Texas Gal
by C. Sprite

 

Chapter Thirty-One               The Southeast Region

Judy, Susan, and I returned to Austin with Mother on Sunday, while Mary returned to her college. All other matters were put out of our heads as we studied for our semester's final exams. Neither Judy nor Susan spent much time with their boyfriends during the immediate days before the exams and we read and reviewed during most of our waking hours.

When exams were over we held a little party at the house and invited Dexter and Lance. We had a cake and soft drinks as we celebrated the completion of another semester. None of us were worried about possibly failing any of our courses.

For the new semester I again signed up for two extra courses in order to meet the requirements of the second degree that I was working on. My advisor just shook his head and sighed when he saw what I had signed up for.

"Darla Anne, why don't you relax a little and just take the normal workload. You can come back for an extra year and complete the requirements for the other degree."

"As I've said before, Professor, I don't have a social life so I might as well take the extra courses."

"You'll never have a social life if you don't cultivate one, and the first step is to stop working so hard. You're going to burn out by the time that you're twenty if you don't slow down. It's time to take a break and find some friends to hang around with."

"I'm still only fourteen. I only have a few friends who feel comfortable associating with a 'kid'."

"You're anything but a 'kid'. In fact, you probably intimidate other students with your maturity, grades, and position in the business world. If you give them half a chance, you'll find that they'll accept you."

"I've tried. Almost nobody wants to hang around with a fourteen-year-old company president. Perhaps by my senior year, when I'm sixteen and the incoming freshmen are seventeen or eighteen, I'll find more acceptance by associating with the new students."

"You won't like that. As I've told you before, they won't be nearly as mature as you, or even as mature as you were when you first arrived. It would be like an eighth-grade student associating with first-grade students. It just won't work. You have to cultivate relationships with students who are as mature as you are."

"I'm willing. Where do I find them?"

"Have you tried the chess club as I suggested last semester?"

"No, I didn't. I don't really have time to join any clubs. I need all my time for studying."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. You can't expect to develop relationships unless you work at them. That means spending time at it. I know that you want to excel at your studies, but I think that you're missing so much of the college experience by studying all the time."

"It's what I'm here for. I'll have the rest of my life to develop social ties."

"The best and longest lasting friendships are the ones that you make in college."

"Really, Professor? How many of your college friends do you see on a regular basis?"

He looked at me for a few seconds, scowled, then looked down at his desk. "Okay, I'll stop harping on this. I certainly can't object to the course load that you've enrolled in on scholastic grounds because you're still maintaining a 4.0 average. Good luck, Darla Anne. I hope that you'll think about what we've discussed."

 

A few weeks after the new semester started, I received a copy of The Paper Press. There was a small article inside about me so I took the time to read it. It said, 'Darla Anne Drake, President of Piermont Paper, has completed the purchase of Appalachian Paper and Logging. The reported price for the company that consists of 4 paper plants, 2 cardboard plants, 3 sawmills, and 200,000 acres of timberland in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina, was 40 million dollars. A reliable source at Alliance Paper International told me that Alliance had bid 28 million for the company recently. This is the second company, in six months, which DD has purchased by outbidding Alliance. Formerly, South-Core Paper was the one losing to DD as she built her paper empire, but South-Core only targets single plants in their acquisitions, so Appalachian, with its nine plants, was well out of South-Core's class. In a little over a year and a half, DD has put together a company with estimated assets of 230 million dollars.'

I cut out the article and put it in my scrapbook before starting in on my homework.

 

Auntie had given me her private pilot textbooks, so I began to study them when I needed a break from schoolwork. I learned how to use the flight computer, which was basically a round, plastic slide rule, and I began studying the two sectional charts that covered most of Texas as I plotted imaginary trips to various points. I also bought a scanning radio receiver that picked up aircraft frequencies, so that I could listen in to the airplane communications in the Austin area. I may only be 14 now, but in a little over a year when I reached 16, I would be eligible to get a private pilot's license.

  

When you keep busy almost all of your waking hours, time has a way of passing very quickly. I slowly made friends with a few more girls on the campus, so I always had someone to walk with to my next class. Peggy Sue and Shelly remained my closest friends though, and I frequently ate lunch with them. Susan wasn't in any of my classes since she was a year behind me, so we usually just stopped to talk when we passed in the hallways or on the campus. We did have the same lunch hour on Thursdays, so we always ate together that day.

The days rolled into weeks and the weeks rolled into months. Scarcely before we realized it, it was time for Spring vacation.

 

We drove home to the ranch after classes on Friday. Rosa and Ricardo gave us an enthusiastic reception. Auntie wasn't home yet, and neither was Mary, who would be driving up with Kevin.

Auntie arrived home about 6 o'clock, her normal time, and Mary got to the house around eight. We had already eaten when Mary arrived, but Rosa fixed her a plate from the dinner leftovers as we all caught up on each other's news.

