Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Fall was coming. It was September after all.

Some changes occurred in GH Mobile ever since it started having business with A Electronics by supplying products to them. It had now 350 workers, and the security officer was changed to someone younger. The old security officer had been relocated to work the night shift.

GH Mobile was busy with the trucks that were leaving GH Mobile carrying outbound products heading to its customer companies, and the trucks that were coming into GH Mobile carrying raw materials. At the gate, several tens of freight trucks were waiting for their turns to be checked by the security guard of GH Mobile all the time.

There were barricades in place at the gate, and the security guard was verifying every single one of the trucks that were coming in or going out of GH Mobile. The trucks, that were carrying GH Mobile's products out to customers, had to show the certificate showing it while the trucks that were coming in with raw materials had to show the shipment receipt or invoice.

When Gun-Ho's Bentley arrived at the gate, the door was open right away, and the security guard gave a military salute to Gun-Ho.

The best spot of the parking area that was reserved for VIP guests was always available for Gun-Ho's Bentley. Chan-Ho parked the Bentley there as always. After getting out of the car, Gun-Ho slowly went up to his office on the second floor that day. Gun-Ho's office was the last one after passing the large cubicle office area. When Gun-Ho was walking toward his office, the workers there gave a bow to Gun-Ho.

The secretary—Ms. Hee-Jeong Park—brought a cup of green tea and a morning paper to Gun-Ho as it was how Gun-Ho's day started at work. After a moment, President Song, who was working next door, entered Gun-Ho's office.

"All of our sample products that were previously sent to A Electronics' factory in Suwon City passed their tests."

"That's good. There are five different products, aren't they?"

"That's correct. A Electronics' research center's chief officer in Suwon City asked our research center's chief officer—Director Joon-Soo Oh—to play golf together on Friday."

"Oh, really?"

"They will have a round of golf at Namboo Country Club in Giheung District which is located in the vicinity of Suwon City."

"We should encourage activities like that. We will cover the expenses that might incur him when he meets with A Electronics' research chief officer to play golf."

"The thing is that Director Oh is worrying about the meeting."

"Why? What's the problem? He knows how to play golf, doesn't he?"

"In fact, he has very limited experience with playing golf. He played a few times when he had worked for BMW research center in Munich, Germany, but he has never played golf in Korea. Moreover, according to him, he has very old golf clubs that someone gave to him when he was in Munich."

"Please get him new golf clubs then. Don't forget to buy him new golf shoes too."

"Okay, sir. I will let him know."

"I've noticed that we have a lot of workers now."

"We currently have 350 workers, and the number will exceed 400 by the end of this year. As Director Jong-Suk Park insisted, we now have a good size of assembly team."

"Do you think maybe we should have outsourced the assembly work?"

"No. Now I do agree with Director Park. It was a good idea to organize our own assembly team within our company. As the automobile manufacturing industry, producing electronic devices and home appliances are delicate work. If we outsource the assembly work to other small companies, we would have expected to see some defective products. I think we can handle the quality control a lot better if we let the work done ourselves under our roof here."

"Hmm, I see."

"The new workers at our assembly team are all young ladies in their 20s or 30s. Their hand speed is very fast. We pay them good salaries, and they are doing good jobs. I believe that they will create a positive influence around the production site. Our current production workers are impressed by their work already."

"That's very nice."

"We are expecting to hire more workers in the assembly team later."

"Have we received any payment from A Electronics yet?"

"We received the payment from them for last month through B2B."

"Is it for three months?"

"No, it's just one month."

"I guess we don't have to apply the discount then, do we?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay then."

"Once we could liquidate their payment after one month, I will use it to pay for our bad debts first. Since we have increased our capital, and we have been paying for our debts, we are getting close to the average debt ratio in the industry. I can tell that there won't be any problem registering with KOSDAQ as we planned."

"Hmm, that is a very good sign."

"GH Mobile generated 81.6 billion won last year. And, as I joined the company, I told you that we would aim at 91.4 billion won of our sales revenue for this year, increased by 12%."

"I remember that."

"But since we received the unexpected product orders from A Electronics, I think I should increase this year's goal to 105 billion won."

"Hmm, really?"

"If we get more product orders from A Electronics for the products that just passed their test in their research center, we will possibly have to update the 105 billion won goal as well."

"Hmm."

"Do you remember the condos that we purchased as a vacation home under GH Mobile's name? They were very well been used by our workers during the last summer vacation."

"We have only three condos. I guess that many of our workers still couldn't receive the benefit of those vacation homes, could they?"

"We had them take turns in using them. We let them use them for four days and three nights per year at any time except the busy season—the summer vacation season. Since a lot of workers wanted to reserve a condo during the summer, we had them draw lots to decide it. They found it fair, and everyone seemed to be satisfied."

"How did they like it?"

"They love it. Those workers, who used the condo, were highly content. Since we encourage them to go there with their family, it helped to promote our company's reputation as well. Moreover, when I told them during the management meeting, where the workers who are a team lead or above could attend, that our executive officers are now prohibited from using those condos during the summer, they really liked it."

"Haha, really? Once we get paid by A Electronics, please buy a few more condos."

"Thank you."

Gun-Ho went to the production site.

The production manager, who was giving an instruction to the team leads, was frightened when he saw Gun-Ho at the production site. He quickly went to Gun-Ho and gave a bow.

"I don't see Mr. Director Park around here."

"He is here, sir. Oh, he is coming."

When Gun-Ho followed the production manager's gaze, Director Park was running toward him. Being aware of the production manager's presence, Director Park didn't say, 'You are here, bro,' as he always had said, but instead, he just gave a silent bow to Gun-Ho. Gun-Ho laughed and tapped Jong-Suk's back.

Gun-Ho said to the production manager, "You can go back to your work. I've noticed that you were giving instructions to the team leads. Please don't mind me here."

"Yes, sir. I will go back to work."

The production manager gave a bow to Gun-Ho and went to the team leads.

Gun-Ho said while taking a walk at the production site with Director Park, "You have a new assembly team now, huh?"

"Yeah. Since the products are electronic, quality control is very important. So, I think we can control the quality better this way. Once we see even one defective product, we will have to stop the entire production line for a while until we figure out what went wrong. Moreover, if a defective product is found later, and the client claims it, and we receive the return, and so on, we will waste tons of time. It will cause a loss to the company."

"Mr. President Song said your idea about the assembly team was good."

"Did he really say that? The picky and cold Mr. President Song?"

"Is he that picky and cold?"

"Don't get me started, bro. When he reprimands the other executive officers, I swear that I don't want to see him again."

"Does he do that to you too?"

"Well, not as much as he does to others. I think he's trying to lower the degree of reprimanding me since I'm the plant manager; I need to maintain the respect from the production workers after all."

"That's good then."