The talks were successful and a contract was signed. It was actually time to board the return flight – but the customer’s Plant Manager generously invited them to lunch. Not wanting to offend him, Burkhard Reploh and the HAVER representative accepted the invitation. They went into the back room of a pub – which didn’t inspire much confidence. There was a tasty meal and plenty of alcohol, which was mainly consumed by the customer. Heinz Bruns, who was known for his meticulous record-keeping, stated in his notes “3.45 pm – customer drunk”.
However, that wasn’t the end of the story. Fortified with alcohol, the Plant Manager became courageous. As was not uncommon in communist-influenced countries at the time, the heavily regimented citizens tried to get a bigger slice of the cake for themselves. And so the Plant Manager asked: “What's in it for me with this order?” Politely and firmly, the two HB people referred to the terms of the contract and that no further concessions could be made outside of this. The Plant Manager took it in his stride – probably also because of his alcohol level. But he must have thought to himself: You can give it a try. But not with Haver & Boecker.