 

Saturday started off just like the old days. Susan and I awoke early and went into Auntie's bathroom to start running the bath. Auntie was sprawled across the bed, sound asleep. I pulled open the drapes and the sunlight caused her to stir. She pulled the covers over her head in an effort to avoid the bright sunlight, and when she didn't stir further, I sat down on the edge of her bed and began tickling the bottom of her feet where they stuck out from under the covers. Suddenly, she woke up screaming and pulled her feet away. Then she grabbed me and pulled me onto to the bed, before assaulting my sides with her fingers. When Susan came back in from the bathroom, we were laughing and rolling around on the bed, each trying to be the supreme tickler.

After a few minutes, we had to stop to catch our breath. I took advantage of the pause to slide off the bed and out of reach. I was willing to concede the battle if it meant that she didn't tickle me anymore.

We were relaxing amidst the bubbles in the bathtub when Mother and Judy came in. Mary didn't show for another five minutes. Judy had awakened her, but it took her that long to get moving in the morning.

We dressed and went down to breakfast after a long soak, followed by a long morning ride. As Emily stretched her legs, she seemed to be enjoying herself as much as I was.  She also appreciated the apples that I had brought for her.

After lunch I showed Auntie how much I had learned from the Private Pilot handbooks, and got her to give me a ride in the smaller Cessna. Once aloft at a decent altitude, she let me take the controls, and for the first time I was flying a plane. We were able to communicate using intercom headsets that she'd installed. It saved us from having to shout above the engine noise. She showed me how to turn and bank, and how to trim the plane to maintain level flight. I already knew about all the instruments. After about half an hour, we returned to the ranch. Auntie explained every step as we descended and landed.

At the end of the runway, Auntie turned the plane around but let me taxi it back. It's very strange the first time that you steer a plane by pushing on the rudder pedals with your feet. You have an overwhelming urge to turn the wheel as if you're in a car, but that simply controls the ailerons on the wings so it only works when you're airborne. When we reached the other end of the runway, I turned the plane around so that we again faced directly into the wind.

Auntie pulled on the parking brake and told me about the takeoff procedure. Then she released the brake, and said, "Okay, you do the takeoff. I'll stay on the controls with you in case you need me, but you'll be controlling the plane otherwise."

I took a deep breath and placed my feet on the rudder pedals. I stared down the length of the runway, and with an unobstructed path, I pushed the throttle in slowly. As the plane picked up momentum, I continued to push the throttle all the way in. When the airspeed needle reached 60 I began to lightly pull back on the wheel and I felt the nose wheel lift slightly off the runway; and when we reached 70 I felt the plane lift off. The airspeed continued to rise as the plane climbed slowly into the sky. At eight hundred feet, I eased the throttle back a little and that dropped the nose slightly. We continued to climb but not as quickly. At a thousand feet above ground level I eased the throttle back some more and banked the plane to the left, turning onto the crosswind leg and leveling off. Auntie had been talking to me during the entire procedure and I was very proud of myself, despite the fact that I knew that any new student can take off in a plane. The tricky part is getting it back down again, safely.

Following Auntie's instructions, I turned onto the downwind leg of the pattern. She told me what we were going to do and how to do it. I began to get a little nervous as I turned onto the base leg, and even more nervous as I turned onto final approach, but Auntie was ready on the dual controls with me. I pulled back on the throttle to reduce power and we began to settle towards the runway. The wind was still coming directly down the runway so we didn't have any crosswinds to worry about, and gusting was almost non-existent. My eyes kept moving between the altimeter to make sure that we were descending at the right speed, and out the windshield as the ground came steadily closer.

I heard Auntie say that we were settling too fast so I added a little power. She told me when we had enough. We crossed over the threshold of the runway at about forty feet and continued to settle slowly until we touched down. I felt Auntie exert control as we had neared the ground. She flared the plane out so that we didn't hit the ground too hard and wind up bouncing, or worse. As soon as we were on the ground she told me to take off again, so I pushed the throttle all the way in and the plane leaped into the air, leaving the ground quickly behind us. By taking off right away we didn't have to taxi back to the downwind end of the runway again.

With Auntie on the controls with me, we did two more touch and go's and then a final landing. I imagine that I felt like Judy had the first time that Auntie had taken her out on the runway to learn to drive a car. I knew that I hadn't been in full control but I was happy with the knowledge that I had gotten a little better with each landing. It was too bad that I still had to wait for more than a year before I could solo.

We pushed the lightweight plane back into the hanger and walked up to the house. Auntie reviewed my flying and gave me more tips about what I needed to do to improve my landings.

Everyone had seen us shooting the landings and wanted to know what was going on. Auntie told them that she was just giving me a chance to fly the plane. This prompted a discussion with Mother about whether I was too young to learn to fly that would last through dinner.

  

Sunday was a day of relaxation. We went to services, and then went for a nice long ride to the furthest parts of the ranch, arriving back just after noon. Rosa had prepared a nice Easter Sunday meal, and we enjoyed her fine cooking, and then spent the afternoon rocking and talking on the front porch.

