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What if it's announced at the next CC that Steipp has had his contract extended another 5 years???
Does share price go up or down?
Does this mean he has done a good job in the boards eyes?
Does it mean business as usual?
Does it mean Apple is really controlling who the president is?
Is there a sell off?
Do the shareholders revolt?
What If?????
My B/E is .21
Bobroo--I own a knife, SanDisk Cruzer USB Drive, and a Head Tennis Racquet.
I've been on the lookout for the golf clubs but have never found them at a price I'm willing to pay.
Stiepp's List OF Thing's To Do Today:
1) Figure a way to re-authorize all those shares so they benefit me!
2) Get out of bed
3) Put some time in at the office--time permitting
To add to your point: Big business likes to do business with other big businesses. Very, very seldom does a large firm do business with a small firm.
This is just from my experience, but I think it holds true.
You mean after being recognized it is a knife? (sarcasm intended)
I've asked your position purposefully--because we differ. And therefore we have a conversation with two opposing views; not an argument, not a fistfight, not name calling.
I can respect an opposing view and hopefully an opposing view will shed some light on this LQMT enigma.
That being said, I can admire someones philosophy, their background, and what drives them. But to say that a CEO of a publicly traded firm is doing a quiet, end around run so that nobody notices is ridiculous. It's about dollars and it's about results.
Frankly, after the last 5 years of the Steipp regime, I've seen neither.
Don't see sales force bringing in customers???
Yes! The key word is CUSTOMERS. How many CUSTOMERS?
RFQ's are nice but the reality is those RFQ's routinely take years to become a manufactured item, and that's only a small percentage of the total RFQ. Fact is, most those RFQ's get shelved for a bunch of various reasons.
IMO, the elephant in the room with LQMT is there are no customers.
I still admire your positive outlook....
We would all make a lot of money if we would buy at .125 and sell .15
Seemingly we all could have done that 100 times already this year. If only the OTCC was fluid enough to make large volume trades on such a small offering.....
But FYI; I am a buy and hold trader just like the rest of the folks here. As a matter of fact I'm more positive now that the knife physically shows the capabilities of LQMT.
Can Current Management Get Us To The Next Level?
Tell us CIMA....
Do you feel that the Steipp et al can properly direct our company to one that is not entirely dependent on Apple's yearly allowance? LQMT's corporate structure that is in place today can handle a multitude of customers from a variety of industries and multiple co-in siding jobs? LQMT current governance can get us to a fiscal year of profitability?
I beg to differ. I don't see current management prepared for a breakthrough. I don't see a sales force bringing customers in. I don't see a corporate structure anticipating a much brighter future.
i see current management that is on the take. I certainly don't see them trying hard.
I was going to write a knife review but you summed things perfectly Watts. I completely agree that these knives show many possibilities of LQMT and I am much more LQMT positive than I have been recently.
On the other hand, regarding the knife itself; it is nothing more than a set of brass knuckles that also cuts flesh. I too find it useless, it doesn't even open envelopes properly.
But I guess there is a market for face slitting brass knuckles too.....
#52 Arrived Today!
I must say my first impression is what a sharp edge it has.
Where is the blade part of this knife?
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS KNIFE AT ALL
I hope Gorgol hasn't hit rock bottom!
I hope the last conference call didn't smother his enthusiasm and spirit.
Certainly there must be somthing left.
I hope he is left with more than just (being a LQMT investor as we all are).....a gambling problem.
I think he has confused LQMT with GTAT.
500M is the estimated loss on the GTAT deal.
BTW, as I have mentioned before; the whole GTAT debacle is NEVER presently mentioned. Even though a blunder or misstep; it is not even a blip on the radar. The loss of $ is insignificant.
It has had the same impact on Apple as if Jony Ive broke a pencil.
Have you ever considered that the Apples, Lockheed Martins, and medical manufactures of the world enter into some basic conversations with LQMT and come away with that same empty, unimpressed feeling that you feel when you listen to a LQMT conference call???
That feeling of Un-motivation. Un-inspired. Un-enthused, and Un-positive.....
That feeling that this is a very, very small company that has a lot of Chiefs but very few Indians.
That this company does not show in any meaningful way existing production numbers or existing capabilities anywhere near the volumes that might be required.
That LQMT purports some admirable attributes as a sales schpeel but in reality the product itself is largely unproven in the real world. And may be based on at least some junk science.
