“Have you talked to the Terry sisters? They bought some commercial appliances for The Lakeside Inn. Maybe their supplier can help you.”
“It’s worth a try. The boys will be at Katie’s creative writing workshop after school. I’ll ask her then.”
“Good idea. In the meantime, I’m only a few steps away. If you need any moral support or a hug, come and see me.”
“I will. Have a good day at work.”
“You, too. When are you going to the church?”
Andrea checked her watch. “In about five minutes. I’d better hurry or I won’t get rid of my recycling before I leave.”
Paris held out her arms. “My store doesn’t open for ten minutes. I’ll take some boxes for you."
“That would be great.” Andrea handed her friend the cardboard before picking up a box of plastic trash.
Someone must have reasonably priced appliances she could buy. And, if that didn’t work, she’d call a company she’d spoken to last week. They were expecting a leased oven to be returned to their factory. If it arrived, they were happy to send it to her. It might be a short-term solution, but at least she’d be able to open the café.
Chapter 2
David looked around the large, empty building that could be the answer to all his problems. In its long and colorful history, the building had been a sawmill, a warehouse and, more recently, an indoor go-kart track. A month ago, he’d come to Sapphire Bay to find a building BioTech Industries could use as a research and development facility. After searching far and wide, he’d only seen one property that could meet their needs. And this was it.
After showing the architects the building, they’d created a design that transformed the run-down property into the high-tech research facility the company needed.
Peter Bennett, the Chief Executive of BioTech Industries, studied the plans David had received this morning. “Have the architects allocated enough space for the CAD team?”
“There’s more space for them here than they have in New York.” He pointed to the top floor of the building. “This area will comfortably seat fourteen engineers. There are plenty of meeting rooms and the workshop will be fully equipped with all the technology we have back home.”
“And the electronics lab?”
David placed another sheet over the one Peter was scrutinizing. “We’ll have multiple bays. Each equipped with an oscilloscope, a variable power supply, and state-of-the-art measuring equipment. The doors on each end of this floor are wide enough to accommodate our biggest piece of equipment. Lift access will be from a private entrance at the back of the building. Security will be as tight as it is for our offices in New York City.”
Peter placed the plans side by side.
The work that had gone into creating the design was eye-watering. Luckily, most of the consultation had happened before David set foot in Montana. If they’d left it until he’d found a building, they’d be looking at a three-year project.
This phase of the development was crucial. The financial contribution BioTech investors had already made to support the relocation of their research and development facility was substantial. Their expectations weighed heavily on David, but it was worse for Peter. As the chief executive of one of the most innovative medical technology companies in the world, he had more to lose than anyone else.
“It looks as though the architects have covered everything we need.” Peter looked around the cavernous room that would become the biometrics lab. “If the board of directors give us the go-ahead for construction, when can we start?”
David followed his boss’ gaze to the vaulted ceiling. The building was as impressive as the timeline he’d set with the contractors. “After the county approves the plans, we should be ready to open the facility in fourteen months.”
“That’s a lot sooner than I thought it would be.”
“It will be less disruptive if we can move our staff here as quickly as possible.” There were some significant hurdles they still had to overcome, but David was confident they could meet the tight timeline.
“Have you spoken to Pastor John about using the students from the church’s construction program for some of the work?”
“I saw him last week and it looks promising. I’ve put him in touch with our construction supervisor. Between the church and our team, we should be able to employ six or seven students.”
“Good.” Peter looked at the plans. “This facility will change a lot of people’s lives.”
That was an understatement. Until now, Sapphire Bay relied on tourists to keep its businesses open. Once the teams from BioTech arrived with their families, the sleepy little town would get a lot busier. Especially if other research facilities did the same thing.
He looked at the worried expression on Peter’s face. “How does Katie feel about Sapphire Bay being invaded by half the BioTech team?”
“She’s a little worried about where everyone will stay but, other than that, she’s as excited as I am. Living here is a thousand times better than New York City.”
“If you say so.”
