The Factory Extension Meeting

(In Hector Grant’s office.)

Hector Grant: Is the Board Room ready for the meeting, Miss Corby?

Elisabeth Corby: Yes, Mr Grant.

Grant: Where's the agenda?

Elisabeth: It's in the folder. Also a copy of the minutes of the last meeting.

Grant: I shall need the drawing of the new extension. Where's that?

Elisabeth: It's in the folder, too.

Grant: You haven't forgotten anything?

Elisabeth: I don't think so, Mr Grant.

(The meeting has just started)

Grant: Well, gentlemen, I don't think we need to read the minutes of the last meeting, as copies of them have already been circulated to you. (Murmurs of agreement.) Right. The minutes of the last meeting are taken as read.

Now, let's get on. Mr Wiles, will you report, please, on the result of your interview with the Building Inspector?

Peter Wiles: Yes. The delay in getting bye-law approval was largely owing to the fact that the architect had not supplied detailed plans of the foundations of the new building.

Norman Phillipson: I've now given the Building Inspector the detailed plans.

Peter: May I go on, Mr Grant?

Grant: Yes, Peter.

Peter: As you know, at the speed we're growing, I have felt right from the beginning that we ought to have planned a much larger extension.

Grant: No. We mustn't grow too quickly. Slow but sure is the way this business will grow. But we went over all this in our original discussion, so there's no point in going over it all again.

Peter: But what will happen, Mr Grant, when we need to expand again?

If we have to build another extension in a year or two it will be exasperating to have to go through all this work again. It's taken a long time to get permission to build, and to reorganize the machine layout, not to mention the building costs, which go up every year. Wouldn't we be saving time and money, if, even at this late date, we build six bays instead of only three?

John: I'd like to have a regional sales office on the new site, too.

Peter: If there's any additional space, Martin, I need it for production or stores.

Grant: May I remind you gentlemen that the space you are arguing about does not exist. We stick to our present plan. Now, time's getting on. The next item on the agenda is the report from the Personnel Manager about the additional labour that's going to be required. So far, Ian, we've had no difficulty in obtaining skilled workers, but is this situation likely to continue or not?

Ian Hampden: Well, the position is this: skilled labour is getting harder to find. There's plenty of unskilled labour, and I think we should start a training programme now. Then by the time the new extension is ready we should have the right number of trained men.

Grant: Let's see. Phillipson, how long will the factory take to build once we've got our permission?

Phillipson: If the contractors are very efficient I'd say five months, possibly less.

Grant: Well, Ian, can you produce enough skilled workers in, say, six months from now?

Hampden: Yes, I think so.

Grant: Very well, I think we all agree that a training programme should be started immediately. (Murmurs of assent.) Good. You will minute that, Mr Buckhurst, won't you? Also that Mr Hampden will make an estimate of the cost. Now we come to item number three on the agenda. Peter?

Peter: Our I.D.C. was granted provided the Fuel and Paint Stores were placed in a different position to avoid the danger of fire. Mr Phillipson has now proposed that we rebuild the present Managers' garage as a Paint Store. This would be a great saving in time. It's on the other side of the delivery bay, and would halve the time taken to unload and store the stuff.

Hampden: Where shall we put our cars?

John: Well, they can stand in the car park like everyone else's.

Grant: Just a minute, gentlemen. What is all this going to cost?

Phillipson: I propose to extend the present garage to meet the west wall of the delivery bay and knock in a door here. The present Paint Store can then be used for other storage.

Peter: Splendid! Just what we need.

Grant: Very well - yes, this does seem a sensible solution. If we are all agreed...

(Murmurs of 'yes'.) Right. I presume there is no other business? (Chorus of 'no's', 'don't think so's'.) Very well, the meeting is over. Thank you very much, gentlemen...

UNIT 6

Дата добавления: 2015-07-25