That LQMT really does not have ANYTHING going on. There is no buzz.
That walking into the LQMT headquarters has the feeling of a library, not a place where business is jumping.
The quickest look at the LQMT financials in respect to becoming a trade partner and "Ewww...YUCK!"
If you were in an upper level management position with a large budget and some major decision making capabilities; would you want to risk your position, your company, or your reputation on this LQMT outfit???
No Freak'in Way!
"This has been the most significant quarter of my tenure."--Thomas Steipp at the same conference call
"We will NOT break even in 2015" -- Thomas Steipp, CEO LQMT, March 3, 2015 Conference Call
I'm supposedly getting knife #52.
I wonder how many #52's there will be???
I'm going to mark this post because at not quite a year from now we will look back and say "In March of 2015 we had forecasts of cars, knives, and watches all being made of LQMT. In March of 2016 we are signing our names to lawsuits attempting to regain ownership rights and reclaim our money."
The only thing substantive that came from yesterdays CC is the $30M letter of credit.
The LQMT boat will float until the cash reserves burn out in 1Q of 2016 (projected).
When LQMT management begins to borrow money to fund the companys excesses just to keep the doors open; bankruptcy will certainly be around the corner.
That is the writing on the wall that we should all be concerned about.
Say what you will about the possibilities of LQMT being used as a knife blade
I think the real question is Does LQMT hold an edge? Can you sharpen LQMT?
You should know Detodog that knives have an edge because of their carbon content.
LQMT does not have a high carbon content.
Could it be that your presumptions about LQMT knives are fundamentally wrong from the get-go???
Tell us Gagol: Why would ANY carmaker use LQMT?
LQMT is supposedly ultra hard, super durable, corrosion resistant, etc. etc.etc.
But what carmaker builds cars that last forever? None. Cars are designed to last about as long as you are able to finance one; 5 years or 100,000 miles. That's it.
You as a car buyer might say "Wouldn't it be nice if I could buy a whole car made of LQMT? It would never rust, get scratched, and I could leave it for my children in my will". I'm a person who would say "Why can't they just use LQMT parts in starters or alternators; or for God's sake just the wheel bearings"
The reality is that ANY car maker has absolutely no interest in making a car that is eternal but rather have incentive to make ones that last only until the financing runs out. Then you walk into the dealership and buy another one. Even Mr. Tesla will have built in obsolescence.
Add some water to your glass, with this comment it sounds like it is less than half full!
Gee,all of us who have money in LQMT are bad at math.
But to play the lottery too???
That's rough! ;0)
So with your Graduate example, you would have no reservation giving advice to a young person to invest, trust, work in the industry of, and use LQMT? You feel confident that advice is rock solid enough you would tell your own son or daughter to bank their future on it? You 100% sure about this???
We don't always see eye to eye but I will always admire your enthusiasm.
A Corollary to LQMT/Apple:
What if......Apple gives LQMT a shot??? What happens to us investors???
Let's use this hypothetical example because I think it is realistic. More realistic than an IPhone 7 being made of 100% LQMT.
Apple releases a 48" 5000K television set at a retail price of $2,000. In addition to super cool picture, this this is also super interactive with your iPhone, iWatch, and even shines your shoes. The housing of the remote is made of LQMT and is nearly identical to the current Apple TV remote.
Demand for the new television soars. People love the 5000K resolution (they are really cool if you haven;t already seen one) and love the interactivity. But the remote is cool too. It has a feeling being solid, yet soft. Durable and waterproof. It is the one thing people actually touch of this new product. Most folks don't identify the the quality of their television via their remote. But study groups identify the LQMT remote as being departure from TV"s of old and well liked by everyone.
LQMT is not identified, ever. Tim Cook calls it "a revolutionary new material, iMetal" at the keynote.
Here's our problem:
LQMT posts some really outstanding results out of nowhere. Share price increases based on becoming a profitable company. But share price does not reflect that the majority part of sales are to Apple or the great TV. There is rumor of LQMT being iMetal, but nothing a Wall Street analyst can commit to writing.
We investors LOVE LQMT being profitable. We LOVE the increased share price. But we really don't know where the money comes from, what the profit margin is, or if there is even a contract involved. In short, the management of LQMT never divulges this information much the same way they behave today.
What do you think happens then???