  

The jet arrived on Monday to pick me up and take me east. I hadn't been to Piermont since January, so it was time to put in an appearance. I climbed aboard, and as we took off, I dreamed about the day that I could take the controls of the jet.

The plane landed at the airport a few miles south of Asheville a little after 6 p.m. James, the driver from the West Virginia headquarters of Ameri-Moore's Lumber Division who had driven for me last summer in Vermont, was there to greet me. Earl was in Vermont and would drive for me when I arrived there. The pilots now had an assigned company car waiting at the airport, to use for their own transportation. It was a policy that I had instituted in Vermont after I had bought the first plant. Whenever the jet was expected, a company car was brought and left for them at the airport for their use during their stay. We had now expanded the policy to include the airports at Owosso and Asheville.

"Hello, James. It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you again also, Miss Drake."

James held the door for me and I got into the limo. Then he loaded my bags into the trunk and we left for the hotel.

I checked into the Southern Comfort Hotel and received the same treatment that I always received at the Holiday Inn near Brandon. The manager, Mr. Carter, came out of his office to personally guide me to my room.

"We're very pleased to have you stay with us, Miss Drake. I've taken the liberty of upgrading your reservation to a suite, compliments of the hotel. We've been honored to provide accommodations for the employees of Piermont Paper while they're here in Asheville. I hope that you'll enjoy your stay."

"Thank you, Mr. Carter. My people have been very happy with the accommodations at your fine hotel."

"Thank you, Miss Drake. Good night."

"Good night, Mr. Carter. Oh… how late is the dining room open?"

"Until 9 p.m."

"Thank you."

I put my things away and walked down to the dining room. I expected to see someone from the company, but the room was almost empty. It was almost 7 p.m. so I guess that everyone had eaten early.

Dinner was good but didn't measure up to what I had come to expect at the Holiday Inn in Vermont. Perhaps that was why the room was almost empty. I returned to my room and did a little reading before turning in.

 

After a light breakfast in the hotel dining room, James took me to the headquarters building. I immediately noticed that the large 'Appalachian Paper and Logging Company' sign had been repainted with the Piermont Paper logo and name.

As I walked in, the receptionist greeted me with "Good morning, Miss Drake. Mr. Warren asked me to show you to your office. If you'll follow me please?"

I followed along while she led the way to the elevator. We went to the top floor of the three-story building and walked down a corridor. At the end of the corridor, she pushed open a door and held it for me. It turned out to be a suite of offices and there was another secretary seated at a desk there.

"Miss Drake, this is Rita. She's the secretary for the executive offices. I'll leave you with her."

"Thank you. Your name is…?"

"I'm Mary Lou."

"Thank you, Mary Lou."

Rita had come out from behind her desk. "This way please, Miss Drake."

I followed Rita into a large office that said 'President' on the door. The office wasn't as large at my office in Brandon, but it was quite spacious. I had a private bathroom and a large sitting area in addition to the desk and credenza, but no conference area.

"Is there anything that I can get for you, Miss Drake?" Rita asked.

"A cup of tea would be nice."

"Right away, Miss Drake."

I walked around the office after she left. There was the faint smell of fresh paint and it was obvious that the office had been painted recently. The massive desk was empty except for a telephone book and a company phone directory. The credenza was likewise empty.

I loudly said, "Come in", in response to a knock at the door. Rita came in carrying a tray with a teapot, 2 cups, a jar of honey, and glass containers with sugar and milk.

"Thank you, Rita."

"Your welcome, Miss Drake. Is there anything else that you need?"

"Some basic supplies such as pencils, pens, notepads, and paper clips. Also, is Bob Warren in?"

"Yes, ma'am. I told him that you're here, and he's asked me to tell you that he'll be in shortly. He's busy with Mr. Kent of the Personnel Department. I'll get you some office supplies."

"Thank you, Rita."

I poured myself a cup of tea and mixed in some honey, then I got up and went to the window. I had a nice view of the city because this section of town was a bit higher and most of the buildings were only 2 stories.

A knock at the door preceded Rita's return. She carried in an armful of office supplies and put them on my desk. I thanked her as she left, then I sat down and put them away, except for a pen and a notepad. Those I started using right away to jot down the inspection itinerary that I had created in my head.

Bob came in about twenty minutes later, smiling like the Cheshire cat, and carrying a mug of coffee.

"Hi, DD. Welcome to the Southeast Region offices."

"Hello, Bob. You look happy."

"I am. I've been having the time of my life during the last three months. When I'm in Brandon, I can't wait to come back down here. We've really been kicking ass. You have no idea how messed up these people were. Bill had no idea how messed up these people were until he really got into things. He's straightened out the mess in accounting and I've been doing the same everywhere else."

"The books were that messed up? How come Bill didn't spot it when he and Ron did their audit?"

