The Cassandra Conspiracy by Rick Bajackson Read Free Book Online Page A

the likes of Chanel and the other long -established French fashion houses.
    Not content to rest on her laurels, she immediately moved toward adding her retail establishments, and reducing her dependence on a middle -man to get her designs to the public. She also increased her profitability. To date, Aigrette Habiller had successfully started over a hundred retail stores worldwide, with the company’s sales approaching the $1 billion mark. Ten years ago, without warning, she moved the corporate headquarters of Aigrette Habiller to New York; abandoning Paris, the acknowledged fashion Mecca. The move effectively cut Aigrette Habiller’s import duties at a time when the tariffs kept the firm from garnering a larger portion of the U.S. market. It also coincided with the introduction of new lines of men’s and women’s casual clothes. Designed in Paris, but produced in the United States, both lines took off immediately. Aigrette Habiller showed higher than expected profits that year, and significantly higher projected profits each year thereafter.
    Annual Sales: $1 Billion
    Committee Membership: 1 generation
    Carlton Steiner
    Corporate Affiliation: Steiner Aeronautics, Steiner Systems
    Background:
    A major first-tier contractor to commercial aviation, providing most of the airborne radar, radio, and positioning equipment to the airframe giants. In the early eighties, the company, while making itself recession-proof, expanded its market by providing similar equipment to the military airframe manufacturers. Through the combination of commercial sector and DOD business, matched with carefully controlled overhead costs, the firm has weathered most of the economic storms that have wreaked havoc on its competitors.
    With a solid financial base supplying the airframe manufacturers, Steiner Aeronautics began a wholly owned subsidiary called Steiner Systems, tasked with taking state -of-the-art technology and applying it to system applications in both the commercial and military sectors. Steiner Systems quickly assimilated the technological advances that resulted from the company’s work for such high-powered DOD clients as the Advanced Research Project Agency. ARPA was on the cutting edge of defense technology. Under a contract with the agency, Steiner Systems developed high-resolution displays for use on a multitude of DOD applications.
    Annual Sales: $6 Billion
    Committee Membership: 2 generations
    Thomas Ward
    Corporate Affiliation: Ward Petroleum Products
    Background:
    First, the Ward family was the major stockholder in one of the nation’s largest oil companies, the shares having been in the family since Ward’s great-great grandfather entered into a partnership with the oil company’s founder. Over the years, stock splits and dividends increased the family’s holding in the company to the point that the board of directors listened carefully to their suggestions. Given his stewardship of the family’s regional oil company, his wealth was a foregone conclusion. Nonetheless, Ward’s entry into the day-to-day operation of the business started out slowly. Ward’s company is now the dominant player, providing gas to over three hundred family-owned stations throughout the middle south. The company’s home-heating oil clients number in the thousands.
    Annual Sales: $2.7 Billion
    Committee Membership: 4 generations
    Ettleberg had no sooner finished reading than the door opened and Charles Wingate stepped back into the room. “Congratulations,” Wingate said, extending his hand. “I see you’ve decided to join our group. We’re proud to have you.”
    Ettleberg rose, and then grasped Wingate’s hand. “I’m honored to have been selected,” he replied.
    “Please, sit down. I’ve scheduled a meeting for this evening, which of course will be your first opportunity to meet the others.”
    Anthony Crofton’s arrival interrupted their conversation. Wingate introduced Crofton to the Committee’s newest member, after which