Portfolio: Greycat Industrial
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English
Writer’s Note: Portfolio: Greycat Industrial was published originally as a Subscriber Exclusive on December 12, 2018.
Step onto almost any industrial site in the universe and you’ll likely find something made by Greycat. Be it a Pyro Multi-Tool safely slicing through metal or a heavy-duty suit protecting a miner against falling debris, the company’s extensive line of industrial equipment and armor make it one of the most respected brand names around. Greycat has remained a UEE staple for centuries thanks to their streamlined-yet-inventive designs, exacting safety standards, and a diverse product line.
Similar to RSI, Shubin, and Tarsus, the company’s long history makes it a corporate cornerstone of the modern UEE. While Greycat experienced success early on, it only really became a household name after releasing the Personal Transport Vehicle (PTV) centuries later. These days, it’s hard to imagine the Empire without Greycat’s PTVs buzzing across expansive hangars or their massive mining bots extracting ore from asteroids. Most analysts credit Greycat’s growth into a manufacturing empire to shrewd managerial moves made by the company’s founding family — the Broussards. However, a growing number of historians believe that much of the company’s success can be attributed to Ruben Pardue, the until-recently forgotten engineer responsible for designing and developing some of Greycat’s most important products. Neither Pardue nor the Broussards alone could have made Greycat what it is today, but together their combined vision and ambition created a company that has become an essential part of the Empire.
Arrogance of Youth
Ruben Pardue first made a name for himself while attending the University of Rhetor. After publishing his graduate dissertation exploring future applications of geohacking tech, he attracted the attention of Titania Terraforming. The company courted the ambitious young engineer to aid their efforts in terraforming Uriel — an experimental undertaking to raise the planet’s core temperature to compensate for the lack of heat generated by the Oberon system’s neutron star. Pardue was undaunted by the immense task. In fact, he jumped at the chance to try and crack the riddle of ‘fixing a planet’.
Pardue quickly distinguished himself as an adept problem solver with a caustic tongue; many who worked with Pardue bristled at his unchecked arrogance but never questioned his competence and dedication to the project. He rocketed through the ranks and was soon asked to lead the construction of a network of tunnels under the planet’s surface to house another team’s experimental thermal device. Pardue spent months in the tunnels obsessing over every last detail. In his downtime, he sketched ideas for new equipment that would’ve been useful to his operations. These included initial designs for what would eventually become the Pyro Multi-Tool. Yet, these sketches wouldn’t be realized for years due to a tragedy that changed the trajectory of Pardue’s life and career.
On May 23, 2381, a section of the underground operations hub collapsed, tragically killing thirty-seven and injuring dozens more. Trapped in a connecting tunnel, rescuers barely made it to Pardue in time to save his life. Unfortunately, his dominant left arm required amputation above the elbow. With Titania obligated to cover medical costs, Pardue could’ve had the finest prosthetics available at the time, but he refused. A choice Pardue’s biographer Jing Fermi believes was self-imposed penance for his failure to prevent the catastrophe. Pardue quietly left the company after the accident. Titania investigated the incident, but never publicly released their report. The tragedy was yet another setback to the grand plan of terraforming Uriel. The company dissolved years later after deeming their attempt to manipulate the core temperature an utter failure.
Upon hearing that Pardue had left Titania, former university classmate Pippa Broussard reached out and offered him a job. Her family owned a small yet respected industrial goods manufacturer and she was eager to put her stamp on the brand by infusing it with new ideas. Though never officially declared responsible, Pardue’s tarnished reputation after the accident had left him without any other options, so he agreed to the comparatively low salary offered by Broussard. A mere three months after the collapse, Pardue began his career at Greycat.
Expanding Ambition
In 2337, Odis Broussard founded Greycat Industrial, with the goal of producing and supplying safety equipment to miners seeking their fortune among the stars. The company’s moniker was a nod to the family’s nickname for Odis, whose hair unexpectedly turned grey when he was still in his twenties. By the mid-24th century, Greycat was manufacturing a number of well-regarded and affordable products from their Mars headquarters. It was successful, but their market presence was minimal.
When Odis’ daughter, Pippa, took control of the company in 2380, her ascendance coincided with the creation of the United Nations of Earth (UNE) and the completion of terraforming projects in the Croshaw system. Inspired by the expansionist spirit, Pippa’s first act as Greycat CEO was to open their second manufacturing facility on Angeli. Away from the watchful eye of her father, who still maintained control of the Board, Pippa hired Pardue to expand Greycat’s product line.
Pardue’s first design was a line of industrial armor. Incorporating new safety features and advanced alloy plating that would have been critical to helping workers in the Uriel tunnel collapse, the ‘Aril’ industrial armor became a huge success. Its clean, functional design would come to set the standard for Greycat products going forward. Today, Aril armor remains a bestseller for Greycat, with only minimal changes made to Pardue’s classic concept.
Inspired by the Aril’s success, Pippa asked Pardue to head up Greycat’s engineering department, but he politely declined. Pardue refused any promotions for the remainder of his career, avoiding all managerial positions so he could simply focus on building. This also ensured that every one of his designs would be thoroughly vetted and implemented by others. While his vision and style are now synonymous with Greycat, his preference for the drafting table over the boardroom table meant his influence was not well known until the release of Jing Fermi’s biography, Hidden Design, in the early 30th century. The book became a bestseller by juxtaposing Pardue’s incredibly fertile yet uncelebrated professional career at Greycat with a tumultuous personal life, which the events on Uriel haunted until his death in 2458.
Quick Reflexes
Meanwhile, Pippa discovered that expanding Greycat’s influence and production pipeline wasn’t without problems. The popularity of the Pyro Multi-Tool upon its release so overwhelmed the company’s supply chain that the backlog kept most customers waiting months for their order. This gave competitors time to design and sell cheap knockoffs. The ongoing battle with copycats and counterfeiters would consume significant company resources for centuries.
When profits plateaued in the early 27th century, CEO Liana Broussard implemented a controversial plan to overhaul their production chain in an attempt to fix the issues that plagued them. The ultimate goal was to have a manufacturing facility in every UEE system. Since building and managing all of these new plants would be costly and time-consuming, Liana outsourced much of the work to regional manufacturers. This turned out to be a costly miscalculation. Many of the regional plants either chose to ignore or failed to meet the strict standards set by Greycat. To make matters worse, some of these unreliable third parties leaked (or outright sold) design specs to counterfeiters. Soon, most knockoffs carried the exact same color scheme and design specifications as the real thing. Many of them even claimed to be made by Greycat Industries, not Greycat Industrial; a distinction lost on many casual consumers.
The fallout from this strategic blunder harmed Greycat’s bottom line and led to a power struggle within the Broussard family for control of the company. When the dust settled, Liana became the only Greycat CEO to ever be ousted. Her brother, Marcel, became CEO and embarked on an equally ambitious plan of his own.
Bigger is Better
As CEO, Marcel Broussard enacted a two-pronged plan to keep Greycat solvent. He aggressively lobbied the UEE to clamp down on counterfeiters. Even with the eventual passage of a bill that introduced harsher penalties for those convicted, government intervention could only go so far. Documents would later reveal that Marcel also contracted private security forces to find counterfeiters and convince them “by any means necessary” to shutter their operations.
However, what was considered Marcel’s most daring gamble would come with expanding Greycat’s product line. Up until the early 27th century, the company mainly made handheld tools, safety devices, and industrial armor – products that could easily be copied. To insulate the company’s sales, Marcel argued that Greycat should make big tickets items that would be harder to counterfeit. Many were skeptical and scared of the upfront costs, but undaunted, Marcel pushed the plan forward.