"They didn't have time to do a complete audit where they actually contact the creditors and the purchasers to verify the accounts, or where they prove out all of the entries in the ledgers. The mess wasn't intentional. The people in accounting weren't being supervised because the Thorehill in charge rarely showed up, and the errors were just compounding. What they didn't understand, or couldn't resolve, they simply put into the supervisor's 'in basket'. When it got too full, it was stuffed into a folder and put into the filing cabinet. Then they started filling up the 'in basket' again."

"Are you serious?"

"Yup. Incredible as it sounds."

"I hope that that Thorehill was separated from the company."

"One of the first to go in a long line of exiting Thorehills."

"A long line?"

"Yes. At first they would come in on time and leave at quitting time. Then they began to sneak away early. When that seemed to work they started showing up later and later. We were all so busy the first few weeks that we didn't notice. When I did become aware of it, I called them all in, one at a time, and laid down the law. They behaved for a couple of weeks and then they started the nonsense again. I fired four of the worst and thought that it would send a message. It didn't, so I fired four more. As soon as I had done that, the rest of the family walked out in protest. They knew that they were on borrowed time unless they changed, and they just couldn't change. I think that they felt a mass walkout would have us begging them to come back because we couldn't run the company without management."

"Then they're all gone?"

"Except for three who have worked as hard as anyone from up north, are always on time, or early, and who leave late."

"Who are they? And please don't tell me that Willie is one of them."

Bob chuckled. "He was one of the first four fired. Our three are Ian Thorehill, the former executive vice-president, the manager of a sawmill in Tennessee, and the manager of the paper plant down in Greensboro. The rest of the family are gone."

"I thought that Ian might turn out to be a keeper. What do you have him doing?"

"He's the assistant manager of the paper plant here. He has no authority to hire anyone though. We don't want the family putting pressure on him to provide jobs."

"Good thought. How are things going in the plants?"

"Good. Almost very good. We started sending the message out that the old way was gone and that we were cleaning out all the dead wood. Those that heeded the message are still with us. As with the Thorehill situation, we started making a few examples in each plant after our warnings didn't work. Those that didn't get the second round of messages were pink slipped. Then we started hiring to replace them. At first we didn't get many applicants. The disgruntled were spreading the word about how bad it was in the plants now, but slowly the truth leaked out that we were only discharging the slackers. Now we're not having any trouble filling positions.

"Production is up about 300 percent with a much leaner workforce. You won't find employees sitting around having hour-long bull sessions when you tour the plants now. Most of the employees released were the old timers who held the upper positions, so some of the younger people were delighted to suddenly have an opportunity for promotion. They're getting the message that promotions will come to those that work and earn them, rather then to those who kiss the rear end of some old family crony. In the future, all promotions will have to be approved through Brandon, as well as all new hires above entry level. We won't allow the old system to creep back in."

"Very good, Bob. It sounds like you have the situation well in hand. How are sales going?"

"Up. Way up. The sales people were as bad as the rest- hour-long coffee breaks, and two-hour lunches every day. It's a wonder that the company was even doing as well as it was. The department head was another Thorehill who is no longer with us. I also released three of the sales people who didn't change their habits after several warnings. The rest got the message and got their tails in gear. We only have half the staff there now and orders have quadrupled. They're spending their time calling customers instead of just taking orders. Matt flew down and instituted a commission system here like the one he set up in Brandon. Orders from first time customers earn double the commission. They're falling all over themselves cold-calling prospective customers and maximizing first orders. Matt provided a master listing of Piermont's customers in the other two regions, and they have to verify that their prospects are not on it before they call. Each of them is taking home about triple what they were making before. There're probably the most loyal Piermont employees out of the original staff."

"How are we doing with management positions?"

"Good. I asked Ben Philips to fly down to help out a couple of months ago. We did the plants one at a time by going through the personnel files and identifying those people that would seem to be the best candidates, then we interviewed each person. We promoted the best candidates on a temporary basis. They knew that they were under a microscope and had to do well in order to keep the position, and we've had about a 75 percent success rate. The people that were returned to their former positions were told that they would receive training, once we got things sorted out, that would make them eligible to try again for a promotion in the future. It took us a month to do the paper plants and then another month to do the cardboard plants and the sawmills. Pete Sloan was a big help with the sawmill and forestry people. He steered us away from some trouble makers that might have been promoted."

"How many people do we still have down here from the other regions?"

"We're down to 15, and we're going to spring a couple more this week. Gerard is anxious to get them back."

"What's the prospect for springing the rest?"

"Ian Thorehill, and the two other Thorehills that were managers before, could probably be moved back up right now. I think that we've got them toeing the mark and our reporting system will enable us to detect any slippage with enough time to correct the problem before it gets out of hand. We've got a few other good people that might be ready soon to assume the top position in the other sawmills and cardboard plant. The top position in the paper plants is a lot more demanding and it'll take a couple more months before I'd be ready to turn the other three plants over to the assistant managers that we've been bringing along."

"What about the top spot down here? Any recommendations?"

"Yes. Ron Collins."

"Ron? Have you spoken to him about it?"

