Radioactive

Heading For A Fall  (Sept.21)

In My Bloodstream: Lisinopril,  Amlodopine,  Omeprazole, Tamsulosin
On The Stereo: Drive: The Cars (RIP Rick Ocasek)

I apologize for the darkness of last week.  I promised Kathleen that I would try to be more "chipper" this week.

It has been one good week for me, personally, on the health front.  Some other issues with some friends, but we will get there in due course.  It is just not the time.  Not now.  Not for me.

My beloved Tide notched another win, despite some ragged play from our massive freshman contingent.  I have such faith in the coach, that his teaching will continue to make those kids better, each and every week.  Thank goodness our schedule this year allows time for improvement, before we get into the tougher part of the season.  In other years, we have played some monster games right off the bat, and had the depth and experience to handle it. I do not think we could have done that this year.

My last thought on football.  I thought that Jalen Hurts would be on a Heisman hunt from the first game he played with Oklahoma.  Hopefully, he will.  What we, and the voters, need to remember when the time comes, is that Tua was, and still is, the better quarterback.  Best in the country.  Would and should have been the Heisman winner last year, if he had played some fourth quarters, and had not been injured for the last month.  We are witnessing something special.  Take it in.

This week, if you haven't yet surmised, is cancer avoidance week.  At least in this conversation.  We are going on a business journey.  So, if that is not what you want, feel free to shut me down, today, and come back later.  For diehards, hang in.  Topical and ancient stuff follows.

We have been reading about some business issues, where there is thought to be collusion with some of the larger, more powerful and influential, tech companies.  Some might think that to be a stretch.  Some would never believe that companies would risk profit and reputation for a larger piece of the pie.  Trust me, they could.

Hopefully not.  But for those of you who have been on a website, shown interest in something - perhaps clothing, moved on, and then, almost immediately received an uninvited notice referring to a sale offer on the object of your desire, you might be just a tad suspicious.  Some people are following your thoughts.  And so far, that has been alright.  According to the papers, government bureaus are starting to chase down the culprits, if there are any.  They have asked for emails, specific to certain matters of interest.  The story could get attention and could get messy.  We will see.

As you know, I hold a great love of business, and always have.  I love the concept of a strategic plan and admire a well delivered execution through its fruition.  I am also aware that greed exists, in its most callous form, and that the relentless pursuit of increases in quarterly profits drive executives to make poor decisions.  Often bordering on, and sometimes crossing legal boundaries.  

My business career has, on a much smaller scale, had several opportunities to make such pivotal decisions.  

When I began working for CIL (Canadian Industries Limited), after college, I bounced my way up the corporate ladder fairly quickly.  No, I was not paying anyone off.  Just luck, on my part.  I had grown up in my parent's gas station and restaurant business.  They did not own it, but they managed it, in its entirety.  Honesty just was.  There was never a thought, to my knowledge, of stealing a penny, ever.

 Formal education taught me management, marketing and strategy.  There was no mention of cheating in any book, or any classroom.  That would have to be learned later, if that was your aim.  I was never clever enough to be a creative accountant.  Like my dad and mom, I was just a hard working guy, hoping to make a better life.

It took me two years to earn more money than my dad ever had.  I say that, only because I never told him that, even though I knew that he would have been so proud to see me succeed.  

Several years later, I was promoted from my sales job to a marketing position, that was substantial in its scope.  I said "position", because that is an impressive term which would lead you to think that I had money and influence.  I said it to be funny.   Truth is, it was a very good job.  One of CIL's core businesses was the manufacture and distribution of much-required chemicals.  Chlorine, sulphur dioxide, and a myriad of acids and alkalies, required for water treatment and manufacturing.  I got to oversee the output of the packaging facilities and set the strategic goals, including an oversight of the sales function.  There were few direct reports, but significant staff dependent on my decisions, including packaging plants in Cornwall and Vancouver.

