will you need me in the morning, Miss Darla?"

"7:30 please, Earl."

"Okay, Miss Darla. I'll be ready."

Susan and I unpacked our suitcases as soon as Earl had gone. It was dinnertime so we freshened up and went to the dining room. Tonight's special was Maine lobster tail. We both chose that and found it delicious.

During dinner, Susan said, "That's a great looking fruit basket that the hotel sent up, and the flowers are beautiful. It's nice getting the royal treatment."

"Yes, it is, but the fruit-basket isn't from the hotel. It's from the Chamber of Commerce."

"The Chamber of Commerce? How did THEY know that we were coming?"

"They could have learned from somebody at the plant, or someone in the hotel. Who knows how news spreads."

"Well, it's a nice basket."

"I'll send a thank you note tomorrow."

After dinner we returned to the suite and watched some television until we grew sleepy, then we turned in. We had two bedrooms, but we preferred to use just one.

 

The switchboard gave us the 6 am wakeup call that I had requested just before going to sleep, and we were ready to leave at 7:30. Earl, always punctual, was waiting at the curb when we emerged from the hotel. The plant was only fifteen minutes away and we arrived before the shift was due to start. The first thing that we noticed was that the Guard booth was manned. Earl tooted the horn as we approached and the guard actually saluted when we passed. The parking lot was alive with cars and people, and was about a quarter filled, which was quite a difference from the last time that we were here.

Earl pulled up directly in front of the office building and opened the door for us. Most of the employees were walking towards the plant entrance while Susan and I climbed the steps to the front door of the Office Building. Stepping into the reception area, we were greeted by Doris.

She stood up as we walked in and said, "Welcome, Miss Darla. Welcome Miss Susan."

"Hello Doris," I said. "Thank you." Susan also acknowledged her greeting.

"Mr. Fahey will be with you in just a minute," Doris said, "He had to run out to the plant."

"Thank you, Doris. Is Mr. Warren in yet?"

"Yes, ma'am. But Mr. Fahey really wanted to greet you first. He was waiting here but a call came for him."

"Very well. We'll wait."

Just as I finished speaking, John Fahey came hurrying down a hallway. As soon as he saw us he said, "DD, Miss Susan, welcome."

We both said, "Hello." And then I added, "It's nice to see you again, John."

He smiled and said, "Please, come to my office."

We followed him to his office and I noticed a remarkable change here also. The clutter of paperwork was completely gone. Machine parts still cluttered his desk though.

"I see that you've done a little housekeeping."

"Not me. Bill Marshall's people have taken everything, with my complete permission of course. I was happy to get rid of it. They've done a wonderful job of organizing the records and getting everything filed. One of his people completely reorganized my filing cabinet. Anything not related to my job duties was removed and the rest was filed properly. I can actually find things now. They made new folders and everything."

"Wonderful."

"Please, have a seat. Nancy will be in with a pot of tea in a minute."

Susan and I sat on the sofa while he sat in a chair on the other side of the small coffee table.

"I know that Bob Warren will be looking for you shortly," John said, "but I wanted to express my appreciation for everything that you've done for us over the past several weeks. The factory has come to life again and the workers are optimistic about its future. The 'for sale' signs have even started to come down around town. It's great."

Just then there was a knock at the door and a woman brought in a tray containing a pot, several cups, and a creamer. There was a small pile of sugar packets on the tray also. John thanked the woman and we took a few moments to prepare our cups as she left.

"As I was saying," John said, "the town is coming to life again, and it's all thanks to you. Even Mr. Piermont has changed. He's been getting out a lot more instead of staying bottled up in that big old house of his."

"That's nice to hear, John. I'm glad that Ameri-Moore has made such a difference."

"So— I was wondering what plans you have for Piermont?"

"I'm not ready to reveal any plans just yet. Paper production is considerably different from logging operations so I need some time to chart a course."

"I understand. Is there anything that I can do?"

"I'll be calling on you when the time is right. Is there one particular question that you want to ask?"

He looked at me sheepishly, and then chuckled. "Yes. I was wondering about my position."

"You're the 'Chief Engineer.' I realize that you've attained that position rather quickly as more experienced people left, but you have so far demonstrated that you're capable of doing the job. Your loyalty to the company, and the town, has been admirable. The position is yours to keep."

