The Dream Million $$ Deal That Never Was: PART III

Preparing to head for the scheduled meeting with the Marketing Head of Metal Box Singapore, I am looking out the window of my hotel - the Miramar Hotel. I am amazed - during my last visit in 1979, I was kept awake half the night by the roar of the bike gang that then ruled Singapore’s streets - called the Hellrider Gangs - the piercing din of the unsilenced bikes was unbearable. Now the bikes were nowhere to be seen or heard. I am told the government clamp down on the gangs was so complete and effective that they were now off the streets. That is how effective and iron-fisted uncle Lee Kwan Yew was!

Sitting across the Marketing Manager of Metal Box Singapore, I outlined my need and aspirations to the man who immediately realized that I was a complete novice in the field of packaging. But like the good marking man that he was, he laboriously explained to me the whole process of canning and what is involved - processes, machineries, approximate costs etc.

He explained to me that the cans as we knew then were made of thin steel sheets plated with a thin layer of tin. The cans are supplied in flattened state – to reduce bulk during shipment. At the juice factory the flattened cans are run through a kind of spindle machine that opens the tins up to a round shape….. thereafter rest of the processes are completed, including filling, sealing, printing and labeling of the cans etc.

Sprucing up rusty tin can - Preparing for the European Market

I realized that it was not going to be as simple as I had thought. In particular I realized that a number of automated machines needed to be acquired and installed at the factory - operators trained etc. It was going to be daunting but by NO MEANS IMPOSSIBLE!

Back in the office in Calcutta - I explained the whole rigmarole to my boss. He was aghast! He did not think that we should get into it - he felt that it was outside of our mandate.

I argued that someone had to do it - the factory wasn’t willing to do it. So, since we were charged with the responsibility of exports, it fell upon us to take the initiative. For me, here was an opportunity to boost the country’s exports, that too by being able to export to a developed country - so I told him that I was willing to take on the challenge.

My boss: OK then - you get on it pronto - it is your baby.

And I was ready for it - if I had the guts to conspire to thwart the global trade embargo on the South African Apartheid Regime, this was child’s play 😛