Written by: Wayne on 02 February 2011
Sometimes, stars align. A business may thrive, at some point in its life, and get into orbit with a push and a shove, and some luck.
Or is it just hard work?
Nah. For success, one needs a peculiar combination that I do not totally understand, even now.
What lead to our partnership with the US Mint can be considered something of a «controlled miracle». A «miracle», because to be chosen by such a high stake client is a rare event, the result of a complex process of give and take, an arduous road that most of the times leads right back where you started, empty handed. «Controlled» because we at Pubco leave nothing to chance: «Fortune favours the prepared mind».
Let’s give some of the context leading to our first, and then multiple contracts with the US Mint.
First: we had years of experience packaging religious materials, perfecting our production system, applying for patents, improving our designs. I can tell you that religious products consumers are a discerning clientèle: an air bubble in the patented resin cover, covering a speck of the bottom left part of Fatima’s Mother Mary light-blue dress is (righlty so) a cause of concern. The similar bubble in the eye of any of the American Presidents or their spouse (our first series with the US Mint) is equally unacceptable.
Second: we had been dealing with other national mints before we met the American institution. The Royal Canadian Mint had trusted us with many projects, as were the Grand-Duché of Luxembourg, the Monnaie de Paris, the Bulgarian Mint and other national mints. Minting coins is a source of national pride, with exacting standards for any contractor.
One could say that God and money have generated the same high level of expectation from «consumers»: Pubco is at the forefront of packaging and distribution of both of their token forms, be it medals or coins.
And let me tell you one thing: the battle for quality and product standardization is never won for good, but rather a continuing struggle. This is the main reason why Pubco has invested into precision machinery, and is collaborating with Industries Canada technical advisers for engineering R&D purposes.
I will always remember that afternoon phone call, a year ago, that sealed a second multi-year contract with the US Mint. Between that moment and the very first time we met a not-so-enthusiastic rep at a trade show, 5 years had passed. As they say in the Republic: «In God We Trust».