He smiled and said, "Thank you, DD."

A knock at the door preceded its opening. Bob Warren stuck his head in and said, "I hope that I'm not interrupting. I just learned that Miss Drake had arrived."

"Come in, Bob," John said, "We're just having some tea. Care to join us?"

"Thank you, but I just finished a cup of coffee" He came into the room and sat down. "Welcome ladies. I hope that you had a pleasant trip?"

"Yes, thank you, Bob. How's everything going?"

"Fine. Miss Drake. Your office is all ready. Mr. Piermont moved his things out a couple of weeks ago. If you're done here, I'll show you the way."

Susan and I finished our tea and stood up. "John, thank you for the tea."

"You're most welcome."

We followed Bob Warren out to the reception area and took the elevator to the second floor. We stepped off into a small waiting area around the elevator entrance and then turned to the right and entered a doorway with double, frosted-glass doors marked 'Executive Offices.' We found ourselves in another reception area, but there was no one at the reception desk here. We followed Bob down a brightly lit corridor and at the end found a large oak door that said 'President' in big, bright, raised, brass letters. Pushing the door open, we stepped into a medium sized, but austere, office that looked more suited to a clerk than a company president. Bob continued walking to another door and opened it. I hadn't realized it but this was only the office of the president's private secretary. The next door opened up into a lavish office. The room was enormous and was actually divided into three areas. One area contained a massive desk and credenza, the second area looked like a living room, and the third area contained a conference table capable of seating twelve. There was a door against the far wall that led to a private bathroom.

Bob Warren stood to one side as we entered. "This is your office. I'm right next door. You can get to my office either through the corridor or through the door on the left in your outer office. My office used to be occupied by Matt Piermont's eldest son, Matt Jr. His middle son, Peter, had the office on the right and it's currently unoccupied, as are the other two offices in this wing. The other side of the building, on this floor, contains the Purchasing Department, the Sales Department, and three empty suites. Accounting and Personnel Departments are on the first floor, as are the offices of Chief Engineer and the Director of Plant and Warehouse Operations. There's a considerable amount of vacant space in this building. It was built during the plant expansion a few years ago, and Matt wanted to make sure that it would accommodate the company's needs for many years."

"Bob," I said, "could you find me a floor plan of each of the buildings please?"

"I'm sure that I can. Was there something in particular that you're looking for?"

"No. I just want to get a better feel for the layout."

"I'll take care of it right away. Is there anything else you need?"

"No. That's all for now."

"Okay. If you need anything, you can reach me at extension 002."

"Okay, Bob. Thank you."

After Bob Warren left, Susan and I explored the office. There was an outside terrace off of my living room area. From the terrace you could see the older factory building, but the main view was of the hills north of the town. The new plant building was on the other side of the older plant. A river served as the western boundary of the property. There was a table and 4 chairs on the terrace so that we could eat our lunches out there.

I sat down in the enormous chair behind the enormous desk. Just sitting there could give one a sense of power.

Susan sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs that faced the desk. She looked at me and said, "Now what?"

I smiled. "I don't have a clue. I've just been winging it up until now."

"It sure sounded like you knew what you were doing when you spoke to John Fahey."

"Well… I knew that he would be concerned about his position and I had planned for that confrontation, although I didn't expect it so soon. He remained loyal to the company after others had given up. I hope that I can earn some of that loyalty."

We just sat there for perhaps five minutes thinking about the unlikely situation that we had found ourselves in. When I heard a knock on the door I said, "Come in."

The woman that I knew only as Nancy came in carrying a large roll of paper. "Excuse me, Miss Drake. Here are the floor plans that you requested from Mr. Warren."

"Thank you, Nancy. You can just place them on the conference table."

After she had done that she said, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. Can you arrange to get us a tea pot and hot plate please?"

"I can get you a tea pot but you don't need a hot plate. There's a stove in the kitchen."

"Where's the kitchen. Is it in this wing?"

