Conrad Specialty Roofing

Abstract

I know it’s hard to believe, Allen, but Max is dying,” said Bill Levis, as he paced about the cramped, dingy office of Conrad Specialty Roofing (CSR). “He and I were partners for 15 years and friends for a lot longer than that. Mary and his kids are devastated; hell, he’s only 50 years old. I don’t know how she’s going to get through this – you know what kind of person she is.”

Yes, I know what kind of person she is, thought Allen. She’s worked in this office for the past four years, if you could describe what she did as work. In addition to successfully building CSR for the past five years, Max had always taken care of Mary and the children, made even the smallest decisions for them. And now he’s going to be leaving them on their own… 

He’s going to be leaving me on my own, too, Allen’s thoughts continued. “ This certainly explains Max’s odd behavior over the last few months” said Allen, shaking his head.  “He’s pretty much put me in charge of everything lately – sales, supervision, ordering material, paying bills, the works. He hired me last year as a project manager, but he’s been around here so little I feel like the owner.” 

                “That’s good,” replied Bill, “because it looks like you are going to be the owner. When I saw Max yesterday, he told me how proud he was of the way you took up the slack and kept the business going smoothly over the past six months. He told me that he wanted you to own CSR and was going to see his lawyer to put something about it in his will. I agreed with him, possibly for the first time since we split up our partnership five years ago; you have really been a lifesaver for this business – without you, it would have been doomed, just like Max… You are CSR, you know.” 

                “Now all we need to do is arrange something equitable with Mary,” continued Bill. “I’ve known her so long… perhaps I can help.”