67. Thirty One
Balhae Sports.
When Yeong-mi’s father opened the door to the executive office, a man bowed his head to the uncle.
Young-mi’s father said to me.
“This is Assistant Manager Kim Yeon-san. As the secretary of the executive office, I am in charge of computer system management and overseas import/export related work. If you need anything in the future, you can just ask Deputy Kim.”
One deputy-level employee is in charge of executive secretarial work, computer system management, and import/export work?
For your reference, import/export-related work must know not only the inventory of major raw materials used in the factory, but also the quantity of products produced according to the operating status of the factory.
Although Balhae Sports is a relatively small company, is this really the amount of work that one person can handle?
After the first greeting with Deputy Assistant Manager Kim Yeon-san, we entered the uncle’s office.
Deputy Kim handed me a blue file and said:
“This is the material I prepared for today’s executive meeting.”
I received the file, and Young-mi’s father said to Deputy Kim.
“Isn’t the board meeting at 11 o’clock?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then I have more than two hours to spare, so I will go to the bank. Then you two are talking.”
So Yeong-mi’s father got up from his seat, and only me and Kim Yeon-san were left in the executive office.
When I opened the blue file, Deputy Kim opened his mouth.
“Director Chae, I prepared mainly materials about the company’s management and financial situation.”
Deputy Director Kim Yeon-san’s face looked like he was in his late twenties.
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No matter how small it is, about mid-20s?
In other words, 8-10 years older than me.
“Director Kim, I’m very young, so when it’s just the two of us, don’t be too formal and it’s okay to talk a little more comfortably.”
“haha! no. This is convenient. In the company, it is most convenient to follow the company rules.”
He smiled slightly at me and started explaining the material in the file one by one.
In the middle of the explanation, when I asked a question, he kindly answered it.
Among the questions I asked, there were some that required meticulous checking of past data, but strangely enough, he seemed to anticipate what I was going to ask.
As soon as my question was finished, his answer came back.
perhaps… Maybe the data I wanted were already stored in his head.
Balhae Sports President’s Office.
An executive meeting has begun.
It was an informal meeting, as the Anglo-American father said, but it was true that it was a little tense.
There were a total of four agendas for today’s executive meeting.
1. Selected as a distributor in Uruguay
2. Siheung warehouse license
3. Management Reorganization
4. Appointment of plant manager Lee Seong-won
“Let’s start right away.”
With the words of President Choi Moo-sik, Young-mi’s father started talking about the achievements of this business trip to Uruguay.
It is said that negotiations were conducted with a total of four distributors, and positive responses were received from two of them.
Young-mi’s father said, handing out documents including a table summarizing the conditions suggested by the two distributors.
“The first is a company called Futbol o muerte. This is a company that only deals with soccer products, and there are stores that we run as well as distribution, so we have received the promotional conditions.”
“… .”
“However, this place has a relatively small distribution network. We are limited to two provinces: Montevideo and Canelones.”
The Anglo-American father continued the story, saying that there are 19 states in Uruguay.
“The second company is Medalla de oro, which deals with almost all sporting goods as well as soccer products, and since it is only a distribution company, it is impossible to promote our products. Instead, we have distribution networks all over Uruguay.”
President Choi Moo-sik opened his mouth as he checked the documents that Young-mi’s father had given him.
“The second vendor definitely looks good. Just looking at the financial statements, if the size of the company is much larger and the distribution network is also large, it doesn’t seem like such a difficult decision.”
Young-mi’s father nodded and said.
“There is no difference in terms of delivery between the two companies, but the second company has a lot of experience with foreign countries, so it’s even more reassuring.”
When starting a business with a foreign distributor, one of the things that must be checked is the objective trustworthiness of the partner company.
In the worst case, all the export goods have been prepared and shipped, because there is a possibility that the payment may not be received.
Especially if it’s a company in a small country in South America that we don’t know very well.
So, the fact that the counterparty had experience in dealings with foreign companies meant that the objective reliability of the company was verified to some extent.
At the words of Young-mi’s father, CEO Choi smiled and said.
“Then what has been decided? ha ha ha!”
He turned his head and spoke to me.
“What are your thoughts on moving Chae?”
I opened my mouth carefully.
“In conclusion, I like the first, Football o Muerte.”
At my words, CEO Choi asked me with a puzzled expression.
“Why do you think so?”
It’s now January 1998.
Balhae Sports has recorded the worst domestic sales since its foundation.
Warehouses were full of inventory, and factory utilization fell below 15% and virtually stopped.
In other words, this export to Uruguay was a matter of life and death for the company.
For this reason, for today’s executive meeting, there was a lot of preparation at the company level, and I also had materials prepared about the four distributors my father had negotiated with.
I opened the bag and handed the prepared documents to CEO Choi and Young-mi’s father.
