I have been so busy this last week that there has been no time to log. I guess this is the way things are going to be in the future, one log a week (if that).
So what is Ara so busy with now that he has no time for logging.
Now that I have been here for 4 years as a student of economics, human nature and politics, I�m finally graduating.
My days of dabbling in small business ventures is coming to an end and I�m moving on to the next level of medium size business.
For the last year I�m been planning to open a fish-farm and this week I got it off the ground. Though I like fish and think it potentially could be a good business, this one is my experiment on seeing how people work together and how motivated they will be when they have a share in the business. Though everything is in my name, I�m running it like a collective. We are a total of 6 equal members. Everyone has voting powers, though in the event of a tie, everyone has agreed that I will have an additional vote.
The second business I fell into and I know is going to be a smashing success is the stone business.
For the last 3 or 4 months I�ve been working with one of the Armenian-Australian owners of the Narir Hotel in Stepanagert, Hagop, to find a source of granite floor and wall tile. Our efforts have come up with nothing, as the locals who run or own the stone processing factories in Stepanagert have told us that with their equipment they are not able to make what we want. Their big hang up is that we want the tiles to be � inch think and they are claiming that the thinnest they could make was 1 inch.
I had it in my head that what I wanted was possible to do, since the Italian�s make such granite tiles, but was convinced by the locals that we just didn�t have the technology in Artsakh to make such tiles.
Exactly nine days ago, the Mayor�s youngest daughter was craving corn. The Mayor gave me a call and asked me if I could drive him to a plantation on the outskirts of Martuni to buy fresh corn. I agreed, picked him up and drove to the plantation.
As the Mayor was talking to the owner of the plantation, I noticed a small factory on the edge of the plantation which had marble and granite stones littered around it. As the Mayor took care of his business, I walked over to the factory.
The owner was there that day working on making a grave-stone. As he worked, we talked stone. He was from Baku, escaped to Martuni and built this small factory. He has 30+ years experience and it turns out had worked on the statue of Monte Melkonian and also the spring near Spitagashen that was built in Monte�s memory.
I asked the master if it was possible to make granite tiles � inch thick and he said that during the days of the Soviet Union, they didn�t do such things since there was such a surplus of stone that there was no need. He said that it is a little more difficult to make such tiles but didn�t see why we could not try.
He went on to tell me that he had moved to Russia and was back in Martuni for the last time to sell his house and business, as he had left Artsakh due to a lack of economic opportunities for him and his children and has started a new life there. He told me that he had a buyer from Armenia for his factory and they were to call him in the next couple of days to finalizes the deal so the buyer could come a disassemble to factory and take the equipment to Armenia and from there, who knows where. He said that if I was interested in buying the factory from him, he would tell the buyer that he has already sold it.
I told him that if he could make me a sample and if my friend from Australia likes what he sees and gives me an order, I will buy his factory.
The next day we worked almost all day to come up with something that I was satisfied with.
The following day, we drove to Stepanagert to visit with Hagop and see if he was interested in what we could offer him. It would be an understatement to say that Hagop liked what we made, because he didn�t. He loved what we made and if it was not me, he would have thought that we went out and purchased Italian granite and claim it as our own. He looked it over and over, checked to see if the thickness what consistent and wanted to know our secret of how we were able to have perfectly smooth edges? To tell you the truth, I thought that all tiles had smooth edges, but Hagop said that every sample he has received from here has never had as smooth an edge as our tile did.
As we were talking, Hagop got a call on his cell phone from the President. �Yes Mr. President. I don�t remember why I called you and am in a meeting with Ara Manoogian, you know, the American-Armenian that lives in Martuni�� He went on to tell the President that we are working together to manufacture and export granite tiles to Australia.
Hagop gave me an order for 100 square meters of tile and when I finish that, he will give an order for all the bath, halls and other areas of the new wing of his hotel and then our first container order will follow that to be shipped to Australia.
I�m not even going to get into how many people will be working for us, but will say that this is a real income generating business that can pay real wages and potentially employ lots of people.
Well my late lunch break is over and I have to get back down to the factory to wait for our first truckload of granite to be delivered.
A quick note. I got an e-mail yesterday from someone who is going to be a sponsor of at least one person or family. My goal of 100 people is now up to 12 or more.
