Author: brett

Lawsuits are to be expected in a company with 3,000 employees. WIND, like all other contractors, had to sign “hold harmless” agreements with Dow Chemical and all the other chemical companies they did business with. Hold harmless agreements released Dow from any liability, Dow’s fault or not, should an accident occur.

When working in a chemical plant, gas leaks happen weekly. Most gas leaks are minor and repaired before any severe injury. Some leaks were due to faulty material. Scrapped off paint and the salt air, coupled with a corrosive environment of chemical plants, will cause a hole to develop in the pipe. Other leaks are caused when the operators are unplugging a process line.

Excerpt from my novel, “Windfall”.

Available on Amazon.

Jake had viewed a video once of a ball girl scaling the back corner left field wall and catching a foul ball. The highly paid left fielder didn’t even try. Jake admired people with gumption.

Excerpt from my novel “Windfall”.

Available on Amazon.

WIND paid their material suppliers promptly and they knew it. Vendors fought for WIND’s business. Graft and corruption were rampant in the 1980s. Lunches were daily. Hunts and fishing trips were seasonal. $20,000 bulls were purchased with every half million-dollar order.

Excerpt from my novel “Windfall “.

Available on Amazon.

The Dump truck analogy works well to explain the difference between maintenance and lump sum. In 1985, a 16-yard duel tandem axle dump truck rented for $37 an hour on a maintenance job and $45 an hour on a lump sum job. The rationale was based on economics. On the maintenance job, the truck made 4 loads a day. On the exact same job, but lump sum, the truck made 8 loads a day. Incentive is the basic difference between maintenance and lump sum. On maintenance, slow and steady wins the race. On lump sum, slow and steady got people fired. On lump sum jobs, the sooner the project was completed, the more profitable it was. WIND believed in the American way and capitalism at its finest. If money was not being earned, then money was being lost.

Excerpt from my novel, “Windfall”.

Available on Amazon