Marcel knew the success of the plan hinged on the products, so he dug through the company’s archives and uncovered old Pardue designs that were explored, but not implemented. Among the designs Marcel moved into production were the PTV (buggy), massive Cydnus mining bot, and their series of mining lasers and tractor beams. While most of their larger industrial devices took time to turn a profit, the buggy proved to be more popular than expected. Pardue initially designed the vehicle to navigate cramped mining tunnels, but Greycat employees discovered that early test models were perfect for cruising across the expansive factory floor where the buggies were being made. After a few minor changes to Pardue’s design, like removing the heavy protective roof, the purely industrial vehicle was transitioned to be more general purpose, allowing the PTV to be marketed to a larger audience. It has since become ubiquitous across the UEE.
Marcel’s controversial but inspired leadership finally made Greycat a household name and ensured that the company would remain strong for centuries. He told the Terra Gazette that “Greycat needed to reinvent itself to remain relevant.” Doing so without losing one’s identity or alienating loyal customers was an impressive feat. Greycat pulled it off because it combined the Broussards’ focus, dedication to quality, and daring to try something new with the strong yet distinct design stylings of Ruben Pardue. Simply, Greycat became a household name because of their commitment to making the right business choices; not just the easy ones.
Step onto almost any industrial site in the universe and you’ll likely find something made by Greycat. Be it a Pyro Multi-Tool safely slicing through metal or a heavy-duty suit protecting a miner against falling debris, the company’s extensive line of industrial equipment and armor make it one of the most respected brand names around. Greycat has remained a UEE staple for centuries thanks to their streamlined-yet-inventive designs, exacting safety standards, and a diverse product line.
Similar to RSI, Shubin, and Tarsus, the company’s long history makes it a corporate cornerstone of the modern UEE. While Greycat experienced success early on, it only really became a household name after releasing the Personal Transport Vehicle (PTV) centuries later. These days, it’s hard to imagine the Empire without Greycat’s PTVs buzzing across expansive hangars or their massive mining bots extracting ore from asteroids. Most analysts credit Greycat’s growth into a manufacturing empire to shrewd managerial moves made by the company’s founding family — the Broussards. However, a growing number of historians believe that much of the company’s success can be attributed to Ruben Pardue, the until-recently forgotten engineer responsible for designing and developing some of Greycat’s most important products. Neither Pardue nor the Broussards alone could have made Greycat what it is today, but together their combined vision and ambition created a company that has become an essential part of the Empire.
Arrogance of Youth
Ruben Pardue first made a name for himself while attending the University of Rhetor. After publishing his graduate dissertation exploring future applications of geohacking tech, he attracted the attention of Titania Terraforming. The company courted the ambitious young engineer to aid their efforts in terraforming Uriel — an experimental undertaking to raise the planet’s core temperature to compensate for the lack of heat generated by the Oberon system’s neutron star. Pardue was undaunted by the immense task. In fact, he jumped at the chance to try and crack the riddle of ‘fixing a planet’.
Pardue quickly distinguished himself as an adept problem solver with a caustic tongue; many who worked with Pardue bristled at his unchecked arrogance but never questioned his competence and dedication to the project. He rocketed through the ranks and was soon asked to lead the construction of a network of tunnels under the planet’s surface to house another team’s experimental thermal device. Pardue spent months in the tunnels obsessing over every last detail. In his downtime, he sketched ideas for new equipment that would’ve been useful to his operations. These included initial designs for what would eventually become the Pyro Multi-Tool. Yet, these sketches wouldn’t be realized for years due to a tragedy that changed the trajectory of Pardue’s life and career.
On May 23, 2381, a section of the underground operations hub collapsed, tragically killing thirty-seven and injuring dozens more. Trapped in a connecting tunnel, rescuers barely made it to Pardue in time to save his life. Unfortunately, his dominant left arm required amputation above the elbow. With Titania obligated to cover medical costs, Pardue could’ve had the finest prosthetics available at the time, but he refused. A choice Pardue’s biographer Jing Fermi believes was self-imposed penance for his failure to prevent the catastrophe. Pardue quietly left the company after the accident. Titania investigated the incident, but never publicly released their report. The tragedy was yet another setback to the grand plan of terraforming Uriel. The company dissolved years later after deeming their attempt to manipulate the core temperature an utter failure.
Upon hearing that Pardue had left Titania, former university classmate Pippa Broussard reached out and offered him a job. Her family owned a small yet respected industrial goods manufacturer and she was eager to put her stamp on the brand by infusing it with new ideas. Though never officially declared responsible, Pardue’s tarnished reputation after the accident had left him without any other options, so he agreed to the comparatively low salary offered by Broussard. A mere three months after the collapse, Pardue began his career at Greycat.
Expanding Ambition
In 2337, Odis Broussard founded Greycat Industrial, with the goal of producing and supplying safety equipment to miners seeking their fortune among the stars. The company’s moniker was a nod to the family’s nickname for Odis, whose hair unexpectedly turned grey when he was still in his twenties. By the mid-24th century, Greycat was manufacturing a number of well-regarded and affordable products from their Mars headquarters. It was successful, but their market presence was minimal.
When Odis’ daughter, Pippa, took control of the company in 2380, her ascendance coincided with the creation of the United Nations of Earth (UNE) and the completion of terraforming projects in the Croshaw system. Inspired by the expansionist spirit, Pippa’s first act as Greycat CEO was to open their second manufacturing facility on Angeli. Away from the watchful eye of her father, who still maintained control of the Board, Pippa hired Pardue to expand Greycat’s product line.
Pardue’s first design was a line of industrial armor. Incorporating new safety features and advanced alloy plating that would have been critical to helping workers in the Uriel tunnel collapse, the ‘Aril’ industrial armor became a huge success. Its clean, functional design would come to set the standard for Greycat products going forward. Today, Aril armor remains a bestseller for Greycat, with only minimal changes made to Pardue’s classic concept.
Inspired by the Aril’s success, Pippa asked Pardue to head up Greycat’s engineering department, but he politely declined. Pardue refused any promotions for the remainder of his career, avoiding all managerial positions so he could simply focus on building. This also ensured that every one of his designs would be thoroughly vetted and implemented by others. While his vision and style are now synonymous with Greycat, his preference for the drafting table over the boardroom table meant his influence was not well known until the release of Jing Fermi’s biography, Hidden Design, in the early 30th century. The book became a bestseller by juxtaposing Pardue’s incredibly fertile yet uncelebrated professional career at Greycat with a tumultuous personal life, which the events on Uriel haunted until his death in 2458.
Quick Reflexes
Meanwhile, Pippa discovered that expanding Greycat’s influence and production pipeline wasn’t without problems. The popularity of the Pyro Multi-Tool upon its release so overwhelmed the company’s supply chain that the backlog kept most customers waiting months for their order. This gave competitors time to design and sell cheap knockoffs. The ongoing battle with copycats and counterfeiters would consume significant company resources for centuries.
When profits plateaued in the early 27th century, CEO Liana Broussard implemented a controversial plan to overhaul their production chain in an attempt to fix the issues that plagued them. The ultimate goal was to have a manufacturing facility in every UEE system. Since building and managing all of these new plants would be costly and time-consuming, Liana outsourced much of the work to regional manufacturers. This turned out to be a costly miscalculation. Many of the regional plants either chose to ignore or failed to meet the strict standards set by Greycat. To make matters worse, some of these unreliable third parties leaked (or outright sold) design specs to counterfeiters. Soon, most knockoffs carried the exact same color scheme and design specifications as the real thing. Many of them even claimed to be made by Greycat Industries, not Greycat Industrial; a distinction lost on many casual consumers.
The fallout from this strategic blunder harmed Greycat’s bottom line and led to a power struggle within the Broussard family for control of the company. When the dust settled, Liana became the only Greycat CEO to ever be ousted. Her brother, Marcel, became CEO and embarked on an equally ambitious plan of his own.
