COLUMNS
|
The Buddy Boy Chronicles - Prologue / A Journey
by Rory Hinchey
Prologue:
Buddy Boy* sits in the study of his well-appointed manor 20 kilometers east of Munich. It is winter, 2011. With cognac glass in hand, blue tick hound at heel, and strains of Schubert lilting through the cozy, dimly-lit room, via telephone he takes time to impart upon me the details of things past, things present, and the prospects of the future.
A Journey:
The train pulled gracefully into the yard. There was a spring in Buddy Boy's step as he left of the warmth of the station for the brisk morning air. While he patiently waited for the passengers to disembark, Buddy Boy couldn't help but admire the rail-based vehicle before him. Ah, the train! The traveler's mode of travel. The airplane may boast efficiency and expediency, but the train still retained superiority for continental movement, allowing a man to rest comfortably in spaciousness, marvel at the European countryside, and enjoy his preference of a pleasant meal, all while moving towards a destination of his choosing. Moreover, on this particular day, quiet relaxation and reflection could be of benefit, as even with his current state of elation, Buddy Boy could not help but feel a little anxious about what would soon transpire. In less than 24 hours, he would sign the papers for the acquisition of the Blackwell-Mevse company, hence marking the first instance of pure inorganic growth for Buddy Boy Enterprises since 2007. The deal had been too long in the making; while the occasional setback is expected in matters such as these, even Buddy Boy's patience had been tested in dealing with the Blackwell-Mevse executives. First, part of Blackwell-Mevse's buyout proposal had called for the guaranteed retention of a fairly large percentage of their employee pool. Such a request would be troublesome for any acquisition, but this problem was exacerbated by the fact that there were certain individuals within the organization whose competence he doubted. Secondly, there had been an annoying degree of difficulty in obtaining accurate documents pertaining to the bookkeeping of Blackwell-Mevse. The issue of past accounting practices was particularly prominent within the large Canadian division of the company (itself a past acquisition of Blackwell-Mevse) in relation to their transition from Canadian GAAP to IFRS. The list went on and on. But as with business, so with life, Buddy Boy had learned long ago not to feel offset by adversity or even small failures, just as he would not allow himself to feel elevated by miniscule degrees of success. At least now, the conclusion of this chapter was upon him. Buddy Boy had no doubts that, once properly consolidated into the context of Buddy Boy Enterprises, Blackwell-Mevse would both enhance existing divisions of his company, and function well as a department in its own right. And, in spite of the spirit of employee protectionism outlined in the acquisition papers, he was convinced that those individuals with whom he took issue could be rooted out in creative ways. The situation, as he seen it, had potential.
For the much of his journey, Buddy Boy casually enjoyed his soymilk and copy of Handelsblatt, pausing occasionally to allow himself the luxury of jotting notes concerning the direction in which he would like to take Blackwell-Mevse.
With the stop in Praha came a large influx of new passengers. Soon, the seating compartment, which he previously had to himself, was now shared with two men his junior. Appearing weary, yet strangely optimistic, the pair smelled faintly of rough schnapps, and carried with them more than their fair share of baggage. One of the two was dressed as decently as was possible in what appeared to be military issue surplus clothing, the other, with his long beard and thinning hair, had an appearance to him somewhere between that of a college professor and a modern terrorist. In typical American style, they were rather boisterous in their discussions, and while Buddy Boy could not be bothered to converse with either of the men, he was not irritated by their banter. He even felt comfortable enough to leave his possessions in their company as he went to the dining car, an act which they later reciprocated. Buddy Boy parted ways with the Americans in Bratislava, smiling at them through their window as he himself made his way to the station. It was in this city he would meet with the heads of Blackwell-Mevse to sign the papers which would make the acquisition official.
(The Buddy Boy Chronicles continues next month with An Illustration)
* Names and personal details have been intentionally obscured in order to preserve the anonymity of the individuals discussed herein.
|