"I meant your personal kitchen." Seeing the blank look on my face she added, "I guess that Mr. Warren didn't show you." Walking to a section of the wood paneling on the wall between the conference area and the living room area, she placed her hand on the panel and said, "Just push on this side of the panel gently and release." When she pushed we could hear an audible click, and when she relaxed her arm the panel opened outward a few inches. Putting her hand on the edge she pulled gently and the panel swung outward to reveal a darkened room. I saw her reach to the wall just inside the door and an overhead fluorescent light popped on. With the illumination we saw a kitchen containing a refrigerator, stove, sink, dishwasher, storage cabinets, and work counters. There was a coffee urn on the counter that looked like it was capable of making thirty cups, a 4 slice toaster, and a rectangular box that she called an Amana Radarange."

"What's a Radarange?" I asked.

"They've only been out for a couple of years. I don't even know if Mr. Piermont ever used it. It cooks by using radar waves. This is the only one that I've ever seen. It's supposed to be able to cook a potato in less than eight minutes. There's an instruction manual in the cupboard."

Nancy went about the kitchen quickly looking through the cabinets.

She said, "There's no tea here. I'll get you some from the employee kitchen downstairs for now, and then have some things sent up from the grocery store. Is there anything else that you need?"

"Yes. Tell me about the phone system."

"We have a switchboard that is open from 6 am to 10 pm at night. You can direct dial the extension number that you want, dial 9 to get a local outside line, or dial 0 to get our operator for a long distance call. The operator has a directory and will connect you with anyone in the plant, or you can use our printed directory. You should have one in your desk. All of the executive offices, and a few of the managers have a special phone with a dedicated outside line. Yours is the dark green phone on the credenza behind your desk."

"Thank you. You seem to know the system very well. Where are you working now?"

"I'm in the pool. I used to be the receptionist for the executive offices. After Mr. Piermont's sons were killed, and Mr. Piermont stopped coming to work, there wasn't much to do, so I was transferred back downstairs."

"Would you like to come back up?"

She smiled. "I'd love to."

"Okay. Would you get me Mr. Phillips on the phone? Oh, what's your last name."

"It's Pollack."

Nancy used the phone on my desk to call personnel. I heard her say, "Mr. Phillips please. Miss Darla Anne Drake calling." Then "Mr. Phillips, hold for Miss Drake please."

I stepped over and took the phone. "Good morning, Mr. Phillips. I'd like you to transfer Nancy Pollack to the position of executive suite receptionist. Yes, that's correct, effective immediately. Thank you. Mr. Phillips."

"Okay, Nancy. You have your old job back. You start immediately, so you can go to your desk in the pool and move your things upstairs."

She smiled. "Thank you Miss Drake. It's a pleasure to be working for you."

"You're welcome, Nancy."

After Nancy left, Susan and I opened the floor plans up and examined each one. We immediately began to get a 'feel ' for the plant as we learned where the stairways and exits were. Taking the floor plans for the office building, we went exploring. We walked into each and every office, closet, and stairwell on the top floor first. We stopped to chat only briefly if an office was occupied before continuing on. When we knew every inch of the top floor we returned to my office. Nancy had prepared a pot of tea for us and we re-warmed it on the stove.

After we finished our tea we left on a tour of the first floor. Again we poked into every space that was accessible. We even examined the men's washrooms on each floor after determining that they were vacant. We did our best to avoid interrupting the work in each office but it was inevitable that people were curious as to why we were poking around.

Before returning to my office, after we had finished on the first floor, we went down to the basement. I had expected to find a damp area similar to what you find in most houses, but was surprised to find a clean dry lower floor that looked like any other office floor except that the windows began five feet off of the floor. It was obvious that this had also been intended as expansion space when the building had been put up. The ceiling was about ten feet up and there was not a sign of the pipes that you usually see in basements. We found half a dozen large, empty office areas. Only one had any furniture in it and it was obvious that it was just a surplus office furniture area. We had almost completed our tour when we heard music coming from an area that we hadn't looked into yet. We tracked the music to a small office near the rear of the building and found Earl sleeping on an old couch. I knocked on the door and he came instantly awake.

"Miss Darla, do you need me? I'm sorry. I never heard the phone. I'm ready. Where to?"

"Relax Earl. My sister and I were just taking a tour of the building and happened across you. Is this where you wait?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have a phone so that I can be reached. I keep the car parked right outside the back door. I was told that it was okay to take whatever furniture I needed from the surplus equipment room, and I bought a radio. It gets pretty boring sitting around for hours without anything to do."