Bigger is Better
As CEO, Marcel Broussard enacted a two-pronged plan to keep Greycat solvent. He aggressively lobbied the UEE to clamp down on counterfeiters. Even with the eventual passage of a bill that introduced harsher penalties for those convicted, government intervention could only go so far. Documents would later reveal that Marcel also contracted private security forces to find counterfeiters and convince them “by any means necessary” to shutter their operations.
However, what was considered Marcel’s most daring gamble would come with expanding Greycat’s product line. Up until the early 27th century, the company mainly made handheld tools, safety devices, and industrial armor – products that could easily be copied. To insulate the company’s sales, Marcel argued that Greycat should make big tickets items that would be harder to counterfeit. Many were skeptical and scared of the upfront costs, but undaunted, Marcel pushed the plan forward.
Marcel knew the success of the plan hinged on the products, so he dug through the company’s archives and uncovered old Pardue designs that were explored, but not implemented. Among the designs Marcel moved into production were the PTV (buggy), massive Cydnus mining bot, and their series of mining lasers and tractor beams. While most of their larger industrial devices took time to turn a profit, the buggy proved to be more popular than expected. Pardue initially designed the vehicle to navigate cramped mining tunnels, but Greycat employees discovered that early test models were perfect for cruising across the expansive factory floor where the buggies were being made. After a few minor changes to Pardue’s design, like removing the heavy protective roof, the purely industrial vehicle was transitioned to be more general purpose, allowing the PTV to be marketed to a larger audience. It has since become ubiquitous across the UEE.
Marcel’s controversial but inspired leadership finally made Greycat a household name and ensured that the company would remain strong for centuries. He told the Terra Gazette that “Greycat needed to reinvent itself to remain relevant.” Doing so without losing one’s identity or alienating loyal customers was an impressive feat. Greycat pulled it off because it combined the Broussards’ focus, dedication to quality, and daring to try something new with the strong yet distinct design stylings of Ruben Pardue. Simply, Greycat became a household name because of their commitment to making the right business choices; not just the easy ones.
German
Betreten Sie fast jedes Industriegelände im Universum und Sie werden wahrscheinlich etwas von Greycat finden. Ob es sich nun um ein Pyro Multi-Tool handelt, das sicher durch Metall schneidet, oder um einen strapazierfähigen Anzug, der einen Bergarbeiter vor herabfallenden Abfällen schützt, die umfangreiche Palette an Industrieausrüstung und Rüstungen des Unternehmens macht es zu einem der angesehensten Markennamen überhaupt. Greycat ist seit Jahrhunderten ein Grundnahrungsmittel der UEE, dank ihres stromlinienförmigen, aber erfinderischen Designs, der hohen Sicherheitsstandards und einer vielfältigen Produktlinie.
Ähnlich wie RSI, Shubin und Tarsus ist das Unternehmen aufgrund seiner langen Geschichte ein Eckpfeiler der modernen UEE. Während Greycat schon früh erfolgreich war, wurde es erst nach der Veröffentlichung des Personal Transport Vehicle (PTV) Jahrhunderte später zu einem Begriff. Heutzutage ist es schwer vorstellbar, dass die PTVs von Greycat über weitläufige Hangars schwirren oder ihre riesigen Minenboote Erz aus Asteroiden gewinnen. Die meisten Analysten schätzen Greycats Wachstum zu einem Produktionsimperium als Folge kluger Managementmethoden der Gründerfamilie des Unternehmens - den Broussards. Immer mehr Historiker glauben jedoch, dass ein Großteil des Erfolgs des Unternehmens auf Ruben Pardue zurückzuführen ist, den in letzter Zeit vergessenen Ingenieur, der für die Entwicklung einiger der wichtigsten Produkte von Greycat verantwortlich ist. Weder Pardue noch die Broussards allein hätten Greycat zu dem machen können, was es heute ist, aber gemeinsam haben sie mit ihrer gemeinsamen Vision und ihrem Ehrgeiz ein Unternehmen geschaffen, das zu einem wesentlichen Bestandteil des Reiches geworden ist.
Arroganz der Jugend
Ruben Pardue machte sich zunächst einen Namen, als er an der University of Rhetor studierte. Nach der Veröffentlichung seiner Doktorarbeit über zukünftige Anwendungen der Geohacking-Technologie erregte er die Aufmerksamkeit von Titania Terraforming. Das Unternehmen umworben den ehrgeizigen jungen Ingenieur, um seine Bemühungen beim Terraforming von Uriel zu unterstützen - ein experimentelles Vorhaben zur Erhöhung der Kerntemperatur des Planeten, um den Wärmemangel des Neutronensterns des Oberon-Systems auszugleichen. Pardue wurde von der immensen Aufgabe nicht abgeschreckt. Tatsächlich ergriff er die Gelegenheit, das Rätsel der "Fixierung eines Planeten" zu lösen.
Pardue zeichnete sich schnell als geschickter Problemlöser mit ätzender Zunge aus; viele, die mit Pardue arbeiteten, sträubten sich über seine ungebremste Arroganz, stellten aber nie seine Kompetenz und Hingabe an das Projekt in Frage. Er schoss durch die Ränge und wurde bald gebeten, den Bau eines Tunnelnetzes unter der Oberfläche des Planeten zu leiten, um die experimentelle thermische Vorrichtung eines anderen Teams aufzunehmen. Pardue verbrachte Monate in den Tunneln und war bis ins kleinste Detail besessen. In seiner Ausfallzeit entwarf er Ideen für neue Geräte, die für seinen Betrieb nützlich gewesen wären. Dazu gehörten erste Entwürfe für das spätere Pyro Multi-Tool. Doch diese Skizzen würden jahrelang nicht realisiert werden, aufgrund einer Tragödie, die die Entwicklung von Pardues Leben und Karriere veränderte.
Am 23. Mai 2381 brach ein Teil der unterirdischen Betriebszentrale zusammen, wobei 37 Menschen auf tragische Weise getötet und Dutzende weitere verletzt wurden. Gefangen in einem Verbindungstunnel schafften es die Retter kaum rechtzeitig zum Pardue, um sein Leben zu retten. Leider musste sein dominanter linker Arm oberhalb des Ellenbogens amputiert werden. Da Titania verpflichtet war, die medizinischen Kosten zu decken, hätte Pardue die beste Prothese haben können, die zu diesem Zeitpunkt erhältlich war, aber er weigerte sich. Eine Wahl Pardues Biograph Jing Fermi glaubt, dass es sich um eine selbst auferlegte Buße für sein Versagen, die Katastrophe zu verhindern, handelte. Pardue verließ nach dem Unfall leise das Unternehmen. Titania untersuchte den Vorfall, veröffentlichte aber ihren Bericht nie öffentlich. Die Tragödie war ein weiterer Rückschlag für den großen Plan, Uriel zu errichten. Das Unternehmen löste sich Jahre später auf, nachdem es den Versuch, die Kerntemperatur zu manipulieren, für einen Totalausfall hielt.
Als sie hörte, dass Pardue Titania verlassen hatte, streckte die ehemalige Universitätskameradin Pippa Broussard die Hand aus und bot ihm einen Job an. Ihre Familie gehörte einem kleinen, aber angesehenen Industriegüterhersteller und sie war bestrebt, die Marke mit neuen Ideen zu prägen. Obwohl nie offiziell für verantwortlich erklärt, hatte Pardues angeschlagener Ruf nach dem Unfall ihn ohne andere Möglichkeiten zurückgelassen, so dass er dem vergleichsweise niedrigen Gehalt von Broussard zustimmte. Nur drei Monate nach dem Zusammenbruch begann Pardue seine Karriere bei Greycat.
Erweiterter Ehrgeiz
Im Jahr 2337 gründete Odis Broussard Greycat Industrial mit dem Ziel, Sicherheitsausrüstung für Bergleute herzustellen und zu liefern, die ihr Glück unter den Sternen suchen. Der Name des Unternehmens war ein Spitzname der Familie für Odis, dessen Haare unerwartet grau wurden, als er noch in den Zwanzigern war. Mitte des 24. Jahrhunderts stellte Greycat von seinem Marshauptsitz aus eine Reihe von angesehenen und erschwinglichen Produkten her. Es war erfolgreich, aber die Marktpräsenz war minimal.
