Hi Wally....
I already responded to this post once, but it seems to have gotten lost!
Anyway, best as I can remember, what I said the *first* time was:
It is understandable the you are frustrated. Even truly long-term investors have to admit to at least feeling a little bit frustrated, too.
From where I view the landscape, you are 100% correct in noting that the recent Delphi and TRW related announcements are the most important that have taken place in the last year. The true "value" of SMU will be reached when/if the ITS family of products begin to be widely used.
That Simula...up until now a "non-entity" in the auto safety business, has on its Board the highest ranking member of TRW's airbag division, had on its Board the President of Breed (prior to his being forced to leave because of the personal risks associated with the Autoliv lawsuit...but, like Arnold, he'll "Be back."), and a significant development agreement with Delphi...
...means we have three of the top four first-tier suppliers in our corner. That Autoliv *isn't* in our corner is unfortunate for us, but given the head-start that company had on the rest of the field...because of BMW's insistence that it represent the car company on Simula related business...it is *their* shareholders that should be the most frustrated. There undoubtedly was a time when Autoliv could have taken substantial market share by working with Simula. Regrettably...for them...that time is now over.
Anyway, for us to be getting this "popular" with first-tier's all of a sudden only means to me that the real driving force behind our popularity comes from the auto manufacturers themselves. It also almost certainly means that the "inflatable curtain" is running into severe difficulties, and that its introduction may have again slipped because of technological problems. Importantly, it should be noted that once an auto manufacturer makes a selection of a type of technology...because of very long automotive manufacturing cycles...those choices will remain for a multitude of years, with change extraordinarily unlikely if ever made.
We are on the "cusp" of having what we have wanted since each of us got involved with Simula as shareholders:
Success in the OEM end of the auto safety business!!!
I look for multiple ITS contracts in the next quarter. If I am right, all of the regular "thread" participants will probably be celebrating at Lutece some time in the next year.
Have a good day, sir. |