"He approached me about possibly getting a plant down here. He did a good job for us in Danbury, and he'd like to take a crack at managing a plant again. I told him that I'd talk to you. I can't think of anyone better qualified."

"I can't either. Okay, I'll talk to him about it when I go up to Vermont. How soon do you think that you'll be ready to turn over the reins and come back to Brandon?"

"It'll take a month or more to get Ron up to speed, if he's your choice. I'll be ready to turn over control about the beginning of June. By then we'll have this region on track to meet the goals that I set when we took over."

"You've done a great job, Bob. I don't know anyone who could have done better."

"It's been grueling at times, but it's been rewarding, DD. The people that have been displaced may not like us, but the communities involved will be better off with a healthier economy."

"I'd like to visit each of the plants before I head up to Vermont. Can Rita make the arrangements to have the plane met with transportation?"

"Sure. She's an excellent executive secretary. The patented Thorehill system of executive incompetence and mismanagement placed a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, and she was practically running the headquarters building. She's been of enormous help since I've been here."

"Great. It's nice to learn that there are a few hardworking people here who didn't have to be coerced into doing a day's work."

"More than a few. The old system had beaten them down, but they're getting back up now. They'll be as good as anyone in the other regions when we're done. And speaking about done, I have a meeting with the warehouse foreman of the plant here if we're done."

"Go ahead. I'm going to speak with Bill before going over to the plant."

"Okay, DD. I'll see you later."

After Bob left, I asked Rita to ring Bill and ask him to come up when he was free. I was surprised when he showed up a few minutes later.

"Hi, Bill. You didn't have to run right up."

"Hi, DD. I wasn't tied up with anything. I was just reviewing the accounts receivable files."

"Bob was just here. He was telling me what a mess you found when you started."

"Yeah," he said smiling, "I found a filing cabinet full of un-filed paperwork. There were statements and invoices from suppliers, payments from customers, and everything else that you can imagine."

"Payments?"

"Yeah. Hundreds of checks going back several years. If the accounting people didn't know how to apply the money they stapled the check to the paperwork and put in their supervisor's basket. Of course the supervisor rarely showed up so the paperwork just kept amassing. We have it all straightened out now though. We got most of the companies to reissue checks because the old ones were too old to deposit, and I contacted the suppliers who had given up trying to collect and I paid them off. The money about balanced out."

"How do the accounts look?"

"We're in pretty good shape. Sales have soared, so we have a high volume of accounts receivable right now, compared with past months, but the money is starting to come in as the invoices come due. This region is definitely profitable right now."

"Excellent. How is the effort to transfer the accounting function back to Brandon going?"

"Almost complete. We'll naturally continue to have some positions here to handle basic functions and coordinate the activities of the various plants in the region with Brandon, but everything else has been switched over. All of the old records have been shipped north already, and a small unit has been set up in Brandon that is specially designated for handling the accounting for this region."

"Very good, Bill. Good job." I paused for a couple of seconds. "Has Bob talked to you about Ron requesting a move?"

"Yes. We've discussed it. I hate to lose him, but I can't argue the fact that he's probably the best man for the job."

"Okay. I wanted to run it past you before I said anything to Ron. Do you have someone to replace him?"

"We have a couple of very good assistant managers in Brandon that we've been bringing along. I'll have to figure out which would be best for the job."

"Good. Give it some thought when you can. I'm going to try to get Ron down here as soon as possible so that he'll have the benefit of Bob's tutelage for as long as possible. Bob thinks that he can wrap things up here by June. How about you?"

"I'm about ready to go back now. I've been delaying my return to give Bob a sounding board, and a friendly face. As soon as Ron comes, there won't be any reason to stay."

"Okay, that's good. We'll need you back in Brandon when Ron is gone. You and Bob have done a wonderful job down here. Thank you."

"My pleasure, DD. This was the reason that I decided to request permanent transfer to your division. I love this stuff."

After Bill left I enjoyed another cup of tea and then went on a tour of the building. The entire top floor had originally been devoted to offices for the corporate officers and now they were empty except for the ones that Bob, Bill, and I were occupying. The second floor was devoted to the three quarters empty accounting department, and the half empty sales department.  The first floor had the personnel department, two conference rooms, and a large employee lunchroom. The basement was just used for storage of old furniture. I could see where the cartons of old records had been stored until they were shipped to Brandon for investigation and ultimate destruction. Bill would probably have enough to keep him happy all summer.

When I returned to my new office I saw that it was 10 o'clock so I got my things together and left, after telling Rita that I was going to the plant. I also gave her the itinerary that I had worked out. The first required that a car pick me up at the airport in Greensboro, today at 2 o'clock. I had already notified the pilots of the trip.

James was cleaning some bird droppings off the car when I came out of the building and he hurried to open the door for me. I said, "I'd like to go to the plant. Do you know how to get there?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have a map to all of the plants."