Als Odis' Tochter Pippa 2380 die Kontrolle über das Unternehmen übernahm, fiel ihr Aufstieg mit der Gründung der Vereinten Nationen der Erde (UNE) und der Fertigstellung von Terraforming-Projekten im Croshaw-System zusammen. Inspiriert vom Expansionsgeist, eröffnete Pippa als erster Akt als Greycat CEO ihre zweite Produktionsstätte auf Angeli. Abseits der wachsamen Augen ihres Vaters, der immer noch die Kontrolle über den Vorstand hatte, beauftragte Pippa Pardue mit der Erweiterung der Produktlinie von Greycat.
Pardues erstes Design war eine Linie von Industriepanzern. Mit neuen Sicherheitsmerkmalen und fortschrittlichen Legierungsbeschichtungen, die für die Arbeiter beim Einsturz des Uriel-Tunnels entscheidend gewesen wären, wurde die Aril-Industriepanzerung zu einem großen Erfolg. Sein klares, funktionales Design würde in Zukunft den Standard für Greycat-Produkte setzen. Bis heute ist Aril Armor ein Bestseller für Greycat, mit nur minimalen Änderungen am klassischen Konzept von Pardue.
Inspiriert durch den Erfolg des Aril, bat Pippa Pardue, die technische Abteilung von Greycat zu leiten, aber er lehnte höflich ab. Pardue lehnte alle Beförderungen für den Rest seiner Karriere ab und vermeide alle Führungspositionen, damit er sich einfach auf den Aufbau konzentrieren könne. Dadurch wurde auch sichergestellt, dass jedes seiner Entwürfe von anderen gründlich geprüft und umgesetzt wurde. Während seine Vision und sein Stil heute gleichbedeutend mit Greycat sind, bedeutete seine Vorliebe für den Entwurfstisch gegenüber dem Besprechungsraumtisch, dass sein Einfluss bis zur Veröffentlichung von Jing Fermi's Biographie Hidden Design im frühen 30. Jahrhundert nicht bekannt war. Das Buch wurde zu einem Bestseller, indem es Pardues unglaublich fruchtbare, aber ungezwungene berufliche Karriere bei Greycat einem turbulenten Privatleben gegenüberstellte, das die Ereignisse auf Uriel bis zu seinem Tod im Jahr 2458 heimsuchten.
Schnelle Reflexe
Unterdessen entdeckte Pippa, dass die Erweiterung von Greycats Einfluss und Produktionspipeline nicht ohne Probleme war. Die Popularität des Pyro Multi-Tools nach seiner Veröffentlichung hat die Lieferkette des Unternehmens so überwältigt, dass der Rückstand die meisten Kunden monatelang auf ihre Bestellung wartete. Dies gab den Wettbewerbern Zeit, billige Nachahmer zu entwerfen und zu verkaufen. Der anhaltende Kampf mit Nachahmern und Fälschern würde jahrhundertelang erhebliche Unternehmensressourcen verbrauchen.
Als die Gewinne Anfang des 27. Jahrhunderts in die Höhe schnellen, setzte die CEO Liana Broussard einen umstrittenen Plan zur Überholung ihrer Produktionskette um, um die Probleme zu lösen, die sie plagten. Das oberste Ziel war es, in jedem UEE-System eine Produktionsstätte zu haben. Da der Bau und die Verwaltung aller dieser neuen Werke kostspielig und zeitaufwendig wäre, lagerte Liana einen Großteil der Arbeit an regionale Hersteller aus. Dies stellte sich als kostspielige Fehleinschätzung heraus. Viele der regionalen Werke haben sich entweder dafür entschieden, die strengen Standards von Greycat zu ignorieren oder nicht zu erfüllen. Zu allem Überfluss haben einige dieser unzuverlässigen Drittanbieter Designspezifikationen an Fälscher weitergegeben (oder vollständig verkauft). Bald trugen die meisten Nachbauten genau die gleichen Farbschemata und Designspezifikationen wie das Original. Viele von ihnen behaupteten sogar, von Greycat Industries und nicht von Greycat Industrial hergestellt zu werden; eine Unterscheidung, die bei vielen Gelegenheitskonsumenten verloren ging.
Die Folgen dieses strategischen Fehlers schmälerten das Ergebnis von Greycat und führten zu einem Machtkampf innerhalb der Broussard-Familie um die Kontrolle über das Unternehmen. Als sich die Lage beruhigte, wurde Liana die einzige Greycat CEO, die jemals verdrängt wurde. Ihr Bruder Marcel wurde CEO und startete einen ebenso ehrgeizigen eigenen Plan.
Größer ist besser
Als CEO verabschiedete Marcel Broussard einen zweigleisigen Plan, um das Lösungsmittel Greycat zu erhalten. Er setzte sich aggressiv für die UEE ein, um gegen Fälscher vorzugehen. Sogar mit der letztendlichen Verabschiedung eines Gesetzes, das strengere Strafen für die Verurteilten vorsah, konnte die staatliche Intervention nur so weit gehen. Später würden Dokumente zeigen, dass Marcel auch private Sicherheitskräfte beauftragt hat, Fälscher zu finden und sie "mit allen Mitteln" davon zu überzeugen, ihren Betrieb einzustellen.
Was jedoch als Marcel's kühnstes Glücksspiel galt, würde mit der Erweiterung der Produktlinie von Greycat einhergehen. Bis zum Beginn des 27. Jahrhunderts stellte das Unternehmen vor allem Handwerkzeuge, Sicherheitsvorrichtungen und Industriepanzer her - Produkte, die leicht kopiert werden konnten. Um die Verkäufe des Unternehmens zu isolieren, argumentierte Marcel, dass Greycat große Ticketartikel herstellen sollte, die schwerer zu fälschen wären. Viele waren skeptisch und hatten Angst vor den Vorlaufkosten, aber unerschrocken drängte Marcel den Plan nach vorne.
Marcel wusste, dass der Erfolg des Plans von den Produkten abhängt, also grub er durch das Archiv des Unternehmens und entdeckte alte Pardue-Designs, die er erforscht, aber nicht umgesetzt hat. Zu den Entwürfen, die Marcel in Produktion nahm, gehörten der PTV (Buggy), der massive Cydnus-Minenroboter und seine Serie von Mining-Lasern und Traktorstrahlen. Während die meisten ihrer größeren Industriegeräte Zeit brauchten, um Gewinne zu erzielen, war der Buggy beliebter als erwartet. Pardue entwarf das Fahrzeug zunächst für die Fahrt durch enge Bergwerksstollen, aber die Greycat-Mitarbeiter entdeckten, dass frühe Testmodelle perfekt waren, um über die weitläufige Fabrikhalle zu fahren, in der die Buggys hergestellt wurden. Nach einigen kleinen Änderungen am Design von Pardue, wie dem Entfernen des schweren Schutzdaches, wurde das reine Industriefahrzeug zu einem universelleren Fahrzeug umgebaut, so dass der PTV an ein größeres Publikum vermarktet werden konnte. Inzwischen ist es in der gesamten UEE allgegenwärtig geworden.
Marcel's umstrittene, aber inspirierte Führung machte Greycat schließlich zu einem Begriff und sorgte dafür, dass das Unternehmen über Jahrhunderte stark blieb. Er sagte der Terra Gazette, dass "Greycat sich neu erfinden müsse, um relevant zu bleiben". Dies zu tun, ohne seine Identität zu verlieren oder treue Kunden zu entfremden, war eine beeindruckende Leistung. Greycat hat es geschafft, weil es den Fokus der Broussards, die Hingabe an die Qualität und den Mut, etwas Neues auszuprobieren, mit den starken und doch unverwechselbaren Designs von Ruben Pardue kombiniert. Greycat wurde einfach zu einem Begriff, weil sie sich dafür einsetzen, die richtigen Geschäftsentscheidungen zu treffen, nicht nur die einfachen.