"I understand. We're sorry to have disturbed you Earl. Earl?'

"Yes, ma'am?

"What do you do at night?"

"Mostly I watch the old movies. I can't sleep very well at night."

"I see. Well, relax Earl. We're going to continue our tour."

"Yes, ma'am."

We left the small office area and finished poking our noses into every last part of the building. It was lunchtime and I was getting a little hungry so we returned to my office. After dropping the floor plans on the table I went to my desk and searched through the drawers until I found the phone directory. Finding the extension number for the Executive Suite Reception Desk I dialed it. I heard Nancy say, "Piermont Paper Products Executive Offices. How may I direct your call?"

"Hello Nancy. It's Miss Drake."

"Yes, Miss Drake. How may I help you."

"Nancy, we didn't bring any lunch with us. Is there someplace nearby that can deliver?"

"I can arrange something. What would you like?"

"A couple of salad plates and a couple of oranges should do it."

"I'll take care of it right away Miss Drake. It will probably be about a half-hour though."

"That's fine Nancy, Thank you. Oh, one other thing. Do we have a library where books and periodicals are stored? I didn't see anything on our tour this morning."

Nancy thought for a few seconds. "The only central source that I know about is in Mr. Peter's office. That's the office right next door to yours. There's a bookcase full of books and magazines. I think that they're about paper manufacturing. Peter was the intellectual one."

"Thank you, Nancy."

"You're welcome, Miss Drake."

While we waited for the food, Susan and I walked into Peter's office and began looking through his collection of books. I selected a dozen books to look through and brought them back to my office. Susan meanwhile had sorted through the magazines and selected a stack for us. We dumped our reading material on the conference table and read until Nancy brought our food.

"Thank you, Nancy. How much do we owe you?"

"Nothing Miss Drake. We have a petty cash fund for these kinds of things. I took the money from there and put in the receipt."

The salad left a bit to be desired. The chef apparently felt that a salad should be 95 percent iceberg lettuce with one tomato slice and two pieces of cucumber. A package of awful dressing was included. At least the oranges were good.

After eating we decided to go for a walk so we made a tour of the factory buildings. Most of the space was wide open so the tour didn't take very long, but we visited every square foot in both buildings. The activity had increased by about 400% from our previous tour the day that we bought the factory. Everywhere we went we saw smiling faces. I don't know if they were smiling because they were back to work, or because they couldn't believe that I was the president of the company. In any event, I was treated with total respect.

When we had finished our tour we returned to the office and began reading again. At 4:30 Nancy phoned to ask if I would need her any more this evening. I told her that she was free to leave and that we would see her in the morning. We continued to read until 6 o'clock when I phoned Earl. He said that he would have the car ready in 5 minutes. Susan and I picked up the books and magazines that we wanted to bring with us and we walked to the elevator, and then descended to the first floor. When we walked outside, Earl was waiting, and as we drove out of the lot, the guard saluted. This was a different guard than the one that we saw this morning so we must be running at least two shifts in security again.

We enjoyed another fine dinner at the hotel. There didn't appear to be a great number of fine restaurants in the area so we were lucky to have one right in our hotel. After dinner, we returned to our room and sat up reading until it was time to go to sleep.

  

Earl was waiting outside at 7:30 the next morning and we arrived at the factory quickly. The same guard who had been on duty yesterday saluted us as we passed. Earl dropped us off at the front entrance before driving around the building to the place where he parked near a door into the lower floor, and his 'office.' Doris smiled and greeted us when we entered. It was nice to see such the change in her attitude compared to our first visit. I hoped that she greeted all visitors as cordially.

Nancy was seated at the receptionist desk in the Executive Offices when we entered. She seemed very happy today also. When we reached my office, we found that the light was on in the kitchen and a fresh pot of tea was on the stove. In the refrigerator we found juice, milk, fresh fruit, vegetables, bottled salad dressings and cold cuts. While I was looking for the sugar, I found an assortment of soups, crackers, breads, and canned foods such as tuna and beef stew. Nancy had stocked us up enough to prepare a simple meal. Susan and I prepared our tea and we sat down to read again.