He closed the door behind me and hurried around to the driver's seat. It only took us ten minutes to reach the plant. There was a new guard booth on the road into the plant and we had to stop. James told the guard who I was and the guard immediately lifted the barrier arm. James took me to the area marked 'office' and opened the car door for me.

As soon as I entered, all heads turned to look at me briefly and then returned to work. The employees here prepared shipping invoices and manifests, performed timekeeping operations for payroll, coordinated orders and receipt of chemical and raw materials, and all the other bookkeeping functions required to operate the plant.

Ian came hurrying out from the back to welcome me. I imagine that either Rita or the guard at the gate had reported my impending visit.

"DD, welcome. Come into my office."

I followed him down a short hallway. "It's nice to see you again, Ian. How have you been getting on?"

"Wonderful. Thanks for keeping me on. I'm very happy to be a part of the Piermont Paper Division. I've really had my eyes opened. I just can't believe the changes in this plant. It's operating like it used to operate when Grandpa was running the company."

"We just ask people to do a day's work for a day's wages, and we reward initiative. Probably the same formula that your Grandpa used."

"Not exactly. Grandpa was a tough taskmaster who ruled by fear. He wasn't above batting employees over the head with his cane to get them to move. Daddy hated treating people like that and I see now that he went too far the other way. People took advantage and didn't work like they should. It nice to see that you can get people to work hard without terrorizing them."

"Those old tactics are long gone. The incentive of the paycheck, promotion, and benefits seem to work better. How are you getting on with your family?"

"Things are a little rocky with some. They were angry when I didn't walk out with them after Bob dismissed eight members. I told them that the fired people deserved it, and that they had to change their ways if they wanted a job. But I guess there were too many years of easy living. Edgar, my daddy, let them get away with it. Because they were family he refused to fire them, and it was responsible for the downfall of the company. He knows that and doesn't hold any grudge. He hopes that I learn the right way to do things and become an important part of the company here."

"I'm glad. I've been hearing good things about you and the other two members of your family that are still with us."

"Cousin Vic in Greensboro is very happy. He's taken some heat from the family for remaining with Piermont but he doesn't care. He told me that he's stopped taking anti-acid tablets since the family cleared out. He was getting sick trying to get them to work and not being able to fire any of them. Billy, the manager at the sawmill in Tennessee, worked around the family problems by hiring competent 'assistants' who actually did the job even though the family member held the actual title and continued to get a paycheck every week. It was a better system than not getting the work done, and that mill's production was always good."

"That's an inventive system, but it gets costly paying people not to work. The employees see it and start believing that they should be able to goof off and get paid for it also."

"True. And Appalachian paid the price. Piermont benefited because those 'assistants' were just moved into their position 'officially'." Ian took a deep breath and sighed. "So what can we do for you today?"

"I'm going to tour all the plants before I head up to Vermont. I'm starting here. I expected to see Alex Draper here."

"He went with our warehouse foreman to a meeting with Bob a little while ago. He hasn't returned yet. Will I do?"

"Of course. But I don't want to take you away from your tasks. I know my way around and I know the processes so I don't need any instruction. I'll just wander around on my own."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I even brought my own hardhat this trip," I said as I put on the hat that I had been holding in my hand.

"It says 'Ameri-Moore'. You should have one that says 'Piermont'."

"I'm also a VP of Ameri-Moore."

"I know. It just seems that it would be more fitting to be wearing one with the division name."

"I guess that it just hasn't been a priority. I'll stop back here before I leave."

"Okay, DD."

I left the office and entered the plant, taking my time as I strolled through the pulping area and then the paper making room. The employees here were as busy as any at the plants up north. Paper was being formed on the two machines at a fantastic rate as operators kept a careful eye on the processes. I watched as one enormous roll was removed from the paper-forming machine and picked up by a crane that moved along girders near the roof, to be moved to the area where the roll would be cut into sheets, packaged into reams, and boxed. The boxes were being produced at our cardboard plant in Georgia.

	Completed paper rolls

My last stop was to visit the warehouse. A number of trucks were being loaded as I watched. They were using a traffic system like the one that Mike set up in Brandon. I wondered if it was standard practice arising from common sense, or if someone from up north had taught them. It wasn't important enough to ask.

I stopped into the office again on the way out. Ian was just finishing talking to one of the clerks as I entered.

"All done?" he asked me.

"Yes. Quite a difference from four months ago."

"I was just leaving to have lunch. Would you like to join me?"

"I'd be happy to."

Ian and I enjoyed lunch at the same restaurant where we had eaten lunch when I had first come down here. Over lunch we discussed the revitalized Southeast Region, and I told Ian about the other plants.

"I hope that I get a chance to come up to Brandon some time."

"I'm sure that you will if you remain with the company. You'll have every opportunity to grow with us. Do you intend to remain with us?"

"Of course."

"I wasn't sure now that the Thorehills are multimillionaires."