Ähnlich wie RSI, Shubin und Tarsus ist das Unternehmen aufgrund seiner langen Geschichte ein Eckpfeiler der modernen UEE. Während Greycat schon früh erfolgreich war, wurde es erst nach der Veröffentlichung des Personal Transport Vehicle (PTV) Jahrhunderte später zu einem Begriff. Heutzutage ist es schwer vorstellbar, dass die PTVs von Greycat über weitläufige Hangars schwirren oder ihre riesigen Minenboote Erz aus Asteroiden gewinnen. Die meisten Analysten schätzen Greycats Wachstum zu einem Produktionsimperium als Folge kluger Managementmethoden der Gründerfamilie des Unternehmens - den Broussards. Immer mehr Historiker glauben jedoch, dass ein Großteil des Erfolgs des Unternehmens auf Ruben Pardue zurückzuführen ist, den in letzter Zeit vergessenen Ingenieur, der für die Entwicklung einiger der wichtigsten Produkte von Greycat verantwortlich ist. Weder Pardue noch die Broussards allein hätten Greycat zu dem machen können, was es heute ist, aber gemeinsam haben sie mit ihrer gemeinsamen Vision und ihrem Ehrgeiz ein Unternehmen geschaffen, das zu einem wesentlichen Bestandteil des Reiches geworden ist.
Arroganz der Jugend
Ruben Pardue machte sich zunächst einen Namen, als er an der University of Rhetor studierte. Nach der Veröffentlichung seiner Doktorarbeit über zukünftige Anwendungen der Geohacking-Technologie erregte er die Aufmerksamkeit von Titania Terraforming. Das Unternehmen umworben den ehrgeizigen jungen Ingenieur, um seine Bemühungen beim Terraforming von Uriel zu unterstützen - ein experimentelles Vorhaben zur Erhöhung der Kerntemperatur des Planeten, um den Wärmemangel des Neutronensterns des Oberon-Systems auszugleichen. Pardue wurde von der immensen Aufgabe nicht abgeschreckt. Tatsächlich ergriff er die Gelegenheit, das Rätsel der "Fixierung eines Planeten" zu lösen.
Pardue zeichnete sich schnell als geschickter Problemlöser mit ätzender Zunge aus; viele, die mit Pardue arbeiteten, sträubten sich über seine ungebremste Arroganz, stellten aber nie seine Kompetenz und Hingabe an das Projekt in Frage. Er schoss durch die Ränge und wurde bald gebeten, den Bau eines Tunnelnetzes unter der Oberfläche des Planeten zu leiten, um die experimentelle thermische Vorrichtung eines anderen Teams aufzunehmen. Pardue verbrachte Monate in den Tunneln und war bis ins kleinste Detail besessen. In seiner Ausfallzeit entwarf er Ideen für neue Geräte, die für seinen Betrieb nützlich gewesen wären. Dazu gehörten erste Entwürfe für das spätere Pyro Multi-Tool. Doch diese Skizzen würden jahrelang nicht realisiert werden, aufgrund einer Tragödie, die die Entwicklung von Pardues Leben und Karriere veränderte.
Am 23. Mai 2381 brach ein Teil der unterirdischen Betriebszentrale zusammen, wobei 37 Menschen auf tragische Weise getötet und Dutzende weitere verletzt wurden. Gefangen in einem Verbindungstunnel schafften es die Retter kaum rechtzeitig zum Pardue, um sein Leben zu retten. Leider musste sein dominanter linker Arm oberhalb des Ellenbogens amputiert werden. Da Titania verpflichtet war, die medizinischen Kosten zu decken, hätte Pardue die beste Prothese haben können, die zu diesem Zeitpunkt erhältlich war, aber er weigerte sich. Eine Wahl Pardues Biograph Jing Fermi glaubt, dass es sich um eine selbst auferlegte Buße für sein Versagen, die Katastrophe zu verhindern, handelte. Pardue verließ nach dem Unfall leise das Unternehmen. Titania untersuchte den Vorfall, veröffentlichte aber ihren Bericht nie öffentlich. Die Tragödie war ein weiterer Rückschlag für den großen Plan, Uriel zu errichten. Das Unternehmen löste sich Jahre später auf, nachdem es den Versuch, die Kerntemperatur zu manipulieren, für einen Totalausfall hielt.
Als sie hörte, dass Pardue Titania verlassen hatte, streckte die ehemalige Universitätskameradin Pippa Broussard die Hand aus und bot ihm einen Job an. Ihre Familie gehörte einem kleinen, aber angesehenen Industriegüterhersteller und sie war bestrebt, die Marke mit neuen Ideen zu prägen. Obwohl nie offiziell für verantwortlich erklärt, hatte Pardues angeschlagener Ruf nach dem Unfall ihn ohne andere Möglichkeiten zurückgelassen, so dass er dem vergleichsweise niedrigen Gehalt von Broussard zustimmte. Nur drei Monate nach dem Zusammenbruch begann Pardue seine Karriere bei Greycat.
Erweiterter Ehrgeiz
Im Jahr 2337 gründete Odis Broussard Greycat Industrial mit dem Ziel, Sicherheitsausrüstung für Bergleute herzustellen und zu liefern, die ihr Glück unter den Sternen suchen. Der Name des Unternehmens war ein Spitzname der Familie für Odis, dessen Haare unerwartet grau wurden, als er noch in den Zwanzigern war. Mitte des 24. Jahrhunderts stellte Greycat von seinem Marshauptsitz aus eine Reihe von angesehenen und erschwinglichen Produkten her. Es war erfolgreich, aber die Marktpräsenz war minimal.
Als Odis' Tochter Pippa 2380 die Kontrolle über das Unternehmen übernahm, fiel ihr Aufstieg mit der Gründung der Vereinten Nationen der Erde (UNE) und der Fertigstellung von Terraforming-Projekten im Croshaw-System zusammen. Inspiriert vom Expansionsgeist, eröffnete Pippa als erster Akt als Greycat CEO ihre zweite Produktionsstätte auf Angeli. Abseits der wachsamen Augen ihres Vaters, der immer noch die Kontrolle über den Vorstand hatte, beauftragte Pippa Pardue mit der Erweiterung der Produktlinie von Greycat.
Pardues erstes Design war eine Linie von Industriepanzern. Mit neuen Sicherheitsmerkmalen und fortschrittlichen Legierungsbeschichtungen, die für die Arbeiter beim Einsturz des Uriel-Tunnels entscheidend gewesen wären, wurde die Aril-Industriepanzerung zu einem großen Erfolg. Sein klares, funktionales Design würde in Zukunft den Standard für Greycat-Produkte setzen. Bis heute ist Aril Armor ein Bestseller für Greycat, mit nur minimalen Änderungen am klassischen Konzept von Pardue.
Inspiriert durch den Erfolg des Aril, bat Pippa Pardue, die technische Abteilung von Greycat zu leiten, aber er lehnte höflich ab. Pardue lehnte alle Beförderungen für den Rest seiner Karriere ab und vermeide alle Führungspositionen, damit er sich einfach auf den Aufbau konzentrieren könne. Dadurch wurde auch sichergestellt, dass jedes seiner Entwürfe von anderen gründlich geprüft und umgesetzt wurde. Während seine Vision und sein Stil heute gleichbedeutend mit Greycat sind, bedeutete seine Vorliebe für den Entwurfstisch gegenüber dem Besprechungsraumtisch, dass sein Einfluss bis zur Veröffentlichung von Jing Fermi's Biographie Hidden Design im frühen 30. Jahrhundert nicht bekannt war. Das Buch wurde zu einem Bestseller, indem es Pardues unglaublich fruchtbare, aber ungezwungene berufliche Karriere bei Greycat einem turbulenten Privatleben gegenüberstellte, das die Ereignisse auf Uriel bis zu seinem Tod im Jahr 2458 heimsuchten.
