Winzer, I'm disappointed with my discussion with a live person at NFM. When I finally got a live person to talk with me at NFM, his answers to my questions were, "I don't know about those things, but the fellow who does should be in the office in about an hour; I'll ask him to call you; what's your telephone number?", or words to that effect. I believe he was referring to the current Investor Relations man for NFM. The man who I spoke to was middle aged and did not identify himself.
I gave him my telephone number but nobody returned my call. I have mixed emotions about this.
Frankly, I cannot figure out how the current Investor Relations man for NFM is doing investor relations. This is the second time in two or three years that I have been completely blown off by the IR man for NFM.
Two or three years ago (I've lost track of time), I sent a FAX to this man (the current IR man of NFM) and essentially told him that I was thinking about buying a large block of shares of NFM to add to my existing block of shares, but I needed a few answers to some questions first. The IR man did not even respond, ever. Just as he did not respond to the message given to him by the man who I spoke with over the phone this week.
I have several suspicions about this situation: 1) This might be a cultural problem--the IR man comes from Latin America where, until recently, most countries were ruled by petty dictators who were autocratic and not in the least interested in democracy (I assume that giving information about the company to someone who owns 40,000 shares is a democratic, capitalistic act)--incidently, I would have bought at least another 50,000 to 60,000 shares of NFM if he had answered my questions two or three years ago, 2) maybe he has the title of Vice President of Investor Relations, but actually does another job, 3) maybe he's on the payroll because he's well-connected in Latin America and actually does another job for the company other than his title indicates, 4) NFM's executives may be thinly spread out and they don't have time for democratic, capitalistic things like Investor Relations, though they have given someone the title of Vice President of Investor Relations, anyway. As ridiculous as that sounds, Winzer, I can invision just such a situation developing. The military department that I work for has parred it's personnel down to the bone, and our case load is growing.
Incidently, any views that I express over the internet are my own and are not necessarily the views of the military. I am exercising my right to free speech in my capacity as a private citizen, not as a member of the military.
Though I am dissatisfied with the seemingly non-existant Investor Relations Department of NFM (though it has a Vice President of Investor Relations), because of the experience and credentials of the top management and board of this company, I am going to continue to hold my shares of NFM. If they ever decide that they have the time to really work Investor Relations, and I like their answers, then, and only then, will I (and I suspect a few other investors) buy and retain, long-term, more shares of NFM.
Incidently, many years ago, I ran for President of the Student Government of an American university. An Engineering student from a very prominent South American family did not like what I said in my speeches. I spoke about things that, to him, were strange, foreign and democratic, and he did not like it. A mutual friend of ours, who was also an Engineering student, over heard our conversation. That friend and I spent a couple of hours one Friday night explaining to our fellow student from Latin American about democracy, rights of the people, capitalism, and simply that I had a right to say what I was saying in my campaign speeches. By the end of the night, we agreed that I would be shot in his country for saying what I was saying or would simply disappear permanently, but that I had a right to say the democratic things that I was saying in my campaign speeches in an American university because those rights had been guaranteed by the blood of our forefathers.
I don't have time to spell check this letter, Winzer. Spell check, for years, has been making my grammar lazy.
My wife and I are going for a drive out in the county today, and I leave this week for a two week trip out of the country. I've got to pack tonight. I don't know if I want to call NFM, again. I'm going to think about it for the next two weeks.
In the long run, I believe that NFM's management and board will succeed, but I don't have a good feeling about their Investor Relations Department, at this time.
I wish I had better news to report to you, Winzer.
GOGI |