"Daddy put all the money into the bank and various funds. He sends out a 'paycheck' every month to the family members who worked for the company. He knows that if he gave out lump sums, most of them would go through their money in one month and be hanging around the more thrifty family members with their hand out. This way they'll have a paycheck for the rest of their life because Daddy will only send out the interest on 75 percent of the principle. The principle will continue to grow and keep up with inflation by adding the 25 percent of the interest to it."

"Surely you get a 'paycheck' each month?"

"Yes, I do. I don't have to work, but I'm too young to retire. Besides, I grew up working in the paper business and I want to stay in it. I love it."

"Well… one thing that I seem to attract is lots of opportunities for work in the paper business."

"Then I'd like to tag along, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Welcome aboard."

After we left the restaurant, I said goodbye to Ian. James had followed in the limo so I had my own transportation. James drove me to the airport and I told him that I'd be back around 5:30. The plane was all ready to go as soon as I boarded. I would be at the airport near Greensboro in less than 30 minutes.

  

Over the next several days I visited all nine of the plants that we had acquired as part of the buyout. On Thursday afternoon, after saying good-bye to Bob and Bill, I headed up to Vermont.

  

I like Vermont best in the spring. Everything smells so clean and fresh and the streams are filled with the runoff from the melting snows.

I rolled the windows in the limo down a little as Earl drove me to the plant on Friday so that I could enjoy the smells of spring.

As usual, the guard saluted when the limo entered the grounds. Earl dropped me off in front and then drove around to his entrance. Doris greeted me when I entered the building and Nancy greeted me when I entered the executive suite.

"Hi, Nancy. I imagine that it's been a little slow up here with both Mr. Warren and Mr. Marshall working in the Southeast Region. That won't be for much longer though. Mr. Marshall should be back in a week or two, and Mr. Warren will be finished down there in the beginning of June."

"That's good to hear. I prefer to stay busy. It makes the day go so much faster."

As I walked down the hall to my office I saw that large aerial pictures of all the Northeast Region plants now adorned the walls. Additionally, aerial pictures of the three plants in the Midwest Region were hung there also. If we added pictures of the Southeast Region plants, there wouldn't be any more room on the hallway walls.

When I got into my office I found that Nancy had prepared a pot of tea for me. There was an enormous stack of employment forms on my desk, undoubtedly one for each of the new employees in the Southeast Region. I wouldn't have time to go through them this morning so I moved them to my credenza for now.

After fixing a cup of tea, I went through my mail. There were a number of proposals but we were too involved down south to get into any other projects. I put them with the employee forms, to be looked through later.

The regular weekly meeting normally convened at 10 o'clock but I had changed the time to 11 for today. They hadn't been very well attended lately because of all the time that everyone had been spending in the south, but Matt had conducted them every week with whoever was available.

I called Ron and asked him to come up as soon as he was free. Ten minutes later, Nancy buzzed to tell me that he was at her desk. I told her to send him in.

"Ron, Bob tells me that you're interested in being appointed to the management of one of the plants in the Southeast Region," I said after Ron came into my office and sat down across from me.

"I'd love to be considered if you have any positions open, DD."

"You're interested in a permanent position, not a temporary one?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Ron, you did an excellent job for us in Danbury, and as our Director of Accounting here, so we want to give you a chance to show us what you can do down south. We have several positions available at this time, but Bob and I feel that you might fit in best as the Vice-President of Southeast Operations. Would you be interested in that?"

Ron's face lit up. "Would I? I sure would."

Smiling, I said, "Okay, Mr. Vice-President. Congratulations." I extended my hand and Ron pumped it eagerly. "The most difficult part of your job will be to make sure that the employees don't slip back into old work and attendance habits. Stay on top of the production stats and let the plant managers know that you're expecting them to keep the production up in their plants. Bob will be expecting you down there, as soon as you can finish up here, and he'll stay and work with you until you get situated. You'll need some time off to move, but I want you to talk to Bill before putting one of your assistant managers temporarily in charge downstairs."

"Okay, DD. Thanks for this opportunity. I won't let you down."

"I'm sure that you won't, Ron. Good luck in North Carolina. Come back for our meeting at 11 o'clock."

"Okay, DD."

I decided to go through the proposal letters before the meeting started so I opened the folder. Unless someone was offering us a ten million-dollar plant for one million, I wasn't going to seriously consider anything.

I quickly sorted out the tiny businesses that would never hold any interest for us. They would get letters informing them that we didn't buy businesses their size. Next I put the letters from companies located outside the North American continent into a pile that would get letters explaining that we were limiting ourselves to North America at this time. Lastly I rejected companies that manufactured products inconsistent with our interests.

That left 4 proposals. One was from the company in Maine that I had rejected in January. The owner was writing to tell me that he had lowered the asking price to 18 million. He would get a note informing him that his price range was still beyond the range that we were willing to pay. The second was from a company that manufactured paper towels, napkins, and toilet tissue. Businesses like that required a special distribution network so I rejected it also. Proposal three was from a company in the Northwest that made newsprint, and proposal four was from a company in Canada that made newsprint. I had always rejected companies that produced newsprint, but I had been thinking about it lately. Still, our financial situation didn't allow me to consider any acquisitions so I would send them letters explaining that circumstances prevented us from showing any interest at this time. I took the letters out to Nancy and explained what I wanted. I told her that it could be done after the meeting.