Schnelle Reflexe
Unterdessen entdeckte Pippa, dass die Erweiterung von Greycats Einfluss und Produktionspipeline nicht ohne Probleme war. Die Popularität des Pyro Multi-Tools nach seiner Veröffentlichung hat die Lieferkette des Unternehmens so überwältigt, dass der Rückstand die meisten Kunden monatelang auf ihre Bestellung wartete. Dies gab den Wettbewerbern Zeit, billige Nachahmer zu entwerfen und zu verkaufen. Der anhaltende Kampf mit Nachahmern und Fälschern würde jahrhundertelang erhebliche Unternehmensressourcen verbrauchen.
Als die Gewinne Anfang des 27. Jahrhunderts in die Höhe schnellen, setzte die CEO Liana Broussard einen umstrittenen Plan zur Überholung ihrer Produktionskette um, um die Probleme zu lösen, die sie plagten. Das oberste Ziel war es, in jedem UEE-System eine Produktionsstätte zu haben. Da der Bau und die Verwaltung aller dieser neuen Werke kostspielig und zeitaufwendig wäre, lagerte Liana einen Großteil der Arbeit an regionale Hersteller aus. Dies stellte sich als kostspielige Fehleinschätzung heraus. Viele der regionalen Werke haben sich entweder dafür entschieden, die strengen Standards von Greycat zu ignorieren oder nicht zu erfüllen. Zu allem Überfluss haben einige dieser unzuverlässigen Drittanbieter Designspezifikationen an Fälscher weitergegeben (oder vollständig verkauft). Bald trugen die meisten Nachbauten genau die gleichen Farbschemata und Designspezifikationen wie das Original. Viele von ihnen behaupteten sogar, von Greycat Industries und nicht von Greycat Industrial hergestellt zu werden; eine Unterscheidung, die bei vielen Gelegenheitskonsumenten verloren ging.
Die Folgen dieses strategischen Fehlers schmälerten das Ergebnis von Greycat und führten zu einem Machtkampf innerhalb der Broussard-Familie um die Kontrolle über das Unternehmen. Als sich die Lage beruhigte, wurde Liana die einzige Greycat CEO, die jemals verdrängt wurde. Ihr Bruder Marcel wurde CEO und startete einen ebenso ehrgeizigen eigenen Plan.
Größer ist besser
Als CEO verabschiedete Marcel Broussard einen zweigleisigen Plan, um das Lösungsmittel Greycat zu erhalten. Er setzte sich aggressiv für die UEE ein, um gegen Fälscher vorzugehen. Sogar mit der letztendlichen Verabschiedung eines Gesetzes, das strengere Strafen für die Verurteilten vorsah, konnte die staatliche Intervention nur so weit gehen. Später würden Dokumente zeigen, dass Marcel auch private Sicherheitskräfte beauftragt hat, Fälscher zu finden und sie "mit allen Mitteln" davon zu überzeugen, ihren Betrieb einzustellen.
Was jedoch als Marcel's kühnstes Glücksspiel galt, würde mit der Erweiterung der Produktlinie von Greycat einhergehen. Bis zum Beginn des 27. Jahrhunderts stellte das Unternehmen vor allem Handwerkzeuge, Sicherheitsvorrichtungen und Industriepanzer her - Produkte, die leicht kopiert werden konnten. Um die Verkäufe des Unternehmens zu isolieren, argumentierte Marcel, dass Greycat große Ticketartikel herstellen sollte, die schwerer zu fälschen wären. Viele waren skeptisch und hatten Angst vor den Vorlaufkosten, aber unerschrocken drängte Marcel den Plan nach vorne.
Marcel wusste, dass der Erfolg des Plans von den Produkten abhängt, also grub er durch das Archiv des Unternehmens und entdeckte alte Pardue-Designs, die er erforscht, aber nicht umgesetzt hat. Zu den Entwürfen, die Marcel in Produktion nahm, gehörten der PTV (Buggy), der massive Cydnus-Minenroboter und seine Serie von Mining-Lasern und Traktorstrahlen. Während die meisten ihrer größeren Industriegeräte Zeit brauchten, um Gewinne zu erzielen, war der Buggy beliebter als erwartet. Pardue entwarf das Fahrzeug zunächst für die Fahrt durch enge Bergwerksstollen, aber die Greycat-Mitarbeiter entdeckten, dass frühe Testmodelle perfekt waren, um über die weitläufige Fabrikhalle zu fahren, in der die Buggys hergestellt wurden. Nach einigen kleinen Änderungen am Design von Pardue, wie dem Entfernen des schweren Schutzdaches, wurde das reine Industriefahrzeug zu einem universelleren Fahrzeug umgebaut, so dass der PTV an ein größeres Publikum vermarktet werden konnte. Inzwischen ist es in der gesamten UEE allgegenwärtig geworden.
Marcel's umstrittene, aber inspirierte Führung machte Greycat schließlich zu einem Begriff und sorgte dafür, dass das Unternehmen über Jahrhunderte stark blieb. Er sagte der Terra Gazette, dass "Greycat sich neu erfinden müsse, um relevant zu bleiben". Dies zu tun, ohne seine Identität zu verlieren oder treue Kunden zu entfremden, war eine beeindruckende Leistung. Greycat hat es geschafft, weil es den Fokus der Broussards, die Hingabe an die Qualität und den Mut, etwas Neues auszuprobieren, mit den starken und doch unverwechselbaren Designs von Ruben Pardue kombiniert. Greycat wurde einfach zu einem Begriff, weil sie sich dafür einsetzen, die richtigen Geschäftsentscheidungen zu treffen, nicht nur die einfachen.
Chinese
Writer’s Note: Portfolio: Greycat Industrial was published originally as a Subscriber Exclusive on December 12, 2018.
Step onto almost any industrial site in the universe and you’ll likely find something made by Greycat. Be it a Pyro Multi-Tool safely slicing through metal or a heavy-duty suit protecting a miner against falling debris, the company’s extensive line of industrial equipment and armor make it one of the most respected brand names around. Greycat has remained a UEE staple for centuries thanks to their streamlined-yet-inventive designs, exacting safety standards, and a diverse product line.
Similar to RSI, Shubin, and Tarsus, the company’s long history makes it a corporate cornerstone of the modern UEE. While Greycat experienced success early on, it only really became a household name after releasing the Personal Transport Vehicle (PTV) centuries later. These days, it’s hard to imagine the Empire without Greycat’s PTVs buzzing across expansive hangars or their massive mining bots extracting ore from asteroids. Most analysts credit Greycat’s growth into a manufacturing empire to shrewd managerial moves made by the company’s founding family — the Broussards. However, a growing number of historians believe that much of the company’s success can be attributed to Ruben Pardue, the until-recently forgotten engineer responsible for designing and developing some of Greycat’s most important products. Neither Pardue nor the Broussards alone could have made Greycat what it is today, but together their combined vision and ambition created a company that has become an essential part of the Empire.
Arrogance of Youth
Ruben Pardue first made a name for himself while attending the University of Rhetor. After publishing his graduate dissertation exploring future applications of geohacking tech, he attracted the attention of Titania Terraforming. The company courted the ambitious young engineer to aid their efforts in terraforming Uriel — an experimental undertaking to raise the planet’s core temperature to compensate for the lack of heat generated by the Oberon system’s neutron star. Pardue was undaunted by the immense task. In fact, he jumped at the chance to try and crack the riddle of ‘fixing a planet’.
