Not many people knew how old I was Calin.
In the 7 years MSM was producing and selling products, I built engines and boilers ranging in the hundreds. Please keep in mind that I built my first steam engine with my father when I was 12 and I never stopped since then. I feel the question you should be asking is how many engines and boilers have I built and designed since the age of 12. The answer is way too many to count.
I've been operating full sized steam equipment since the age of 15. I guess you could say that I've always been involved in steam one way or another. I learned how to properly Tig, Mig, and Arc weld by age 14. Which led to the obvious construction of go-carts for my friends and I. My father had a well equipped shop which I spent my whole childhood in. I learned how to design and make stuff at a very young age since I was fortunate enough to have almost every tool you could think of was at my fingertips. I can't thank my father enough for allowing me to run free in his shop which I know on many occasions actually drove my parents mad. Not to mention all the stuff I broke and had to work to pay for the replacements.
My expertise does not only include steam equipment though. By the age of 19 I was already employed full time as a journeyman mechanic and metal fabricator for American Airlines till I was laid off shortly after turning 20. ( I had only gotten the job shortly after turning 17) When I was finally called back to work 6 months later I had already started a fabrication business 5 1/2 months prior which was growing rapidly. Prior to me selling that company we had been producing components for everything ranging from simple aircraft parts, to structural components for cranes, to decorative handrails for people's homes. I remember once we even built a small custom hovercraft for one customer. That company was very interesting because basically you name it, we either designed it or probably built it. However during the time of running that business I was also consulting and designing stuff for other companies part time. The fabrication business grew very rapidly and was highly successful but I personally found it to be no longer fun so I sold it at age 25 and it's still alive and well today. Shortly after the first few years of starting the fabrication business I had also decided to start a full time production machining career in the evenings since I had already been regularly using machining equipment since I built my first engine with my father at age 12. I had always been drawn to precisely machined parts since that age. Through long time personal connections we were lucky enough to have acquired a few very important machining contracts. We were mostly making components for the technology sector.
I continued doing contract machining work till age 29 when the semi part time business that I had started four years earlier as a hobby (which most of you know as Monahan Steam Models today) began requiring too much of my time. Sales were increasing and since there wasn't enough time to run both companies, the decision was made to focus 100% on MSM since I always enjoyed making steam engines. So that's what I've been doing mainly for the last three years but there has also been brief consulting gigs and short run productions contract jobs thrown into the mix in between whenever free time was available.
With the global economic decline, sales began to significantly drop off with MSM. Although in the history of MSM this was only starting fairly recently over the past many months, it got to the point during the past few months where things were getting worst. It began forcing me to constantly have to stress out over whether the basic operating expenses were going to be paid or not. Which they were not, and I had to bail the company out. Without the personal income seen in years from my past businesses, I literally had nothing left in my pocket to bail MSM out this time.
So MSM was sadly shut down on Monday July 12, 2010.
I've never been one to sit around feeling sorry for myself so, the next morning the phone was picked up and many calls placed to long time business connections. After which time a meeting was already scheduled for Wednesday morning with one of those connections. The result of that brief meeting was the successful securing of our first large annual production machining contract before it was even lunchtime. Thursday was spent meeting with the corporate attorney for setting up the new machining company. Work began on Friday and Saturday making the first types of contracted parts which have to be delivered Monday. Sunday is also going to be spent finishing up the last of these particular parts which in the end will be used in laboratories for the medical research industry. More machining work from other companies has already been submitted to me since Thursday.
Moss never gets a chance to grow on me.
Nick
Author
Topic: Monahan Steam Models closed for business permanently (Read 15042 times)