New Wrinkles in the Mill

Just before Christmas and the arrival of the CHIC group, we worked very hard to finish last details in the construction of the mill and make samples of the various products we hope to produce. All this was to meet a deadline for submitting bids to the Thai Burmese Border Consortium. I flew to Bangkok and turned in our bid and samples a few hours before the deadline. I also visited the World Food Program hoping they were in a buying mood.

With Wessel out of the loop ( for obvious reasons) I was more than a little stressed. After a couple of weeks we got word: our samples passed the lab tests for nutrition and sanitation quality, our price was right, but we did not have the licenses the Consortium requires of a food mill--GMP, Halal, HACCP. We had hoped they might overlook that fact since we are working hard on getting those licenses. Nothing doing. We were told we need to get those licenses before they will consider us. We were told, also, that the WFP has no plans, at present, to place any orders in this region.

Hmmph. Discouragement, deflation. But then, somewhere, one day in January, after Wessel's wedding, God lifted the blanket of gloom. I don't remember the exact date, but I remember the day: Suddenly, I knew it was going to be okay. God hasn't brought us this far to leave us hanging out here with a mill all ready to produce food but no orders to merit turning on those 100 horsepower motors.

So, that's where we are at: doggedly knocking things off the list of things we have to do to bring our mill up to international food standards--signs, SOP's (standard operating procedures), bathrooms, changing rooms, uniforms,etc. etc. Our official opening ceremony is scheduled for March 5. Hopefully, much of this will be done before then.