Chapter 18: Waterman’s vs Growers

GREED ROAD? Nope. An appropriate name but not to be. The name of the road will officially be SHELL HIGHWAY. Why?

Shell Oil wanted it so, I’ll bet. There is a huge modern new Shell franchise million dollar truck-stop under construction. Inset back and beside the new four lane, it’s being built on a two acre lot I owned just a short time ago and for a very short time. Now it’s merged into the construction project. Meet the impoverished proprietor, me. I’m soon to be more than a million dollars in debt!

Several new business buildings are also already under construction nearby. Grower’s Mercantile Bank is going up next door, same side of the road, and just south of the truck-stop, with a new branch office. That’s what their big sign boasts. My bankers. I’m unhappy with my current bank. Manager Mr Pende, on behalf the bank, refuses to loan me any more money. The twenty grand line of credit, they’ve decided to temporarily freeze because of my commitments with Shell. I’m overextended Mr Pende claims. They’re afraid to risk any more of their money with me until things resolve themselves. I think they’re taking a wait&see attitude about do I sink or do I swim.

Downtown central, two blocks away from Grower’s, is a small struggling locally owned bank with no other offices anywhere. Waterman’s Bank and Escrow. I doodle pretty fair, so I sketch a penciled landscape, and request a meeting with Mr Lawson, the banks only officer. The sketch I send in with his receptionist, who doubles as his only teller. This is my calling card.

It simplifies things, and it gets me invited in.

“Come in Mr Collins. It’s past time we met. You’re a famous young man in these parts. Please have a seat. Would you care for a beverage? Sorry, we’re out of coffee. Beverly? Would you make us a pot? That’s quite all right. Never mind Bev, Mr Collins has changed his mind. This is an interesting sketch. What can you tell me about it?”

“A simple game of oneupmanship, Mr Lawson, with an added bonus of free advertising for you.”

“I’m on the edge of my seat and all ears, explain the details please.”

“I own a fair amount of land out along the new highway project. I have a portable office building in storage (Moses owns it) very close by and not in use. I propose storing it on one of my empty lots I mentioned. Costs me nothing but a short move to do this. The billboard next to the sketch of the trailer office is blank in the sketch, but can carry any announcement you chose to put on it. ‘New branch opening this site soon?’ maybe?”

“As the only bank officer I have to consider carefully our expenses. I thank you for your offer Mr Collins. I don’t have any spare personnel to man a remote office and buying or renting the location is an unjustifiable expense. I regret, I must decline.”

“I don’t suggest you open an office. The empty building sitting there causes conjecture as to your plans. Location and building have to be there or somewhere. No charge. Make or buy your big sign, is all!”

“A sign as big or bigger than Grower’s new branch sign?”

“Exactly, Mr Lawson”

“An interesting proposition. Why would you do this for Waterman’s. We aren’t your bank and until a few minutes ago, we never met.”

“A remedy is perhaps available?”

“We’d be happy to assist you with any or all of your banking needs.”

“I expected no less.”

All my businesses are well documented by bank accounts records. Mr Moses carefully tutored me on keeping complete business records channeled through banks. Every dollar goes into a bank first, so there’s a record of it. Pay checks go to employees even if I cash them myself and redeposit them. Bank records are the best kept books.