Plans For The First Factory
1279 Words
"This area would be the physical working area. There would be a long table that would be able to accommodate 10 workers each on its side. It would be fitted with a long bench with a backrest so the workers would be able to lean on them and work comfortably."
I nodded and asked, "So at any one time there would be 20 workers, am I right?" as the men replied to be positively and explained that each worker on a row could work on a single product while the other could work on another product, back to back and end to end.
"So, tell me what are these spaces for?" I pointed it to them as there was a square and then another a rectangle. Since the drawing is a top-down one, it's difficult to imagine what it represents.
"This, Your Majesty is a holding area for all the raw materials and this rectangle here would be a staging area for the finished products or products that would be waiting to be packaged."
"We had an understanding that you would be manufacturing Hair and Body Wash on a large scale for the liquid form and the palm-sized solid blocks of those as well. So you would probably need a staging area where you would need it to be packaged and stored in crates lined with hay."
"The palm-sized solid blocks of the Hair and Body Wash could just be wrapped in light linen cloth and tied at the ends like it was some kind of Christmas or New Year's gift."
"Those palm-sized blocks of the Hair and Body Wash would take some time to solidify and hardened before it would be packaged and stored so this little space here would be great for the stacking and drying area."
I looked at the drawings and I finally understood when someone showed me the side view of the staging and holding area. It's great having those geniuses around that could explain a lot of things through simple drawings.
Even the design of the moulds for the palm-sized Hair and Body Wash blocks were drawn up, complete with specifications...!
How convenient...!
"How long would then construction of this factory be completed with the number of men not deployed for work from the deforestation area?"
"Don't have to worry about that, Your Majesty. With the materials at hand, we would be able to complete the works within 7 to 10 days with just the 6 of us. Besides, we would not be involved with the deforestation and our men could help to relocate the orchard trees behind the stables to accommodate for our building space."
"At the meantime, we assumed that you would be taking time to gather the manpower and also the resources to make these moulds for the palms sized Hair and Body Wash blocks and also the ones on a liquid form."
Suddenly one the ladies spoke up regards the production of these Hair and Body Wash as she highlighted that, "Your Majesty it is not necessary to use animal fats to be its base, you can also use olive oil too. I think Mister Marcel here would be able to contact the docks for these olive oils as these oils were imports."
The one that spoke up was an Irish Traveller that was well versed in trades of certain imports and exports. She then added, "The price of these oils would be pound by pound twice the amount of meats. So if a goat is 2 gold coins, then the cost of these olive oils would be at 4 gold coins."
"In terms of weight, its 300 to 350 pounds of olive oil for 4 gold coins. Let me draft a simple calculation and see where your money would be heading by then." Heather assisted me as I rubbed my chin since I had not a single stubble growing from there at all.
After Heather had made some calculations, she handed me her figures and when I looked at it I was surprised that a 4 gold coin investment would bring back a 7 fold returns.
Enough about the returns, the most important thing was the production of the Hair and Body Wash containers. I looked at Ben, Frank and Old Jack and they suddenly jumped to their feet because I was eyeing them with an intent that they could never avoid...!
"Uh...you need us three for something, Your Majesty?" Ben asked since he was a tad chattier among the three.
"Yes... How do you make a design of a small clay jar that could hold liquid without leaking? Besides, the jar would have a lid or a stopper to prevent the contents from spilling. What do you think, any ideas?"
"Well... When we were building the commode and improving on our clay brick processes, Earl had made a fine discovery for us which we thought it would not be of substantial news to you. The clay that was being modelled uses less water than before and its easier to be shaped and fired in the kiln. That's how the commodes could be completed in a shorter time."
"So how about the jars or containers? Could it be used with the same concept?"
"Well, we can deploy the children again once more. This would be like a handicraft for them. Besides, the clay bricks had been processed and handled by the senior citizens. They regard it as part of their daily exercises."
"The clay was somehow being pressed into the clay bricks moulds before. So as for these containers, we can call them 'pinch pots' and these clay would be turned into a standard ball and then used the thumb and fingers to shape it into a pot with a lid on it."
Ben nudged to Frank and he went to fetch a bit of clay from the clay bricks production area and on the way back he was making it into a ball.
He arrived a short while later and showed a demonstration on how it would be processed. From start to finish, it only took less than 2 minutes to make a pot that would be able to store liquids without leaking and with a cute lid on it as well.
One of the engineers pointed out, "Your Majesty, a simple square piece of linen could be used to cover the pot and lid and used hemp twine to tie around its neck...! It's a done deal, Your Majesty...!"
He was ecstatic and the same could be seen by all of us as well. I took the plan for the factory and I approved it. As for the solid Hair and Body Wash block, it would be made and sized into 3" by 2" by 1" thick moulds. Each mould would be able to shape a dozen of these and once the liquid had been poured it would be set to dry for some days.
The pinch pot with lid could be made and then fired up in the kiln while the crates to store these products would be measured as 5 by 5 single-layered.
Right now, all we need to do was for the ladies to process the lemon zest essence for the Hair and Body Wash blocks and the Fruity essences for the hair.
I clapped my hands in elation and clapped the back of Marcel as we would be making a revolutionary product that would Invade England by storm.
I laughed aloud and clapped my hands in jubilation and was wondering how the project would embark once the sample is passed around for Gracehaven's use first before the factory was to be built.
- Writer
