Lance,
I just got through speaking with Madera's office. Raquel is the daughter of the CEO. She spent 30 minutes or so with me and would have taken as much time as I would have liked. This was a valuable experience for me as a new shareholder. We discussed the land sale, the website and other things about Madera. I would invite anyone who wants to learn for themselves how this company plans to move forward to do the same. The office can be reached at (305) 774-9411. Raquel is sending me an investors kit.
Let me share some of the information she gave me:
1. THE REALTOR DOES NOT KNOW HOW MUCH LAND MR FERNANDEZ-MORIS (CEO of Madera) HAS.
2. THE PROJECTED SALE DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL OF HIS HOLDINGS.
3. Madera Environmental(a subsidiary) has considerable land holdings as well.
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME AS A SHAREHOLDER>>> MADERA HAS ONLY LUMBERED ON 150,000 ACRES IN THE PAST ANYWAY. 50% OF THEIR SOURCE LUMBER HAS HISTORICALLY COME FROM OUTSIDE COMPANY SOURCES. (THAT MEANS THE LANDS FOR SALE ARE "NON-CRITICAL" TO THE BUSINESS PLAN AND A GREAT SOURCE OF FUNDS, NON DILUTIVE.
5. Ray Fernandez, CHM of Board, has been incensed that the Web site has taken so long. However, he is so METICULOUS about its quality that he will cut no corners. For example, according to Raquel, the Herbal Supplements area is of particular interest to Ray personally in terms of quality and precision. He is not the sole client of the WEBSITE DESIGN company and clearly has not been able to dictate the schedule.
6. Ramiro Fernandez-Moris (CEO) is passionate about both the future of Madera International as a financial entity as well as a key player in preserving the rainforest.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME AS A SHAREHOLDER???? Maybe this is nothing new to you veteran investors here. I have posted quite a bit here in the last days and weeks. I have been up front and specific about why I bought and how much. I now see this company as a family run entity with a LOT OF CLASS! Does that mean they will be as SLICK as a large corporation or even a small startup BB company. NO! What it does mean is that when I call (as one small shareholder) I will be treated with dignity and will receive direct answers to my questions. By the way Raquel and I talked about the denigration that sometimes is directed at the company by posters on the internet. She said that used to infuriate her family, but they have learned to press on with their company's mission and CONCENTRATE ON THE LONG TERM. She commented that no one was as angry as her brother, Ray, regarding the late delivery of the Website.
This has been an incredibly long post. I apologize, but my call to the realtor and more importantly to the company is the single most relevant thing that I have done regarding WOOD so far. I guess it comes down to this....if you're a short term hustler(and I admit that's why I originally bought), you probably won't stay with this. It's not SLICK and GLITZY enough. However, if you BELIEVE in the story behind the company, LONG TERM HOLD. IF THE WEBSITE ISN'T UP COMPLETELY BY THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 1999 YOU'LL PROBABLY DUMP YOUR SHARES. THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT FOR ME, NOW. |
