He quickly established a good rapport with the owner – who was a similar age to Reploh – even though the language barrier prevented them from having a “direct” conversation with the customer. He was open and informal, even though his father had an important position in the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, and he himself held a position comparable to that of a district administrator in the Cherkesk region.
The plaster factory was also impressive because it was built and run by ordinary people from the region. With herds of goats, sheep and poultry all around, everything was quite original and rustic anyway. The hospitality was also exceptionally generous. The two Haver employees were very well looked after. All meals were served to them in the factory canteen.
When Mr Latyshev and Mr Reploh told the owner of the plaster factory that they wanted to hire a car to visit the nearest customer – some 400 kilometres away – he advised them not to do so. Instead, he invited them to travel with him in his car for safety reasons.
It was a moving moment for everyone when he drove with them below Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, where German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze and German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher had met at a dacha in July 1990 to negotiate German reunification. The meeting was of great historical significance because Gorbachev signalled his approval of NATO membership for a reunified Germany.
It should not go unmentioned that the two gentlemen succeeded in convincing the owner of the gypsum plant – who previously had machines from the competition – of the quality of the Haver machines. This first visit resulted in a successful long-term business relationship.