| 1 |
Excuse me, you are a captain, right? Do you have a moment? I have a business proposal for you. We can stop by for some fish and chips. I do enjoy them even though I am not British. |
| 2 |
Actually, I am from Germany. I am here to learn about shipbuilding. It’s well known that the British are great at building ships. I have some experience with building wooden ships but that is not enough. |
| 3 |
I have a friend back in Hamburg, Ernst Voss. We have an agreement that once I get back to Germany we are opening our own shipyard. We could use another business partner with experience. |
| 4 |
So are you interested? We will need some starting investment of course and then your help with building up the shipyard. But there is hardly any competition in Germany right now. |
| 5 |
I am glad you are on board. I will just finish my business here in London and then we can meet in Hamburg. Let’s say in a week or so. You can also bring some ship parts for starters. |
| 6 |
Great to see you again, captain. I have purchased an old shipyard on the island Kuhwerder. Let’s go see it. We will have to put a fence around it before we begin the reconstruction. |
| 7 |
So what do you say? We will need some workers and material to make this shipyard functional again. But I think it is a perfect location. Can you take care of finding the workforce? |
| 8 |
To lower the cost of rebuilding the shipyard, we will provide free food for the workers. The river Elbe which flows through Hamburg is full of fish. Or you could just sail to the sea, it’s not far from here. |
| 9 |
You can start collecting materials for the reconstruction of the shipyard. I am going to work on some ship designs. Once the place is functional again, we will start building ships right away. |
| 10 |
There will be three building berths in the shipyard. That way we can work on the construction of three vessels at the same time. The details are all noted in the construction document. |
| 11 |
I will introduce you to my friend Ernst Voss tomorrow. He will be the other partner in the company. Most Germans love beer, but he is a true wine lover. So bring a bottle or two. |
| 12 |
We have agreed on the official details yesterday. Our company will be registered under the name B&V. We just have to deposit the registration fee and the officialties will be done. |
| 13 |
I would like for our shipyard to specialize in the construction of steel-hulled vessels. The wooden ships are a thing of the past. But of course, we will first have to make a name for ourselves. |
| 14 |
We need to make the local ship-owners know about us. I have already posted a few ads in the newspaper. But word of mouth is for free. Let’s take the rumors of B&V among the local fishermen. |
| 15 |
The shipyard is ready for the grand opening. The only thing we need is the employees. People with experience in the construction industry and sailing are all welcome. |
| 16 |
I have managed to get us our first commission. It’s only ship repair but we have to start somehow. I will brief our employees and you deliver the materials. This has to be done flawlessly. |
| 17 |
The shipowner was very pleased with our work on his vessel. He must have spread the word about us because we have a new commission already. We have to fix the sails on this ship. |
| 18 |
We could use a regular office building in the shipyard. It’s good to have close contact with the workers but when I sit in the workshop I am often too distracted to do my job properly. |
| 19 |
With the repair jobs coming in we can afford to pay our employees more. I just hope we will get to the construction of new ships too. I did not plan to found a ship repairing company. |
| 20 |
It’s here! Our first order for a completely new ship. It will be a small paddle steamer named Burg. She will have an iron hull and wooden decks. |
| 21 |
New orders are piling up and the business is booming. I knew we could do it. We will need more employees to complete all orders on time. Can I leave recruitment to you? |
| 22 |
I have been thinking about using new materials in our next vessels. What do you think could be beneficial? Can you bring me a different metal than iron this time? |
| 23 |
There is still demand for wooden boats. Even though I would like to specialize in modern metal ships, we have to deliver what the client requests. So let’s get some wood for the next vessels. |
| 24 |
My sons Rudolf and Walther are now old enough to start working at the company. But I won’t be giving them any special treatment. They will do the hard job like any other employee. |
| 25 |
The boys have to experience the hard work at the shipyard. Only then can they get an office job with a higher wage. They will be taking over the company once I retire, so I want them to know all about it. |
| 26 |
It’s already December and I want to surprise our employees with a Christmas party. Nothing too fancy, just a pleasant gathering with some food and music. Can you take care of the catering? |
| 27 |
What would be a Christmas party without some sweet cookies? I know a wonderful baker in the city. She will bake the cookies for half the price if we bring her the ingredients. |
| 28 |
The party was a blast. I can see the employees are much more motivated to work now. The holidays are coming and the shipyard will be closed. We need to finish two more vessels by then. |
| 29 |
We will need a few more temporary workers to finish the ships before the holidays. You are always so resourceful when it comes to finding new employees. Can you find us some help? |
| 30 |
The vessels are ready for launch. There are just some details that need to be completed afterward. Mainly the inner furnishing. We will need some wood for that. |
| 31 |
Did you have pleasant holidays, captain? I hope you are rested and ready to get back to work. I have not been idle during Christmas. I have a plan to expand our portfolio. It will need some investment first. |
| 32 |
We should be making some other vehicles apart from ships. And what better choice than airplanes. I foresee a large increase in air travel in the future. This could earn us a fortune. |
| 33 |
We will have to build a new hall where we can construct the aircrafts. We will start by making flying boats or seaplanes. I have already a few designs in my head. |
| 34 |
My sons are going to take care of the shipbuilding part of the company. We are going to announce the changes at a common company lunch tomorrow. Please, take care of the food. |
| 35 |
The new hall for building flying boats is ready. You can start delivering materials for the first aircraft. We will need mainly iron and other metals. |
| 36 |
I have discussed my plans with Ernst and he agrees that getting into the aircraft industry is a good move. We should find some people with experience in aircraft construction. |
| 37 |
The new employees have significantly raised our production costs. Let’s hope our aircraft production will be a success. |
| 38 |
The first flying boat by B&V will be launched tomorrow. We will make a small event for our clients and media to present our new product. Prepare some small food and desserts for tomorrow. |
| 39 |
Our first flying boat already has a buyer. And we have also some orders for new ships and aircrafts. The company is prospering nicely so I feel it is a good time to step down. |
| 40 |
My sons will take over my part of the company. Ernst will still remain as a partner but I think he will step down in a few years too. We have built something great and now it’s time for a well-deserved rest. |
| Final |
You have helped build up this company so you deserve an appropriate reward. Thank you, captain. |
HERMANN BLOHM
44,174,000
70
24,080,000
39,377,000
19,351,000
13,192,000
32,166,000
2,600
25,000
32,000
36,000
40,000
43,000
47,000
50,000