So what is Ara so busy with now that he has no time for logging.
Now that I have been here for 4 years as a student of economics, human nature and politics, I�m finally graduating.
My days of dabbling in small business ventures is coming to an end and I�m moving on to the next level of medium size business.
For the last year I�m been planning to open a fish-farm and this week I got it off the ground. Though I like fish and think it potentially could be a good business, this one is my experiment on seeing how people work together and how motivated they will be when they have a share in the business. Though everything is in my name, I�m running it like a collective. We are a total of 6 equal members. Everyone has voting powers, though in the event of a tie, everyone has agreed that I will have an additional vote.
The second business I fell into and I know is going to be a smashing success is the stone business.
For the last 3 or 4 months I�ve been working with one of the Armenian-Australian owners of the Narir Hotel in Stepanagert, Hagop, to find a source of granite floor and wall tile. Our efforts have come up with nothing, as the locals who run or own the stone processing factories in Stepanagert have told us that with their equipment they are not able to make what we want. Their big hang up is that we want the tiles to be � inch think and they are claiming that the thinnest they could make was 1 inch.
I had it in my head that what I wanted was possible to do, since the Italian�s make such granite tiles, but was convinced by the locals that we just didn�t have the technology in Artsakh to make such tiles.
Exactly nine days ago, the Mayor�s youngest daughter was craving corn. The Mayor gave me a call and asked me if I could drive him to a plantation on the outskirts of Martuni to buy fresh corn. I agreed, picked him up and drove to the plantation.
As the Mayor was talking to the owner of the plantation, I noticed a small factory on the edge of the plantation which had marble and granite stones littered around it. As the Mayor took care of his business, I walked over to the factory.
The owner was there that day working on making a grave-stone. As he worked, we talked stone. He was from Baku, escaped to Martuni and built this small factory. He has 30+ years experience and it turns out had worked on the statue of Monte Melkonian and also the spring near Spitagashen that was built in Monte�s memory.
I asked the master if it was possible to make granite tiles � inch thick and he said that during the days of the Soviet Union, they didn�t do such things since there was such a surplus of stone that there was no need. He said that it is a little more difficult to make such tiles but didn�t see why we could not try.
He went on to tell me that he had moved to Russia and was back in Martuni for the last time to sell his house and business, as he had left Artsakh due to a lack of economic opportunities for him and his children and has started a new life there. He told me that he had a buyer from Armenia for his factory and they were to call him in the next couple of days to finalizes the deal so the buyer could come a disassemble to factory and take the equipment to Armenia and from there, who knows where. He said that if I was interested in buying the factory from him, he would tell the buyer that he has already sold it.
I told him that if he could make me a sample and if my friend from Australia likes what he sees and gives me an order, I will buy his factory.
The next day we worked almost all day to come up with something that I was satisfied with.
The following day, we drove to Stepanagert to visit with Hagop and see if he was interested in what we could offer him. It would be an understatement to say that Hagop liked what we made, because he didn�t. He loved what we made and if it was not me, he would have thought that we went out and purchased Italian granite and claim it as our own. He looked it over and over, checked to see if the thickness what consistent and wanted to know our secret of how we were able to have perfectly smooth edges? To tell you the truth, I thought that all tiles had smooth edges, but Hagop said that every sample he has received from here has never had as smooth an edge as our tile did.
As we were talking, Hagop got a call on his cell phone from the President. �Yes Mr. President. I don�t remember why I called you and am in a meeting with Ara Manoogian, you know, the American-Armenian that lives in Martuni�� He went on to tell the President that we are working together to manufacture and export granite tiles to Australia.
Hagop gave me an order for 100 square meters of tile and when I finish that, he will give an order for all the bath, halls and other areas of the new wing of his hotel and then our first container order will follow that to be shipped to Australia.
I�m not even going to get into how many people will be working for us, but will say that this is a real income generating business that can pay real wages and potentially employ lots of people.
Well my late lunch break is over and I have to get back down to the factory to wait for our first truckload of granite to be delivered.
A quick note. I got an e-mail yesterday from someone who is going to be a sponsor of at least one person or family. My goal of 100 people is now up to 12 or more.
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