Everyone was gathered at 11 o'clock, and I called the meeting to order. Each of the attendees gave a brief report of what was going on in his area. Basically, everything was going well, and there were no problems to report. Ron read the monthly accounting statement. It showed that sales were continuing to rise in the Northeast and Midwest, and that the growth rate was off the charts in the Southeast. Since the rate was computed by comparing the new sales against those of the previous month, the rate of climb in the Southeast was understandable, but the actual sales volume was still modest when compared to the other two regions.

After the reports were finished, I stood up. "I have an announcement to make. A member of our little family here in the Northeast Region is transferring to the Southeast Region. I'm pleased to announce that Ron Collins has been appointed as the new Vice-President of Southeast Operations for Piermont Paper. We'll miss him here, but he'll continue to be a valued member of our corporate family."

Ron stood up and gave a short speech about looking forward to the new challenges, but noting that he would miss all his friends in Brandon. Everyone applauded and then stood to congratulate him.

The meeting was formally over but lunch had arrived so we continued to talk as we ate. Most of the talk was about the Southeast Region, naturally, since we had devoted so much attention to it recently.

I said goodbye to everyone after lunch was over. I stayed around until Nancy had completed the response letters, signed them, and left after calling the pilots. My one-week of spring vacation was over and I had to get back to Texas.

It was late afternoon when I got back to the ranch and I talked Susan into going for a ride with me. We only had an hour before dinner, so it was a short ride, but it was so nice to forget about the company and schoolwork for a while.

During dinner, Susan asked, "How many companies did you buy this week?"

"Not a one. I didn't even go to look at any."

"Really?"

"Honest injun. I spent most of the week touring the plants in the new Southeast Region, but I had already made up my mind not to consider any purchases this trip. We have kind of a full plate right now."

"How's it going with the new plants?" Auntie asked.

"Very good. Bob Warren is truly amazing. He's completely turned things around and the plants are all operating in the black again. He's cut the payroll by removing the dead wood, stepped up production by stimulating the employees, and increased sales."

"It sounds like you'll be buying again soon."

"Only if the right deal presents itself. Otherwise, we'll live with what we have."

"What's the 'right deal'?" Judy asked.

"One that provides for a maximum return with a minimum of investment. The original Piermont plant was such. Greenfield, Glens Falls, and Concord were also. I guess that we'll just have to watch South-Core to see who they're trying to put out of business, and then get in there first."

"Is it possible to find out who they've targeted?" Mary asked. "Didn't you find out by accident with the others?"

"Yes, pretty much. I was just kidding about watching them."

"But it makes sense," Auntie said. "In each case where you beat them to the takeover, the people owning the company were better off."

"Yeah. Even if they didn't appreciate it, as in the case of the three clowns."

"We've seen South-Core do some underhanded things to the little guys," Judy said. "Why not hire an investigator to find out who their targets are?"

"It's not really ethical," Mother said.

"How ethical is it to hire away a company's sales force in an effort to drive them out of business?" Mary asked.

"Two wrongs don't make a right, honey."

"But it does in this case, Mother, because the victim is better off, and the party trying to do the wrong suffers for their action.

"Mary's right," Susan said. "South-Core should be punished for their unethical behavior, and if Darla Anne has to use unethical tactics to help the targeted company while punishing South-Core, then she should."

"There's also the possibility that Darla Anne could be implicated in a criminal proceeding if the investigator breaks the law."

"I don't think that there's much chance of that, Liz," Auntie said. "Darla Anne wouldn't be responsible for an investigator's actions if her only request is to find out who South-Core's targets are. As long as she doesn't give the investigator specific instructions that they break the law by breaking or entering, or anything like that."

"How about if they find out and start attacking Piermont?"

"There's little chance of that now," I said. "South-Core only has two more paper plants than we do, and we have some newer equipment that makes us about even in terms of production capacity. If they cut prices to hurt us, they'll be hurting themselves at the same time, and we can last as long as they can. Probably longer, because we have Ameri-Moore behind us. In fact, that might be the reason that they've never tried anything."

"So what you're saying is that, if you did this and they find out, they can't retaliate against you?" Susan asked.

"They could try to make trouble, but I wouldn't expect a prolonged frontal attack."

"Prolonged frontal attack? You sound like a war movie."

"It's more like a chess game, Suze. No blood. How would I go about finding an investigator who would try to determine South-Core's possible targets, Auntie?"

"I know some people in Dallas. I'll check with them and see if they can recommend someone in the Northeast."

"Okay, thanks."

We continued to debate the ethics of hiring an investigator for a couple of hours after that.

 

(continued in part 32)

 

Author's note : I want to express my grateful appreciation to Teddie Sue   for her proofreading help and story suggestions on this series.

 

 

 

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