“This is a newspaper article from a local newspaper in Atlanta, USA, about the second company, Medalla de Oro.”
Young-mi’s father and CEO Choi’s expressions hardened when they checked the data I gave them.
It was a brief newspaper article about a trade fraud involving an American manufacturer doing export deals through Medalla de Oro.
“And in the next chapter, there are two more articles with similar content. All articles published in 1997. I haven’t been able to verify that these newspaper articles are 100% true. However, I think it is right to avoid a company that has had many unfortunate incidents like this.”
Young-mi’s father nodded and said to me.
“Where did you find these newspaper articles?”
“If you access the US university library through the Internet, you can search for a variety of materials. Among them, there is a place where you can find news information, so I searched by the name of a Uruguayan company.”
At my words, I could feel the expressions of Young-mi’s father and Choi’s expressions change little by little.
It felt like the tension had eased a bit.
I took a deep breath and continued.
“And although there are 19 states in Uruguay, in fact, Montevideo and Canelones have 60% of Uruguay’s total population, so I don’t think the first one necessarily has a small distribution network.”
When I finished my words, CEO Choi said.
“I think Chae’s words are true, but what do you think of Executive Director Kim?”
Young-mi’s father nodded to CEO Choi, smiled at me and said:
“I didn’t expect that I would have prepared this much… haha! Let’s go ahead and sign a contract with Football O Muerte.”
The second issue was the right to use the Siheung warehouse.
There was nothing to discuss in particular as it was a matter that had been previously agreed upon verbally.
So, instead of using the Siheung warehouse for free for Balhae Sports, the bill that I exercise 10% of the company’s stake was passed.
When we started the third agenda for management reorganization, President Choi Moo-sik’s face hardened with tension, and on the contrary, Young-mi’s father’s expression was relaxed.
Young-mi’s father told me
“For the third agenda, how about hearing the opinion of Chae first?”
I wet my mouth with the drink from the glass and said.
“In conclusion, I want President Moo-sik Choi to continue to run the company.”
A smile spread across President Choi’s face at my words, while Young-mi’s father’s lips narrowed.
I was talking.
“CEO Choi has been running the company since September last year, and if I dare to evaluate it, I think he has led the company well in a really difficult time.”
This was true.
Considering the recent economic situation that has reached extremes, it was CEO Choi who played an important role in the survival of Balhae Sports.
It was a pity for the employees who had left the factory, but in the current situation, for the survival of the company, CEO Choi, who played the villain rather than Young-mi’s father, was needed.
I said to CEO Choi, who was nodding his head with a satisfied expression.
“Instead, there are two conditions.”
“… ?”
“First, I would like CEO Choi to continue to run the factory.”
At my words, Choi Moo-sik’s expression hardened.
The fourth agenda item for today’s meeting was the appointment of Seong-Won Lee as a plant manager, who was a member of the so-called CEO Choi line.
The superficial reason was that CEO Choi dropped out of the factory operation line and would focus on company management, but he had many intentions to raise his own rank by raising his own person, Seong-won Lee, the manager of the plant to executives.
I was talking.
“The second condition is that while CEO Choi concentrates on the operation of the factory, how about managing director Sang-in Kim in charge of domestic sales?”
“… !”
“This time in Uruguay, we got good conditions from two distributors, so we were in a situation where we chose them. So, I think it would be better for Executive Director Kim to take charge of the domestic sales side.”
Over the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot.
After thinking for so long, I realized that my position with a 10% stake is a very difficult position.
If there was a difference of opinion between President Choi and Young-mi’s father, it was me who made the final decision.
But I only make decisions, and no power is given to me.
You have to make an important decision, but you don’t have the power.
This is the perfect place to spit.
In order to make a decision that minimizes the dissatisfaction between President Choi Moo-sik and Yeong-mi’s father, and at the same time not to pretend to be Choi or Yeong-mi’s father, and to make a decision that will help Balhae Sports survive in this difficult time. repeated worries.
At my words, CEO Choi said to Young-mi’s father.
“If my father were still alive, I think he would have said the same things that Isa Chae said now.”
When the board meeting was over, Kim Yeon-san brought the revised articles of incorporation, and I signed the articles of association with the seal I prepared.
Assistant Manager Yeonsan Kim handed me a piece of paper and said:
“If you fill it out, we will send it to the HR department immediately for processing.”
It was an employee personal information document.
As a high school student, I didn’t have much to write about my academic background or military service.
It was all about your name, social security number, address, contact information, and family relationships.
Deputy Director Kim Yeon-san’s expression hardened when he received the documents I had written.
“I… Director?”
“Yes, Deputy Kim.”
“By the way, here’s the phone number… It says XXX-5399, is this your home number?”
“Yes, it’s our house number. If any problem… ?”
“Oh, nothing.”