Pardue quickly distinguished himself as an adept problem solver with a caustic tongue; many who worked with Pardue bristled at his unchecked arrogance but never questioned his competence and dedication to the project. He rocketed through the ranks and was soon asked to lead the construction of a network of tunnels under the planet’s surface to house another team’s experimental thermal device. Pardue spent months in the tunnels obsessing over every last detail. In his downtime, he sketched ideas for new equipment that would’ve been useful to his operations. These included initial designs for what would eventually become the Pyro Multi-Tool. Yet, these sketches wouldn’t be realized for years due to a tragedy that changed the trajectory of Pardue’s life and career.
On May 23, 2381, a section of the underground operations hub collapsed, tragically killing thirty-seven and injuring dozens more. Trapped in a connecting tunnel, rescuers barely made it to Pardue in time to save his life. Unfortunately, his dominant left arm required amputation above the elbow. With Titania obligated to cover medical costs, Pardue could’ve had the finest prosthetics available at the time, but he refused. A choice Pardue’s biographer Jing Fermi believes was self-imposed penance for his failure to prevent the catastrophe. Pardue quietly left the company after the accident. Titania investigated the incident, but never publicly released their report. The tragedy was yet another setback to the grand plan of terraforming Uriel. The company dissolved years later after deeming their attempt to manipulate the core temperature an utter failure.
Upon hearing that Pardue had left Titania, former university classmate Pippa Broussard reached out and offered him a job. Her family owned a small yet respected industrial goods manufacturer and she was eager to put her stamp on the brand by infusing it with new ideas. Though never officially declared responsible, Pardue’s tarnished reputation after the accident had left him without any other options, so he agreed to the comparatively low salary offered by Broussard. A mere three months after the collapse, Pardue began his career at Greycat.
Expanding Ambition
In 2337, Odis Broussard founded Greycat Industrial, with the goal of producing and supplying safety equipment to miners seeking their fortune among the stars. The company’s moniker was a nod to the family’s nickname for Odis, whose hair unexpectedly turned grey when he was still in his twenties. By the mid-24th century, Greycat was manufacturing a number of well-regarded and affordable products from their Mars headquarters. It was successful, but their market presence was minimal.
When Odis’ daughter, Pippa, took control of the company in 2380, her ascendance coincided with the creation of the United Nations of Earth (UNE) and the completion of terraforming projects in the Croshaw system. Inspired by the expansionist spirit, Pippa’s first act as Greycat CEO was to open their second manufacturing facility on Angeli. Away from the watchful eye of her father, who still maintained control of the Board, Pippa hired Pardue to expand Greycat’s product line.
Pardue’s first design was a line of industrial armor. Incorporating new safety features and advanced alloy plating that would have been critical to helping workers in the Uriel tunnel collapse, the ‘Aril’ industrial armor became a huge success. Its clean, functional design would come to set the standard for Greycat products going forward. Today, Aril armor remains a bestseller for Greycat, with only minimal changes made to Pardue’s classic concept.
Inspired by the Aril’s success, Pippa asked Pardue to head up Greycat’s engineering department, but he politely declined. Pardue refused any promotions for the remainder of his career, avoiding all managerial positions so he could simply focus on building. This also ensured that every one of his designs would be thoroughly vetted and implemented by others. While his vision and style are now synonymous with Greycat, his preference for the drafting table over the boardroom table meant his influence was not well known until the release of Jing Fermi’s biography, Hidden Design, in the early 30th century. The book became a bestseller by juxtaposing Pardue’s incredibly fertile yet uncelebrated professional career at Greycat with a tumultuous personal life, which the events on Uriel haunted until his death in 2458.
Quick Reflexes
Meanwhile, Pippa discovered that expanding Greycat’s influence and production pipeline wasn’t without problems. The popularity of the Pyro Multi-Tool upon its release so overwhelmed the company’s supply chain that the backlog kept most customers waiting months for their order. This gave competitors time to design and sell cheap knockoffs. The ongoing battle with copycats and counterfeiters would consume significant company resources for centuries.
When profits plateaued in the early 27th century, CEO Liana Broussard implemented a controversial plan to overhaul their production chain in an attempt to fix the issues that plagued them. The ultimate goal was to have a manufacturing facility in every UEE system. Since building and managing all of these new plants would be costly and time-consuming, Liana outsourced much of the work to regional manufacturers. This turned out to be a costly miscalculation. Many of the regional plants either chose to ignore or failed to meet the strict standards set by Greycat. To make matters worse, some of these unreliable third parties leaked (or outright sold) design specs to counterfeiters. Soon, most knockoffs carried the exact same color scheme and design specifications as the real thing. Many of them even claimed to be made by Greycat Industries, not Greycat Industrial; a distinction lost on many casual consumers.
The fallout from this strategic blunder harmed Greycat’s bottom line and led to a power struggle within the Broussard family for control of the company. When the dust settled, Liana became the only Greycat CEO to ever be ousted. Her brother, Marcel, became CEO and embarked on an equally ambitious plan of his own.
Bigger is Better
As CEO, Marcel Broussard enacted a two-pronged plan to keep Greycat solvent. He aggressively lobbied the UEE to clamp down on counterfeiters. Even with the eventual passage of a bill that introduced harsher penalties for those convicted, government intervention could only go so far. Documents would later reveal that Marcel also contracted private security forces to find counterfeiters and convince them “by any means necessary” to shutter their operations.
However, what was considered Marcel’s most daring gamble would come with expanding Greycat’s product line. Up until the early 27th century, the company mainly made handheld tools, safety devices, and industrial armor – products that could easily be copied. To insulate the company’s sales, Marcel argued that Greycat should make big tickets items that would be harder to counterfeit. Many were skeptical and scared of the upfront costs, but undaunted, Marcel pushed the plan forward.
Marcel knew the success of the plan hinged on the products, so he dug through the company’s archives and uncovered old Pardue designs that were explored, but not implemented. Among the designs Marcel moved into production were the PTV (buggy), massive Cydnus mining bot, and their series of mining lasers and tractor beams. While most of their larger industrial devices took time to turn a profit, the buggy proved to be more popular than expected. Pardue initially designed the vehicle to navigate cramped mining tunnels, but Greycat employees discovered that early test models were perfect for cruising across the expansive factory floor where the buggies were being made. After a few minor changes to Pardue’s design, like removing the heavy protective roof, the purely industrial vehicle was transitioned to be more general purpose, allowing the PTV to be marketed to a larger audience. It has since become ubiquitous across the UEE.
Marcel’s controversial but inspired leadership finally made Greycat a household name and ensured that the company would remain strong for centuries. He told the Terra Gazette that “Greycat needed to reinvent itself to remain relevant.” Doing so without losing one’s identity or alienating loyal customers was an impressive feat. Greycat pulled it off because it combined the Broussards’ focus, dedication to quality, and daring to try something new with the strong yet distinct design stylings of Ruben Pardue. Simply, Greycat became a household name because of their commitment to making the right business choices; not just the easy ones.
Step onto almost any industrial site in the universe and you’ll likely find something made by Greycat. Be it a Pyro Multi-Tool safely slicing through metal or a heavy-duty suit protecting a miner against falling debris, the company’s extensive line of industrial equipment and armor make it one of the most respected brand names around. Greycat has remained a UEE staple for centuries thanks to their streamlined-yet-inventive designs, exacting safety standards, and a diverse product line.
Similar to RSI, Shubin, and Tarsus, the company’s long history makes it a corporate cornerstone of the modern UEE. While Greycat experienced success early on, it only really became a household name after releasing the Personal Transport Vehicle (PTV) centuries later. These days, it’s hard to imagine the Empire without Greycat’s PTVs buzzing across expansive hangars or their massive mining bots extracting ore from asteroids. Most analysts credit Greycat’s growth into a manufacturing empire to shrewd managerial moves made by the company’s founding family — the Broussards. However, a growing number of historians believe that much of the company’s success can be attributed to Ruben Pardue, the until-recently forgotten engineer responsible for designing and developing some of Greycat’s most important products. Neither Pardue nor the Broussards alone could have made Greycat what it is today, but together their combined vision and ambition created a company that has become an essential part of the Empire.