The real joke.  Although I gained salary and had a cool job, I lost my company car.  I moved up the corporate ladder only to lose real income.  I had to buy a new car.  I was so clever.  And so poor.  

We sold liquid chlorine in containers of two sizes.  The first, for smaller sites held 125 lbs.  The second, mostly for water filtration plants, weigher in at 2200 lbs.  We colloquially, called them "tonners".  A metric ton. (tonne).  Sorry.  Too much detail.  

There were three Canadian manufacturers and distributors of chlorine.  One, Hooker Chemical, headquartered in the U.S. had its packaging site underneath a significant highway bridge, right inside the city of Vancouver.  As you might imagine, a very dangerous situation.  I took it on myself, to visit the manager of that plant and discuss the future of their business.  I knew that Hooker would not want an accident, like a chlorine leak, ever to occur, as it would be disastrous for them, but even more dangerous for any people in the area.  And this was a busy and growing area.  After meeting all morning, and followed by the requisite business lunch, we came to an agreement.  The only stumbling block, was profitability.  Chlorine was an extremely lucrative  business.  One martini makes for good conversation.  Two, brings home the truth.

At the end of that day, Canada had only two companies in the chlorine business.  The truth was that Hooker could not , and did not want, an incident in Canada.  This business was small potatoes for them.

We moved all of their container inventory to Cornwall, to be tested, refurbished, if necessary, and repainted to our CIL colors.  They would shutter their plant and sell the land.  I had authority to spend a significant amount of money to make this idea a reality.  It cost us nothing.  The conscientious corporate decision was to get out of Dodge.  And they, absolutely, did the right thing.

And it was pretty good for us, too.

So now there were two.  The entire market now had only two choices.  May the best man win, as they say.  But no.  

Greed just happens.  It looks too easy.  An already extremely profitable business.  A captive market.  What could be better.

Mid- morning, I was in my office and my phone rang.  It was an old business friend of mine, and a former colleague, who had left, earlier, for greener pastures.  He was the business manager of our only remaining competitor.  Some small-talk.  Old times.  A joke or two.  And then he opened the door.  He intimated, that as our companies had previously done, he would announce a price increase at the beginning of the next month, as it was their time to go first, and we could follow the month after, with our own, matching price . A nice little "organized market", in business lexicon.  

I was, honestly, aghast.  I have never had reason in my life, to use that word.  But at that moment, I can think of no better adjective.  It is the exact, correct word.  This was shocking.  Jarring.   Now, I had to make a decision.  A critical decision.  Had this been going on?  Was I just expected to follow suit?  Was this an unwritten part of my job description?  The lure of easy money.  More corporate profits.  No waves on the water.

"Who the fuck do you think you are talking to.  If you ever call me again, I will call the police.  Do you understand?"  

He hung up.

My  former manager, mentor, and friend, Don Young, had always told me that there would always be challenges in the corporate world, but I would never be in trouble if I did what I believed to be the right thing.  Stuff you would tell your children.  This claim, in the adult world, was about to be tested.  

My new boss, Bud Mann, was every bit as honest as was Don.  There was appreciation and congratulations for my actions.  I could have done nothing else.  There was never a choice.  In fact, I received a letter of commendation for what had transpired in Vancouver.  It was flattering, and I was proud of our accomplishment.   I might have cost the company some guaranteed easy money, but my company, and those managers, were of the right stuff.   But how easy it might have been, for someone else, to cross that line of legality.  To forego ethics.  It is done, sadly, and it is bad for industry's reputation.  One bad apple hurts all of us.

                                                                   A year or two ago

All of that was good character-building, but I was still hurting in my wallet.  I still needed a car. And that is another incredible story, still to come.  In the meantime, public transportation in Toronto, was exceptional.  Easy rider.

Please take care of each other.

We will be traveling, so please forgive my disappearance next week.  Be back later.

Share your love.  Costs you nothing, and is worth everything. 

jrobinmullen@gmail.com