In earlier decades, it was generally accepted that alcohol was part of business life. And now there’s another high-percentage story:
In 1985, the Dutch company Cargill needed a new packing machine for soya meal and soya flour. Previous standard packing tests had shown that two filling systems would have to be considered. An air filling system for meal and also a turbine filling system for flour. After the preliminary tests, a Cargill employee travelled to Oelde to clarify further details. It was his first visit to the Machinery Division. After dinner together, it was still too early for the hotel bed, so they went to the Brennerstübchen – as readers will recall from “Plant 5” – for a nightcap. The Dutch guest had stamina. At around three o’clock in the morning, Bernhard Allendorf from Strategic Sales kindly pointed out to him that a few hours’ sleep might be useful in order to be fit for the next day – actually, it was already the next day. “Oh, no problem, just go home, I know where my hotel is. We’ll meet back at the company at 8 a.m.,” the visitor replied. Bernhard Allendorf made his way home, truly tired.
The Dutchman was not to be seen at the agreed time. He only got in touch at around 10 a.m. to apologise for his delay. Although it was his first time in the Brennerstübchen – that didn’t stop him from going to the “Uhrmeister am Eck” pub with the landlords Rudi and Heti Pott early in the morning to toast his birthday with the landlord. So more hours of the night passed with people he’d never met before. This showed once again that the Dutch are often very uncomplicated and sociable people.
As far as the business negotiations were concerned: The Cargill employee demanded that only one packing machine should be used for both types of product and not two, as we had recommended. This requirement was the birth of the DUO packer, a Roto-Packer combination of air and turbine filling system.