THE CALVERTS
Chapter Sixteen
November 20,
1920
John stepped into
the elevator, on his way to meet with Elizabeth. He wondered, as the elevator
neared the tenth floor, what was going on this time.
Expansion had
slowed the last two years, after the war had ended. It had ended much sooner
than anyone had expected, and hundreds of government contracts had abruptly
been canceled, including several held by Anders. Still, the business had
continued to prosper, making the transition from a wartime economy to a
peacetime one in record time. Unlike some businesses, Anders had anticipated
the war’s end, though they hadn’t known quite when it would occur. They had
been prepared to shift the focus from government to consumer at a time when
many industries were reeling from the sudden shock of the war’s end.
John had worked
steadily since June of 1918, running several departments of Anders and
overseeing the work in several more branches in other cities. Only one branch
had closed with the declining economy, and Elizabeth was already searching for
new markets and products. Numerous meetings had been held, and suggestions had
been made for where they might expand next, as well as suggestions as to how
they were going to hold their own in a declining economic environment.
Thus far, things
had gone well, although new expansion was being held off until the beginning of
the new year, at least. No one was quite sure what Elizabeth Anders’ plans
were; not even John, though he was near the top of the company and one of her
closest confidantes.
Knocking on
Elizabeth’s office door, he waited until he heard her voice summoning him
inside before opening it. As was usually the case, she sat at her oversized
desk, surrounded by paperwork. Her glasses were pushed far down her nose as she
examined a sales graph.
"John,"
Elizabeth greeted him. "Have a seat."
John cleared a
stack of papers from the center of the desk and sat down, looking at his
mother-in-law. The last time she had called him in here like this, she had been
explaining the duties of his new position. He wondered what she was up to now.
"I’ve finally
made up my mind about where to expand next," she told him without
preamble. "After much study and careful thought, I’ve decided to open a
branch of Anders in Cedar Rapids, Iowa."
"Where?"
"Cedar Rapids
is a town in the Midwest. It’s primarily a farming and food manufacturing area.
Several area businesses have gone bankrupt, so it’s the perfect time to move
in."
"What exactly
are you planning to move into?"
"The
manufacture of food products, of course. There’s no lack of local farmers
looking for a market, and no lack of people looking for work in that area. With
the economy as it is, we can make our move at little cost to us, and become
established before anyone else has a chance to take over."
"Are you
certain this is a wise move? Opening a new branch in an economically depressed
area?"
"There’s a
need for affordable food products, there and elsewhere. The market is open, and
I plan upon taking advantage of it."
"Who will be
going to Cedar Rapids to try to establish Anders there?"
"That’s where
you come in." She stood and walked to the window, then turned back to face
him. "I need someone I can trust, someone who knows what he’s doing. In
February, I will be sending you and the girls west for a time. You will take
whomever you think you need to get things established. I don’t know how long it
will take, but once Anders Cedar Rapids is established, you can come
back."
"Elizabeth..."
John hesitated. He knew that establishing the company in new area was a task
that needed the best, but he wasn’t so sure about leaving New York for an
extended period of time. "I don’t know that I want to do this. The girls
are settled here, doing well in school..."
"And you’re
settled here, too, but it’s about time you saw more of the country. Think about
it, John. How many immigrants have such an opportunity? Many of them come here,
and live their whole lives in one neighborhood, never seeing the great country
they came to be a part of. It wouldn’t be a permanent move--not unless you
wanted it to be. Once things are established, you will come back here, if that
is what you choose to do. If, however, you decide to stay, you will have full
control of Anders Cedar Rapids, until such time as you decide to rescind that
control."
John looked at her
closely, not quite believing what he was hearing. Full control of a part of the
company? He was near the top, but not so near that such a promotion was to be
expected. Why had Elizabeth chosen him, and not one of the other top managers?
"I’ve already
traveled to the area," Elizabeth went on. "There are good schools
there for the girls, and the town is not, as one might expect, completely
backwards. I think it would also do Mary and Nadia good to live somewhere other
than New York City for a time. New York is a great place; I won’t deny that,
but it isn’t the whole world. They need to see other things, other places, and
short trips aren’t going to let them really see what other parts of the country
are like."
"Have I caused
a problem somewhere?" John tried to think of some trouble that he might be
responsible for.
"Hardly."
Elizabeth laughed dryly. "If you were a threat to the company, I wouldn’t
be offering you this opportunity. I would have demoted or fired you. You may be
my son-in-law, and I would never see you and the girls out on the street, but I
won’t sacrifice what I’ve worked for. No, you’re the best man for the job, and
that’s why I’m sending you." She sat back down and looked at him.
"It’s only temporary, of course, unless you decide otherwise. But think of
what I’m offering you before you turn it down. You would be in charge of a
whole branch of the company, answering to no one except me. Since I trust your
judgment, I likely wouldn’t spend too much time breathing down your neck. You
would have near total autonomy. I know that you have never been entirely in
charge before, but I believe you can handle it."
"Your
intuition again?"
"My
‘intuition’, as you call it, has expanded this company far more than my
cautious late husband ever thought possible. You have the necessary skills and
experience. In addition," Elizabeth looked straight at him, "if you
take this position, you will be able to earn your business degree."
"I could do
that here."
"If you had
the time, which I don’t think you do. Between working long hours and taking
care of Mary and Nadia, you don’t have the time to pursue a degree here. The
pace of life is somewhat slower in the Midwest than it is here, and I think you
might just be able to accomplish it."
"At what
college? How am I supposed to earn a degree in a small farming town?"
"Cedar Rapids,
as I’ve said, isn’t that backward--or that small. There is a college there, Coe
College. Your education, of course, will be at Anders’ expense. I realize that
you are quite a bit older than most students, and could probably teach the
professors a thing or two, but you’ll be working in a new environment. It could
be valuable for you to learn how things work there, and how things might work
in a changing world. Things aren’t the same now as they were before the war, as
I’m sure you’ve noticed. The world is changing, and a successful executive
needs to change with it."
John sat back,
thinking over what Elizabeth had said. She was right that the world was
changing, but he wasn’t sure that he wanted to make the move west, into a
completely unfamiliar environment. He had never worked in the Midwest, and the
only business trips to the western part of the country he had taken were to San
Francisco.
"How soon do
you need an answer?" he asked, still mulling the matter over.
"By the first
of December, so that I can choose someone else to go in your place, if
necessary. Of course, if you decide to stay here, you will keep the position
you have now, but a move west would offer benefits that you won’t get here.
Aside from the business degree, you will receive a substantial raise in
salary."
"I already
make quite a lot."
"But you could
make more. I know that it isn’t something Miriam would have thought highly of,
but it wouldn’t be, as she sometimes said, money stained with blood. Anders
Cedar Rapids will maintain the same standards as Anders New York, and will
bolster the economy of the area. No one will be harmed by this, with the
possible exception of a few competitors who didn’t move quickly enough."
"You
hope."
"Everything is
a risk, but I see more risk in maintaining the status quo than in looking for
new markets. I have looked everything over, studied it carefully, and have come
to the conclusion that this is where our next move should be. Will you help
establish Anders Cedar Rapids?"
John though about
it, still hesitant about the idea. "Will you allow me to think it over,
first?" he asked her, his mind already debating the issue.
"Of course.
You have until December first to decide whether to go at all, and until the
company is established there to decide whether or not to stay."