Amazing. Surely the monthly cliffhangers leading up to the sale of CitiStorage would come to a logical conclusion, right? Nope. This could be an ABC miniseries. It seems Nova will miss out on a great acquisition because one board member couldn't cheat Norm.
I have bought and sold a few companies and can attest that this kind of thing happens sometimes. Once, I was buying a company and the seller decided three days before closing to ask for $500,000 more.
I told my attorney to shred the documents and return them to the seller. I was happy I told the seller where he could go, but I understand what Norm, his employees, and his family must have gone through.
I often disagree with the contents of Norm Brodsky's columns. Sometimes I even blog about it. But now I feel his pain. I thought it was a done deal. I'm sure many other readers did too. Norm, thanks for letting us learn at your expense.
I would have walked away from the deal immediately. Frank is an ass. I hope the board fires him.
Driving Perfection
Leigh Buchanan's article about Dawson Rutter and his limousine company, Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, was truly inspirational ["What's Wrong With This Picture? Nothing!" June]. The importance of customer service should not be underestimated, and perfection in that realm is always in the details.
There are many things to admire about Dawson Rutter's company, but equal opportunity isn't among them. Why, in the pictured lineup of polished, professional chauffeurs, are there no women? Surely a woman can drive and dress as well as these men. What's wrong with this picture, you ask? I'd say plenty!
Leigh Buchanan Responds:
You're right: Only five or so of Commonwealth's 190 drivers are female. The company says that very few women apply for those jobs, possibly because of unpredictable hours and safety issues. A third of Commonwealth's 12-person management team and more than 50 percent of its administrative staff are women, however.
Flinging Fertilizer
I'm very unhappy about the trade dress lawsuit Scotts Miracle-Gro has filed against TerraCycle ["Legal Lemons, PR Lemonade," June]. I see no similarity in the product design. I have been following TerraCycle since its inception. I buy its fertilizer and recommend it to family, friends, and anyone else I come in contact with. I do that not just because the product works, but because I like the company's business model and interest in the environment. What Scotts is doing is unfair and shows that it fears competition.
Baby Shower Blues
I just read your article about pregnancy waves in the office, and I wanted to say thank you so much for noting that baby showers and birth announcements in the office are often painful for women and men coping with infertility problems ["What to Expect When They're Expecting," June].
I hope the gentle nudge in your article prompts some offices to tone down the pregnancy mania for the sake of people who can never be biological parents.
Thanks for saying what so many of us think but don't dare say, lest we offend someone. For 20 years, I worked for a large company, and all the showers and get-togethers made me cringe. They're just out of place in the office. Since I didn't like to cook and often barely knew the mother-to-be, I just made a rule of never going to showers. When I finally got around to getting married, they were all smart enough to know I didn't want one.
Cue the Mediator
As you pointed out in your article, George Steinbrenner's partnership crisis with his former son-in-law could have been avoided with a little planning ["Breakup Blues," June]. But for many people it's not easy to sit down and have the conversations that are necessary for drafting a prenup or an ownership agreement. Business owners should consider using the services of a mediator for touchy subjects like these.
