He let me know what was appropriate and inappropriate as far as what the other parties were asking. Allied Investment Corporation was attracted to this investment because of the people involved. Elf Atochem had not been proactive in its management of the facility. We felt we had an outstanding management team and that this company was likely to succeed if given a chance. When Cooper bought the Seagraves plant, all the employees kept their jobs.
Cooper believes in empowering the workers and drawing from their experience.
One of the plant operators made a suggestion for improving plant productivity. The engineers doubted it would work, but Cooper decided to try it. By May 1997, production was at an all-time high.