Arrogance of Youth
Ruben Pardue first made a name for himself while attending the University of Rhetor. After publishing his graduate dissertation exploring future applications of geohacking tech, he attracted the attention of Titania Terraforming. The company courted the ambitious young engineer to aid their efforts in terraforming Uriel — an experimental undertaking to raise the planet’s core temperature to compensate for the lack of heat generated by the Oberon system’s neutron star. Pardue was undaunted by the immense task. In fact, he jumped at the chance to try and crack the riddle of ‘fixing a planet’.
Pardue quickly distinguished himself as an adept problem solver with a caustic tongue; many who worked with Pardue bristled at his unchecked arrogance but never questioned his competence and dedication to the project. He rocketed through the ranks and was soon asked to lead the construction of a network of tunnels under the planet’s surface to house another team’s experimental thermal device. Pardue spent months in the tunnels obsessing over every last detail. In his downtime, he sketched ideas for new equipment that would’ve been useful to his operations. These included initial designs for what would eventually become the Pyro Multi-Tool. Yet, these sketches wouldn’t be realized for years due to a tragedy that changed the trajectory of Pardue’s life and career.
On May 23, 2381, a section of the underground operations hub collapsed, tragically killing thirty-seven and injuring dozens more. Trapped in a connecting tunnel, rescuers barely made it to Pardue in time to save his life. Unfortunately, his dominant left arm required amputation above the elbow. With Titania obligated to cover medical costs, Pardue could’ve had the finest prosthetics available at the time, but he refused. A choice Pardue’s biographer Jing Fermi believes was self-imposed penance for his failure to prevent the catastrophe. Pardue quietly left the company after the accident. Titania investigated the incident, but never publicly released their report. The tragedy was yet another setback to the grand plan of terraforming Uriel. The company dissolved years later after deeming their attempt to manipulate the core temperature an utter failure.
Upon hearing that Pardue had left Titania, former university classmate Pippa Broussard reached out and offered him a job. Her family owned a small yet respected industrial goods manufacturer and she was eager to put her stamp on the brand by infusing it with new ideas. Though never officially declared responsible, Pardue’s tarnished reputation after the accident had left him without any other options, so he agreed to the comparatively low salary offered by Broussard. A mere three months after the collapse, Pardue began his career at Greycat.
Expanding Ambition
In 2337, Odis Broussard founded Greycat Industrial, with the goal of producing and supplying safety equipment to miners seeking their fortune among the stars. The company’s moniker was a nod to the family’s nickname for Odis, whose hair unexpectedly turned grey when he was still in his twenties. By the mid-24th century, Greycat was manufacturing a number of well-regarded and affordable products from their Mars headquarters. It was successful, but their market presence was minimal.
When Odis’ daughter, Pippa, took control of the company in 2380, her ascendance coincided with the creation of the United Nations of Earth (UNE) and the completion of terraforming projects in the Croshaw system. Inspired by the expansionist spirit, Pippa’s first act as Greycat CEO was to open their second manufacturing facility on Angeli. Away from the watchful eye of her father, who still maintained control of the Board, Pippa hired Pardue to expand Greycat’s product line.
Pardue’s first design was a line of industrial armor. Incorporating new safety features and advanced alloy plating that would have been critical to helping workers in the Uriel tunnel collapse, the ‘Aril’ industrial armor became a huge success. Its clean, functional design would come to set the standard for Greycat products going forward. Today, Aril armor remains a bestseller for Greycat, with only minimal changes made to Pardue’s classic concept.
Inspired by the Aril’s success, Pippa asked Pardue to head up Greycat’s engineering department, but he politely declined. Pardue refused any promotions for the remainder of his career, avoiding all managerial positions so he could simply focus on building. This also ensured that every one of his designs would be thoroughly vetted and implemented by others. While his vision and style are now synonymous with Greycat, his preference for the drafting table over the boardroom table meant his influence was not well known until the release of Jing Fermi’s biography, Hidden Design, in the early 30th century. The book became a bestseller by juxtaposing Pardue’s incredibly fertile yet uncelebrated professional career at Greycat with a tumultuous personal life, which the events on Uriel haunted until his death in 2458.
Quick Reflexes
Meanwhile, Pippa discovered that expanding Greycat’s influence and production pipeline wasn’t without problems. The popularity of the Pyro Multi-Tool upon its release so overwhelmed the company’s supply chain that the backlog kept most customers waiting months for their order. This gave competitors time to design and sell cheap knockoffs. The ongoing battle with copycats and counterfeiters would consume significant company resources for centuries.
When profits plateaued in the early 27th century, CEO Liana Broussard implemented a controversial plan to overhaul their production chain in an attempt to fix the issues that plagued them. The ultimate goal was to have a manufacturing facility in every UEE system. Since building and managing all of these new plants would be costly and time-consuming, Liana outsourced much of the work to regional manufacturers. This turned out to be a costly miscalculation. Many of the regional plants either chose to ignore or failed to meet the strict standards set by Greycat. To make matters worse, some of these unreliable third parties leaked (or outright sold) design specs to counterfeiters. Soon, most knockoffs carried the exact same color scheme and design specifications as the real thing. Many of them even claimed to be made by Greycat Industries, not Greycat Industrial; a distinction lost on many casual consumers.
The fallout from this strategic blunder harmed Greycat’s bottom line and led to a power struggle within the Broussard family for control of the company. When the dust settled, Liana became the only Greycat CEO to ever be ousted. Her brother, Marcel, became CEO and embarked on an equally ambitious plan of his own.
Bigger is Better
As CEO, Marcel Broussard enacted a two-pronged plan to keep Greycat solvent. He aggressively lobbied the UEE to clamp down on counterfeiters. Even with the eventual passage of a bill that introduced harsher penalties for those convicted, government intervention could only go so far. Documents would later reveal that Marcel also contracted private security forces to find counterfeiters and convince them “by any means necessary” to shutter their operations.
However, what was considered Marcel’s most daring gamble would come with expanding Greycat’s product line. Up until the early 27th century, the company mainly made handheld tools, safety devices, and industrial armor – products that could easily be copied. To insulate the company’s sales, Marcel argued that Greycat should make big tickets items that would be harder to counterfeit. Many were skeptical and scared of the upfront costs, but undaunted, Marcel pushed the plan forward.
Marcel knew the success of the plan hinged on the products, so he dug through the company’s archives and uncovered old Pardue designs that were explored, but not implemented. Among the designs Marcel moved into production were the PTV (buggy), massive Cydnus mining bot, and their series of mining lasers and tractor beams. While most of their larger industrial devices took time to turn a profit, the buggy proved to be more popular than expected. Pardue initially designed the vehicle to navigate cramped mining tunnels, but Greycat employees discovered that early test models were perfect for cruising across the expansive factory floor where the buggies were being made. After a few minor changes to Pardue’s design, like removing the heavy protective roof, the purely industrial vehicle was transitioned to be more general purpose, allowing the PTV to be marketed to a larger audience. It has since become ubiquitous across the UEE.
Marcel’s controversial but inspired leadership finally made Greycat a household name and ensured that the company would remain strong for centuries. He told the Terra Gazette that “Greycat needed to reinvent itself to remain relevant.” Doing so without losing one’s identity or alienating loyal customers was an impressive feat. Greycat pulled it off because it combined the Broussards’ focus, dedication to quality, and daring to try something new with the strong yet distinct design stylings of Ruben Pardue. Simply, Greycat became a household name because of their commitment to making the right business choices; not just the easy ones.
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- 5 years ago (2020-07-15T00:00:00+00:00)