It was around 10:30 when the phone rang. I picked it up and found that it was Nancy, calling to inform me that Mr. Piermont was on the line. Before Nancy put the call through, I thanked her for stocking the kitchen and making the tea for us this morning.

Matt Piermont greeted me warmly. I could sense that he was feeling euphoric.  He wanted to know if I would be available for lunch and I told him that Susan and I hadn't made any plans yet. He told me not to give it another thought. He said that he would be here at noon and that he would be bringing the food. After I hung up I thought briefly about the call, then returned to my reading.

The next time that the phone rang was when Nancy buzzed at noon to inform me that Matt Piermont was here. I told her to send him in and closed the book that I was reading after marking my place with a bookmark.

Matt strode in carrying a large covered tray and went directly to the kitchen where he placed it on the counter. Then he returned to face Susan and myself and said, "Ladies, it is my very great pleasure to see you both again." Pointing to the end of the conference table where books and magazines were scattered across its surface, he said, "Is it all right to clear some of these things away?"

"Of course," I said, "we'll do it."

Susan and I cleared one end of the table as Matt went back into the kitchen. We heard him going through the silverware drawer, and he emerged quickly with a towel over his arm, like a waiter.

Standing behind the chair at the head of the table, he pulled it out and held it for me. "Miss President, may I seat you?"

I smiled and sat down, and then he seated Susan next to me.

"For lunch today our chef offers you a choice of Crab Cakes or Beef Wellington."

Both Susan and I chose the Crab Cakes whereupon Matt kissed the tips of his right hand in an exaggerated gesture and said, "Excellent choice." He returned to the kitchen and brought out silverware and napkins. Then he brought two covered dishes and set one in front of each of us. He lifted the covers and a wonderful aroma drifted upwards from the plate. "Crab Cakes, wild rice, and asparagus." Returning to the kitchen he brought back the teapot and filled our cups, and then he said, "Enjoy your meal."

"It smells delicious, Matt," I said. "Now bring your plate and sit down."

He smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am."

We waited until he was seated before digging in. The crab was wonderful. The aroma had not lied. The meal rivaled, and possibly exceeded, the quality of the food that we had been getting at the hotel.

We made small talk during the meal, and Matt Piermont told us about the history of the town and his family. When we had finished the main dish, Matt returned to the kitchen and brought back three slices of cheesecake with cherries. Like the crab dinner, it was excellent and I emphasized the point to Matt.

"I'm glad that you like it. There's a small Bed & Breakfast just down the road towards Rutland, where I've been taking my meals for years. Martha serves the best food this side of Boston. She used to work in a 4 star restaurant until the urge to have her own small place took hold of her. She loves to cook but hated the big city life. So she came back home and opened up a place here. She'll never have the kind of place that she could have in a major metropolitan area but she's happy, and we're glad to have her."

"Thank you for treating us to this wonderful meal. I'm almost afraid to ask what the price is."

Matt smiled. "This is just my way of showing my appreciation for what you have done for me. For the past three weeks I have slept better than I have in three years, and I owe it all to you."

"That's great to hear. Thank you, Matt."

"You know, for the past three years I've been in kind of a malaise. I lost my wife twelve years ago, and when I lost my boys too, I didn't see much reason for living anymore. I mourned my loss for three months before coming back to work, but every time I walked down the hallway to my office, and saw the doors to the offices where my sons worked, I was overcome with melancholy. I started coming to the office less and less. It was my fault that things fell apart. I was beginning to think that I was going to be responsible for the town going under, but even that wasn't enough to snap me out of it. Then you came to town with your youth and energy. Selling you the company, and seeing the town rebound with the optimism of having its two main employers healthy once again, has been a tonic. I feel happy to be alive."

"That's wonderful, Matt."

"And I'd like a job."

I just sat and stared at him for a moment. "A job?"

"Yes. I want to be a part of revitalizing the company. I dragged it down, so I'd like to help get it rolling again. I'm not expecting much, but I want to be here once again. I'm willing to do anything. I'll even sweep the factory floor."

I looked him in silence while I thought. I hadn't expected anything like this. "This could be very difficult on you. Coming back to the place where you were the captain, and having to be just one of the crew."

"I know, and I've given it a great deal of thought over the past week. I've been rustling around in that big old empty house of mine long enough. I want to get out and do something. And the something that I want to do is to be a part of this company again."

