looked away from the facade of the building and narrowed his eyes on the hills in the distance.
“But to me there is nothing personal at all here.” Dora gave a sniff, frowned, then brought her full attention to bear on Adam, or as much of her attention as she gave to anyone in his position. “It’s just business.”
“But it won’t be to my family.” He motioned toward the back door marked Employees Only and pulled a key from his pocket. He unlocked the door, feeling a twinge of guilt about it. Dora didn’t want to recognize the personal connection but she had no problem using it to give her a slight edge in her decision-making process. “My older brother and father would rather drive this business into the ground than to have to admit they needed me to broker the deal that would keep them afloat.”
“That’s why they are in the shape they are in.” She crossed the threshold into the dimly lit hallway. “Can’t run a successful business like that, right?”
Adam assumed she didn’t actually expect him to answer. Surely Dora had her own business opinions and theories.
He reached out and even in the darkness knew just where to find the light switch. It was a little like coming home to be here now. The comforting whirr of the fluorescent lights. The echo of their footsteps on the concrete floor. The familiar smell of the day’s baking still lingered in the air.
Adam looked at the key in his hand, then down the length of the hallway with office doors on both sides. Then he searched beyond to the factory proper at the far end. Whether Dora wanted a response or not, he felt he had to say one thing. “They made a success of it for a lot of years.”
“I know.” There was an uncharacteristic kindness to her voice. Then she cleared her throat and took a step down the hall. “I’ve seen the profit-and-loss statements for the last decade. Mostly loss the last few years.”
Adam squared his shoulders. “We can change all that.”
“ Global can change all that.” She did not snap or come off defensive. If anything, Adam picked up a note of weariness, perhaps resignation in her reply. “And I know perfectly well what Global is capable of doing.”
So did Adam, which was why he wanted to hear what Dora had in mind before Global went after the Crumble. They couldn’t buy the company out if they didn’t want to sell. Since the company was privately held, they could not force a hostile takeover.
What they could do was look at the company from every angle and see how they could make their own Crumble Pattie, bypassing the Burdetts altogether and undercutting their sales. That could put them out of business a full six months to a year sooner than the family would have managed to close the doors themselves. Or Global could come in, make a nice offer to take over the factory, let them keep their good name and take the Crumble Pattie to a national market as “one of the Global family of fine foods.” They could save the company.
Except Adam suspected his father and brothers would not see it that way.
“On the up side of things, the Carolina Crumble Pattie factory turns out a very good product.” She walked to the first office door and stopped to face it. Adam did not have to share her line of vision to know what name was painted in gold and black on the frosted glass: Conner Burdett—President. “They are a widely recognized brand in the region and a ready and loyal workforce.”
“That hasn’t changed,” he reminded her.
“You don’t have to sell me on this company, Burdett.” A few more steps and a half turn put her in front of Burke’s office door. She reached out to brush her fingertips over the name there. “I just needed to clap eyes on the physical locality before I make a recommendation to the higher-ups.”
“And that recommendation will be?” Burke’s deep voice startled Adam but seemed to have little effect on Dora.
Adam turned around and planted his feet shoulder width apart.
“But to me there is nothing personal at all here.” Dora gave a sniff, frowned, then brought her full attention to bear on Adam, or as much of her attention as she gave to anyone in his position. “It’s just business.”
“But it won’t be to my family.” He motioned toward the back door marked Employees Only and pulled a key from his pocket. He unlocked the door, feeling a twinge of guilt about it. Dora didn’t want to recognize the personal connection but she had no problem using it to give her a slight edge in her decision-making process. “My older brother and father would rather drive this business into the ground than to have to admit they needed me to broker the deal that would keep them afloat.”
“That’s why they are in the shape they are in.” She crossed the threshold into the dimly lit hallway. “Can’t run a successful business like that, right?”
Adam assumed she didn’t actually expect him to answer. Surely Dora had her own business opinions and theories.
He reached out and even in the darkness knew just where to find the light switch. It was a little like coming home to be here now. The comforting whirr of the fluorescent lights. The echo of their footsteps on the concrete floor. The familiar smell of the day’s baking still lingered in the air.
Adam looked at the key in his hand, then down the length of the hallway with office doors on both sides. Then he searched beyond to the factory proper at the far end. Whether Dora wanted a response or not, he felt he had to say one thing. “They made a success of it for a lot of years.”
“I know.” There was an uncharacteristic kindness to her voice. Then she cleared her throat and took a step down the hall. “I’ve seen the profit-and-loss statements for the last decade. Mostly loss the last few years.”
Adam squared his shoulders. “We can change all that.”
“ Global can change all that.” She did not snap or come off defensive. If anything, Adam picked up a note of weariness, perhaps resignation in her reply. “And I know perfectly well what Global is capable of doing.”
So did Adam, which was why he wanted to hear what Dora had in mind before Global went after the Crumble. They couldn’t buy the company out if they didn’t want to sell. Since the company was privately held, they could not force a hostile takeover.
What they could do was look at the company from every angle and see how they could make their own Crumble Pattie, bypassing the Burdetts altogether and undercutting their sales. That could put them out of business a full six months to a year sooner than the family would have managed to close the doors themselves. Or Global could come in, make a nice offer to take over the factory, let them keep their good name and take the Crumble Pattie to a national market as “one of the Global family of fine foods.” They could save the company.
Except Adam suspected his father and brothers would not see it that way.
“On the up side of things, the Carolina Crumble Pattie factory turns out a very good product.” She walked to the first office door and stopped to face it. Adam did not have to share her line of vision to know what name was painted in gold and black on the frosted glass: Conner Burdett—President. “They are a widely recognized brand in the region and a ready and loyal workforce.”
“That hasn’t changed,” he reminded her.
“You don’t have to sell me on this company, Burdett.” A few more steps and a half turn put her in front of Burke’s office door. She reached out to brush her fingertips over the name there. “I just needed to clap eyes on the physical locality before I make a recommendation to the higher-ups.”
“And that recommendation will be?” Burke’s deep voice startled Adam but seemed to have little effect on Dora.
Adam turned around and planted his feet shoulder width apart.
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