getting more business education

AN EDUCATION

About two months ago I received a call from a guy in a foreign country inquiring about a sleep system. He told me he had scrutinized my web site and was now somewhat educated about my sleeping bags and the Lamilite insulation. He further told me of a tender that would be issued by his country’s military for 5000 sleeping systems. At this point I knew of the tender but chose not to let him know what I knew.

We had a number of e mails as well as additional telephone conversations. He is the vice president of a publicly traded company in his country. He also told me that had a garment manufacturing division. That peaked my interest because they could ultimately make the bags and they could also make cold weather outerwear. Of course they would be purchasing Lamilite for whatever insulated products they chose to make. I offered to give them an exclusive arrangement for two years and if it proved profitable for each of us it would be extended.

He and a colleague came to GJ for a get to know each other meeting and to sign non-disclosure letters, which they did without hesitation. Things at this point look very promising to me and I believe them as well.

He told me again of his time spent on the web site reading will what I wrote. Talk is cheap. At one point during our discussion the subject or goretex was broached to which I said it does not work; which he should have known from my writings. I asked if he knew what the body gave off as sweat and he said vapor. I then said that he apparently did not read all that I wrote because in the past 3 months I wrote that the body gives off water and not vapor. So much for his stated comments about studiously reading what I have written.

I gave him an proposal that would pay me a consulting fee and I would work with their factory people as well as give then detailed information as to why I do the things I do that make my bags the best in the world. I also told him many of his countries soldiers have purchased them directly from me. He told me in his meeting with the military my bags were mentioned to him. That put a smile on my face as you can imagine. His company is a significant government supplier so I guess they steered him in my direction.

Now for the beginning of my education; he had to go to his board he told me with my proposal and if they agreed we could get started. In our conversation he told me that the CEO and board of directors would want to know a time frame to see when they would be getting a return on their investment. That is a subject I have never given though too with respect to making a new product for Wiggy’s to sell. Of course I am the CEO as well as the board of directors at Wiggy’s. The CEO and board of directors have one concern and one concern only and that is developing shareholder value. My guess based upon my knowledge is the fact that they would need about a year to get the product correct in manufacturing as well as developing an efficient cost effective production line, and as such they would not be generating revenues that would be profitable until of course they received the contract for the bags which would be in excess of one million dollars. What actually happens with respect to this company is who knows. The reality is I have been working with other companies who will be bidding my bags anyway. Any one of them can win and that means I make them since they do not have their own factory.

As I pondered this new knowledge I thought about the boot industry and why they will not examine what I have done and started to make the necessary changes to incorporate Lamilite and eliminate goretex.

There are three levels below the CEO and board of directors. The lowest level is the product developers, the second level is the manufacturing and the third level is sales and marketing. Marketing goes to the developers and tells them they would like to see new and improved product. If the developers were to use the Lamilite and eliminate the goretex based upon what they may have learned they then show their samples to manufacturing so they can examine how best to use the new material; Lamilite, and eliminate the use of the goretex and maybe even Thinsulate. Now the developers go to the sales and marketing people and show them and explain to them what they have created.

At this moment the sales and marketing people say; “what no goretex”, we can’t not have goretex in our boots. The developers say but we know it doesn’t work and we have been reading and hearing very positive comments about Lamilite. The sales and marketing people say we have millions of dollars’ worth of advertising for years and ALL of our competition is using goretex so regardless we have to continue to use it and we are not pioneers having to educate people when we use a new material.

If sales and marketing agree to offer a new material in their product that works but sales are sluggish at first the CEO at the behest of the board of directors will ask why they made the change because sluggish sales hurt shareholder value.

You now know why product development from USA based companies is sluggish at best or non-existent and it all has to do with shareholder value. If product that does not perform as is the case with all goretex and like made materials in garments and footwear or all sleeping bags and jackets made with chopped staple fiber such as Primaloft or softie or down it is of no interest to the sales and marketing people because their job is to show the CEO and board of director profitable sales and nothing more or less.Product performance never enters the equation.

I am of the belief that the whole of the boot industry as well as the jacket industry are steadfastly arrogant and are adamant about goretex and all other like materials that they will continue to use these materials regardless how many people voice their opinion based upon the knowledge they have gained using products made with these materials that do not work. And they like to say they listen to their customers, really!

WHAT MY CUSTOMERS TELL ME

Jerry,

So sorry about your boot situation, I feel very fortunate that I have my Chukka boots, which are the best and most comfortable boots I've ever owned. Oh yes, I'm 64 years old.

Thank you for not believing the manufactured climate change hoopla. (But I do believe in climate change, it happens daily, and you cannot change that fact.)

Steve B Arcadia, FL

Your socks have changed my world~!

I’m so looking forward to wearing the boots that are to be arriving soon.

Michael S

Great Cold Weather Jacket

Jerry, I’ve been buying your products for several years now trying to replace all of my cold weather hunting gear. So far everything I've purchased is working as advertised and I will continue purchasing your products. The Ducksback sweater is a warm addition that I'm very satisfied with. Please offer your gear in more hunting camouflage patterns, since I'm sure this appeal’s to your fellow hunters.

I've been following your boot dilemma I have a pair of your Lamilite boots and love them. Since you are convinced you are out of the boot business, please consider offering your Lamilite socks in an L-6 platform. I have the Sunwalkers for PAC Boots and would think L-6 sock would suffice for a thicker sock in an oversized non Gortex hunting boot. Looking forward to this hunting season since cold weather is no longer an issue. Let’s see some more videos.

Thanks

– Shawn

Actually I have been giving some thought to another video, maybe soon.

I have yet to read anywhere any positive comments the likes of which I get and certainly not even remotely the volume.

I wait with bated breath for one of the companies to one day takes me up on my challenge to come to Grand Junction Colorado and present me with evidence that the product they make with any of the materials I have exposed as bogus that it is not. I am not holding my breath.