"This isn't the same company that you ran. New management brings lots of changes that may get under your skin."

"I'm prepared for changes. I understand that they're inevitable and that I will have to accept the whole package."

"The whole package includes working for a 13-year old girl. Are you prepared for that?"

Now it was his turn to be silent for a few moments. "Since we inked our letter of intent I have been doing a little investigating. I got copies of most of your press and I spoke to the reporter at Log Views when he called to verify the sale of the company. I don't really know many people in the logging business, outside of the local boys, but I know people in paper production from coast to coast. So I found some folks, who know some folks, and have been told that the stories in the papers are mild compared to the stories that keep making their way through the rumor mills. The bottom line is that everyone in your own industry believes the stories are true, so why shouldn't I? If anything, I should believe them more than anyone, because I saw you in action the day we inked the deal. Now, if anyone had asked me four weeks ago if I would ever consider working for a 13-year-old, I would have told the person, 'Not in a million years.' But, that was before I met you." He smiled with a grin that lit up the room. "It's amazing how time flies. A million years has passed just like that." He snapped his fingers.

I thought about what he had said for a minute. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any openings right now for factory floor sweepers."

I saw his face start to fall and his shoulders slump.

"But we do happen to have a few openings in the Sales Department."

His face lit up again and he straightened up in his chair. "That's great. I know every major customer personally. I brought most of them in originally. I'll be the best damn salesman you ever saw."

I stood up and walked to my desk. Taking my interoffice directory out, I called Ben Phillips in Personnel. "Hello, Ben? This is Miss Drake. Could you tell me what positions remain open in the Sales Department?" I listened as he found the list and read it to me. "Thank you Ben. Please begin processing the paperwork for Matthew Piermont. I'm naming him as National Sales Director, effective immediately. Thank you, Ben."

I returned to the conference table. Matt had, of course, heard my side of the conversation. He stood up as I reached the table. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Miss Darla, I can't thank you enough."

"I think that you're a great salesman Matt. Bringing this meal today is proof of your sales abilities. I'm willing to take a chance that you're ready to return to work and help bring Piermont back to its rightful place in the industry."

"You can count on that, Miss Darla. I won't make you sorry that you're giving me this position. I just hope that the boys in the factory can keep up with all of the new orders that we'll be bringing in."

We rinsed the dishes so that Matt could return them to the B&B. He promised to convey my compliments to the cook, and then left. He would start work tomorrow morning. Susan and I returned to our reading after he left. In late afternoon I drafted a memo announcing a meeting of Department Heads on Friday. I named the persons that should receive a copy. Nancy's eyebrows went up when she saw Matt Piermont's name.

"Mr. Piermont is coming back to the company?"

"Yes, Nancy. He starts tomorrow. How do you feel about that?"

She smiled. "I think that it's wonderful, just wonderful. Mr. Piermont was always great to all of the employees. This news should make everybody happy. It's kind of like a family coming back together again."

I returned her smile and said, "That's a nice way of looking at it. The rumor grapevine is probably spreading the word right now. Please bring the memo to me as soon as it's typed and you can distribute it once I sign it."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll have it ready for your signature in ten minutes."

"Thank you, Nancy."

Nancy had the memo ready for my signature in eight minutes and she went off to photocopy it so that it could be distributed. I sat down again to my reading. I had told Nancy that she could leave at her regular time and we didn't have any further interruptions. At 6 o'clock I called Earl to bring the car around and we returned to the hotel.

During the past two days Susan and I had read through a great deal of material. I had concentrated on manufacturing techniques while she had concentrated on new trends and products in the industry. Our reading had overlapped many times, as was to be expected, but we hoped to acquire enough information to be able to develop some kind of a business plan. Over dinner we began to discuss every facet of the business.

Back in our room we began to put our ideas down on paper. Any idea that we had which might have an impact on the company was added to the list.

 

Around 10 the next morning I called John Fahey from my office. "Good morning, John. I just need a quick bit of information. Our accounting department is still operating like it's the 1940's instead of 1968. I would like to learn a little bit about computers. Is there any place nearby that has a computer that I might be able to see in action?"

"Well, the only one that I can think of is at the community college. It's about a 30-minute ride from here. I'm sure that they'd be willing to give you a tour."

