Читать книгу Provence Forever - Massimo Cereso - Страница 14

6

The second company

By visiting important industrial fairs abroad, I again found interesting products, this time of the food industry, which I was able to sell to the industry in Switzerland as an independent entrepreneur. The necessary start-up capital for my second company was once again provided by my parents, but despite tireless work and the greatest personal commitment, it was extremely difficult to sell these products to industry; the development of this new business continually consumed additional funds, which I received as loans from various banks. Since many smaller orders were placed with me in a relatively short period of time, the desired success had to be achieved in the long term, which is what happened after I received the corresponding orders. Thus, not only could my loans to the banks be repaid in a short time, but I was also in the fortunate situation of being able to work out additional assets. The following two years were crowned with success and my private life with my family was blessed with happiness. Unfortunately, however, eternity only exists in death, and so the news from my manufacturer that it wanted to set up its own subsidiary in Switzerland and would therefore soon no longer be able to fulfill our supply contracts hit me like a bolt from the blue. I had built up this market with diligence and great financial risk, now others were to profit from it - I admit that I found this difficult to accept.

At that time I understood that ruthlessness, brutality and amoral actions are the keys to comprehensive financial success. These exploiters, who call themselves human, have no measure and also want to put even more into their greedy throats; Unfortunately, experience shows that few choke on this insatiable greed. This is also the reason, why large companies and their boards and shareholders are becoming more and more powerful at the expense of small and medium-sized enterprises. Forward-looking companies which, despite hard work, an appropriate portion of pioneering spirit and a large financial risk due to insufficient equity, fail to achieve the success they deserve, end up being taken over or significantly controlled by large corporations and banks.

Due to this loss, I was forced to immediately find a replacement product in order to continue supplying my customers, but despite my best efforts, I could not find a manufacturer that produced exactly those products. It was then that I realized that diversification through different products is necessary for a company to survive such setbacks. However, in order to realize such projects, the necessary capital was once again essential. I tried everything possible and impossible to save my small trading company from the worst, but once again I was forced to take out bank loans. I obtained these also on the basis of the previous success and thus under false pretenses, and thus I had committed fraudulent acts. The collapse of my company was finally the consequence, my home, which I had loved so much, was dissolved and the entire household effects were sold by compulsory auction; my wife Anuschka lost her inherited jewelry and her entire savings. Although my parents also stood by me again and settled the enormous sum of the remaining loss, the previous criminal charges filed by the banks concerned could not be withdrawn. The court verdict handed down in these proceedings brought me seven months in prison as a result of the earlier penalty, which I have already mentioned in detail.

During this difficult time, Anuschka has always stood by me, disputes and reproaches have not occurred, all shame and humiliation she has endured. During the time when my crimes were being investigated and there was still no legally binding verdict, I applied for a senior position in a Swiss company that was looking for a managing director for its branch in Germany. Since I wanted to avoid my prospective prison sentence at all costs, I took all measures available to me to obtain this position. In the various job interviews, I presented myself and my person with an extremely well-groomed appearance and perfect manners, which leave everyone with an unshakable impression of respectability, so well that I would certainly have won a film Oscar with my appearance. Of course, it is undisputed that I did not operate by legal means that corresponded to the truth and simply did not possess the required qualifications. However, despite the fact that I did not have the industry knowledge required for this new job, or only very insufficiently, and that other applicants were also in the running, I was given this job. After a lengthy introductory and training period in Switzerland, which to my own surprise I completed without any major problems, I was able to take on my new role in Stuttgart. An above-average salary and the apartment building provided to me in a well-kept environment were the cornerstones of a new beginning for my existence, which had failed up to that moment. My wife Anuschka and I were extremely happy to be able to live in a foreign country without a past.

The new job was a complete challenge for me, my working days consisted of fifteen or more hours, some weekends I even spent completely in my office. All my plans and ideas could be carried out without any financial burden, which in the long run, if it was a good project, had to bring the desired success. Thus, I was able to more than meet all the expectations and goals of my employer and to increase the sales figures of our products above average. My parents, who visited us regularly, were very proud of their son, who, it seemed, had finally found the right path. At least that's what they hoped, but unfortunately this life of peace and success came to a tragic end after two years.

Because of the prison sentence imposed on me, I was arrested by the police out of the blue, so to speak. It was precisely this prison sentence that I had wanted to avoid at all costs; after moving to Germany, I had not even expected that I would ever be confronted with this matter again abroad. But now I was in extradition custody. After a week in prison, I was released pending a decision on the extradition request with the condition that I report daily to the police station in my place of residence. The following talks with my completely shocked employer about the continuation of the employment relationship were unsuccessful and my employment contract was terminated with immediate effect.

Despite a larger settlement sum, the loss of this job meant the end for me; moreover, my lawyer informed me that the pending extradition request would most likely be granted. My wife Anuschka, who still stood by me and put up with this bankruptcy, asked me to serve my prison sentence in Switzerland; as long as this matter was not settled, a continuation of a normal family life was out of the question. After dissolving our household and selling all the furniture, we returned to Switzerland. Despite identity checks at the Swiss border, I was not immediately arrested there, contrary to all expectations; however, I subsequently made myself "available" to the authorities, accompanied by my lawyer. Meanwhile, my wife and our daughter found a temporary home with my parents.