Thread: Conferences  (BethanUK & Charmsnake)

CharmSnake said Nobody wanted to be stuck up north in February, so Miami was an obviously choice for the quarterly meetings. All the branches were there with their managers and their entourages. Outside the windows, the Atlantic stretched out in deep bright blue in the sunshine and the storefronts and beach parasols gleamed an array of summery colors defying the time of year. Inside the hotel conference room was drab grey with the dull tones of import wholesale across all the tables. Those who were keen followed every matter while others found idle distraction in the monotony of the meetings, but all eyes snapped to attention when Lyndon McMillan was introduced as the Operations Manager for the Houston branch. Lyndon stood tall and lean in his steel blue attire as he addressed the room. Despite being backlit by the Florida sun, his stern brow and long sculpted face maintained a glow as he reported of the recently opened crossdock operation, complete with power point slideshow. The Galveston location accessible by sea and rail allows us to import all goods from Mexico, Central and South America for easy direct distribution throughout the United States, he continued. While most would button their jacket to stand, Lyndon left his open with one hand casually in his hip pocket. Coupled with our in house customs brokerage, we've cut out significant middling and overhead and cut import costs by nearly forty percent. The images on the projection on the wall to his left depicted an efficient operation of forklifts, trucks, containers and cranes with people in clean uniforms and hard hats conferring and nodding at checklists. Although we do not do the volume of our west coast branches, our profit numbers are catching up with theirs. Keith Hickson, the Houston branch manager, and Charmaine Freel, Houston's accounts manager, sat silently smug on either side of him as he spoke. Lyndon's dark hair waved subtly, about as rebelliously as LFP Imports' stodgy guidelines would allow, and his light brown eyes accented by his coppery tie betrayed the trace of latin in his blood. He concluded to field questions. If, as you say, you don't have the volume of the west coast, why go to all the expense of such a large in house operation? asked Tim Wheatley from the San Diego branch. Why don't you? answered Lyndon. San Diego has 360 of the volume that we have in Houston. We're the second largest wholesale importer in the country and San Diego is the second largest operation in our network. Lyndon peered expectantly Tim's way for an explanation that never came. Start-up costs are always recoupable. Now we have a working blueprint. All right thank you Houston and Mr McMillan, grunted the old grey lump Mr Fillmore, the head of the board and the F in LFP. I think it's safe to say that the Houston crossdock is a model for the rest of the logistical operations to follow. Lyndon nodded quietly and retook his seat. You killed it Lyndon, Keith whispered. You make us look good. I know, Lyndon winked as he scanned the faces through the room. Click to expand... As Lyndon sat down, knowing he had won that battle, Tim Wheatley turned to his left and whispered God that guy is a jerk. He may have them eating out of the palm of his hand now, but let's see how they do as volumes increase and they have to take on more people. Sitting to Tim's left was Bethan Roberts, the new accounts manager at the San Diego branch. This was her first quarterly meeting since she had been appointed to the role and she sat wide eyed taking in all the political machinations that were unfolding in front of her. She was glad that she was only expected to be a spectator to the gladiatorial combat taking place in the boardroom arena. This was so different to her experiences back in her native England, where she had been accounts manager at a smallish privately-owned haulage company. The owners liked and trusted her and were devastated when she told them she was emigrating to the USA due to her husband transferring with his job. Steve worked for a biotech company and his employer wanted him to help open a facility in San Diego. It was too good an opportunity to refuse, though Bethan had been upset about leaving her role. Fortunately she found something almost immediately after arriving and here she was. Bethan didn't really know how to reply to Tim, so she just nodded and whispered I agree, hoping he wouldn't notice she didn't have a clue. She ran her fingers through her brunette hair, something she often did when a little nervous although she hardly ever noticed she was actually doing it. Soon they were on to the next agenda item and two more rutting stags took to the stage.