"Thank you John. I'll give them a call."

"You're welcome, DD. Let me know if you have any difficulty and I'll try to think of someone else that might have a computer."

"Okay, John. Thanks."

I rang Nancy and asked her to find out who ran the computer center at the community college and to try to reach him.

Ten minutes later she rang to say that she had a Mr. Winston on the line. He was the Assistant Supervisor at the data center. I thanked her and had the call put through.

"Hello, Mr. Winston? This is Darla Anne Drake of Piermont Paper Products. How are you today?"

"Fine Miss Drake. How can I help you?"

"I would very much appreciate a tour of your Data Center. We're considering installing a computer at Piermont and we're doing some basic fact finding."

"We'd be happy to have you drop by and take a look at our center. We're very proud of our operation. Mr. Jeffries, the Center's Supervisor, is out today, but I know that he'll go along. We actually get quite a few visitors through here. We're one of the only computer centers in the county. The other belongs to one of the banks. Most of the banks and small companies around here still rely on tabulating equipment for their records processing."

"Thank you, Mr. Winston. Would 9 o'clock tomorrow be convenient?"

"Sure Miss Drake. We'll look forward to seeing you then."

"Thank you, Mr. Winston. See you tomorrow. Goodbye."

I hung up the phone and joined Susan at the conference table.

"Darla, computers are really expensive. Do you really think that we need one here?"

"Maybe not right now, but I think that we'll need one in the future. And the prices keep coming down from what I've read. It won't hurt to visit and develop a plan for the future installation of one."

"Okay."

"Want to go for a walk? I'm tired of just reading all day. Let's take a little tour of the factory again."

"Sounds good to me."

We freshened up and left the office. As we headed for the elevator I said, "Let's drop in and see how Matt's making out."

Matt was ensconced in his new office, drinking a cup of coffee and bellowing affably on the phone as he filled out a purchase order. He gestured to us to have a seat as he wrapped up his call.

"Well, that's one more back in the fold. I've been concentrating on the clients that left us because our delivery dates were slipping. So far I've picked up three good-sized orders. As they need new supplies, I'm confident that we'll see a lot more of their business."

"That's great, Matt. We just dropped by to see how you were doing. It looks like you have everything that you need."

"It's great to be back. Of course I never thought that I'd get out of Personnel today. Ben Phillips had me down there for an hour filling out forms. Hey, I'm sorry ladies, would you like something to drink?"

"No, nothing, thank you. We're going to take a little walk through the plant. We'll see you later."

"Okay, boss."

We took a stroll through the downstairs offices on our way to the rear exit. The place was a beehive of activity and I saw a couple of new faces that I hadn't seen on our Monday tour.

There was a Highland truck passing through the yard as we walked out of the building. We followed it around the side of the plant building and watched as a shipment of wood chips from the newly acquired lumber mill was unloaded. As the truck completed its delivery, we entered the building near the pulp processing equipment.

John Fahey was looking in one of the large tanks and came over to us as we approached. "Hi DD. Hello Miss Susan. Were you looking for me?"

"Hi John," I said. "No, we're just out for a walk. We've been doing some in-depth reading about the process of papermaking, and wanted to compare what we've read against what actually goes on."

"It's a fairly straightforward process. It's actually pretty similar to the way that's it's been done for the past hundred years. The screen end of a modern papermaking machine is commonly called a Fourdrinier, after the two brothers who built one of the first commercially successful machines in the 1800's. Of course, the technology has improved. The introduction of chlorine bleaching meant that white paper could be manufactured from colored linen and cotton rags, which increased the range of available raw materials. When it was discovered that wood pulp could be used as a raw material for making paper, the cost of producing paper plummeted, but pulp contains a large amount of impurities, so the first pulp papers were of very poor quality.

"There are three main methods used to reduce the wood to its component fibers, mechanical, chemical, and a combination of the two. In the mechanical process, a log is put through a grinding or refining process to separate the fibers. Chemicals are not used. Mechanical pulp retains all the natural tree substances - sap, sulfur compounds, sugar and the lignin that binds the fibers together. Because lignin reacts with ultra violet light, papers made from mechanical pulp tend to 'yellow' when exposed to light. Mechanical pulps are used to manufacture newsprint and some packaging boards.

"In the chemical process it was found that the impurities could be removed by boiling the wood pulp with various chemical reagents. Wood chips are first ground and cooked in a digester, a closed tank that operates at high temperature and pressure. The chips are pulped under steam pressure either in a solution of sulfite salts, or caustic soda and sodium sulfide. Lignin, the substance that bonds wood cells together, is dissolved in the process, and the cellulose fibers separate. Cooking time can be as long as 12 hours which is why this area is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"The cooked pulp is then washed to remove the chemicals and screened to separate out undigested wood knots and other unwanted materials. Pulp can be bleached at this point, but care must be exercised to insure that the bleaching process doesn't weaken the fibers. Then the pulp goes through a pounding and squeezing process called beating. We use a high-speed conical disk beater. Beating makes the fibers more flexible and increases their matting capacity. Pigments or dyes are added to the pulp at the beating stage, along with filler materials that help to preserve the paper or give it a better opacity and finish. The most common fillers are white chalks, clays, and titanium dioxide. Sizing materials such as rosins, starches, and gums that will make the paper resistant to the water in water-based writing inks may also be added during beating.

We use the chemical process here. Once the pulp is prepared, it's pumped over here where a screen-covered rotary cylinder is half-submerged into the pulp vat. As the cylinder rotates, a sheet of matted pulp is formed on its exterior surface and is picked up by a moving belt, where it's treated to remove the remaining water. A series of cylinders can be used, each depositing an additional layer of pulp on the belt, so that multi-layer sheets are built up. Cylinder machines are used for making thicker papers and paperboard."

We walked along the monstrous machine that John had called the paper-forming machine, while he explained how moisture was pressed out of the paper and how it was dried, until we reached its end.

"As it leaves the paper-forming machine, the dried paper is wound into large rolls, each weighing many tons. It's during this finishing step that paper can be glazed with pigment, dispersant, and adhesive to produce a glossy finish or improve smoothness or opacity."

It was great having John explain the process in such detail. We had been through here before I purchased the plant, but I had been more interested in looking at the condition of the building and equipment than understanding the process, so I hadn't listened as closely. Also, I hadn't had very thorough knowledge of papermaking at that time, so it didn't make nearly as much sense.

We spent over an hour wandering through the factory and we watched as the workers turned wood, with the careful blending of cloth and other materials, into paper and paperboard, at up to two thousand feet per minute, according to John.

Thanking John, we let him return to work and took a walk through the newer plant building. The equipment here was not being used, but looked ready to go at a moment's notice. The warehouse was part of this building and that was alive with activity. Forklifts were loading two tractor-trailers at the loading dock. As we watched, Mike Turbill, the Director of Plant and Warehouse Operations, came up behind us. I wasn't aware that he was there until he spoke.

"It's a great sight to see, Miss Drake. It's been a while since we had more than one truck to load any one time. This enclosed loading bay can accommodate 8 trucks at once. I'm looking forward to the first time that we have the bay filled again."

"It'll come, Mr. Turbill. Mr. Piermont is hard at work trying to woo back some of our old customers. It'll take time, but it will come."

It was nearing lunchtime so Susan and I headed back to the office. Taking stock of what was in the refrigerator, we decided to make a small salad and warm up some soup, with some fruit for desert. We sat at the conference table and ate while we read. I had found a book on business machines in the bookcase, so I read the two chapters on computers.

We worked until our usual time and then called Earl to tell him that we were ready to leave.

Once in the car I said, "Earl, tomorrow morning we have to go to the community college in the county seat. We are expected to be there at 9 o'clock so we won't have to leave the hotel until 8:30. We'll probably be there for a couple of hours. Does that present a problem with your other driving duties?"

"No ma'am, Miss Darla. Many of the employees from other plants have rental cars now. I'm not expecting anyone else in, and besides, your needs come above everyone else's."

"Thank you Earl. If anyone inquires about your availability, we expect to be at the plant by noon."

"Okay, Miss Darla."

 

(continued in part 20)

Author's note : I want to express my grateful appreciation to Debbie Cybill and Lynn Jennings for their proofreading help and story suggestions.

 

 

 

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© 1999 by C. Sprite. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.