Caution: Don't jump to conclusions and say "I'd sell all my shares and be a happy man." Through this forum we know entirely too much about LQMT to just move onto something else. And there would still be ample potential upside in the near future to not have at least some small position.
Thoughts?
LQMT and Apple, Please Consider:
--The GTAT debacle caught Apple off guard. Before the fallout subcontractors dealing with Apple had to jump through hoops. Apple will never put itself in a position to be burned again. Last September, being a subcontractor to Apple just became much more difficult.
--Apple has tried super durable materials to enclose it's products before. Only about 10 years ago you could buy an Apple laptop made of titanium. Yea, remember those? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-POWERBOOK-G4-800MHz-TITANIUM-A1001-VERY-NICE-/121563744267?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c4dc3880b
--Apple last year bought some 20 small firms outright. Has anyone ever heard of them or their doings ever again??? The good parts were absorbed and the rest stifled. I'm guessing many people lost there jobs.
--Apple using LQMT as a case for a future IWatch edition, particularly one that is RED, seems plausible and realistic. Merely conjecture on my part.
--Apple using LQMT for proprietary fasteners is also plausible and realistic. Very tiny little screws. More conjecture on my part but also mentioned by Jonny Ive last summer.
--In my opinion, two green mystery machines would NOT be able to produce the quantities Apple would require of RED iWatch casings or bazillions of teeny tiny screws. No way baby!
--I think many posters here don't realize just how big a whale Apple is and by comparison how small LQMT is. It doesn't mean they can't tango at some point but there clearly there needs to be growth by LQMT.
--Apple will never allow branding of another company on any of it's products. This isn't NASCAR. Apple will always be about sleek design and about themselves. Apple always tries to keep on the down low that they actually manufacture nothing. Back to my argument that large firms only want collect revenues while deferring any and all responsibility for products they "manufacture"; a classic example.
--I think the Apple/LQMT relationship is more like this: LQMT is something that caught Apple's attention in a department store of future technology. They took LQMT and put it in their shopping cart. It's in the shopping cart but does not mean they are going to buy it. They put it in their cart and are strolling around the technology department store with it and many other items in their cart. It's under consideration but it's in Apples' cart so that another shopper can not take it to the check out.
--I am convinced that Apple engineers and LQMT engineers are NOT in a laboratory together working side by side "trying to get this thing right". Rather, I think the relationship is like this:
Apple: I kinda like what you guys are doing. I'd like to see you guys focus your attention more in these areas.
LQMT: Sure, those types of things could certainly be improved but to focus on your interests costs money and takes us away doing other money making things.
Apple: I understand, we were a small company once too. What if I gave you a dollar equivalent to what you might be earning a year plus some extra to continue research in my preferred areas.
LQMT: I dunno about that....
Apple: How about $20M???
LQMT: Where do I sign?!!! <thinking management will draw large salaries for keeping a few engineers busy doing some things that really propels the company forward anyway, all on Apples dime>
Apple: Report back to me every so often and keep me abreast of what's going on. And don't get involved in anything that may distract your attention from Apple. We don't mind if you do if you do small stuff in other areas, but please keep it on the down low.
--Patents? While it is an indication collaboration and forward movement, does anyone know just how many patents Apple works on a year? The CIP things are or may be important; but in the scheme of things in Apples mind; they are just one of thousands of patents.
Can I Add A Caption To The Photo?
The tenant of this building has sold 500 pocket knives so far in 2015....
I too have wondered who the real owners of the building were. I too thought it very well could be an "inside" person.
I've never quite understood why such a large facility in such a nice neighborhood. Other than, they all live in Orange County.
Manufacturing in the facility:
I brought up a while back, in the context of that the LQMT Machine Shoppe will incur costs and responsibilities above just buying a green mystery machine, plugging it in, and parts flow off the conveyer belt.
A point I made was regarding zoning. The location of LQMT is in a nice California business park. My experience is that those areas typically are for warehousing but not manufacturing.
They may very well be within code today.
But....now LQMT is practicing METALLURGY. I assume there are fumes when metal is heated to 1600 degrees. I assume the sprinkler system might be seen as inadequate for molten metal. I assume an Engle machine draws more amperage than a toaster and vacuum cleaner. I'm sure there are other work place safety issues to be addressed. The fire department will let them know at some point.
Again, LQMT may very well be compliant today, I dunno. But I think we all can see as these Engle machines are added, the spiffy Rancho Margarita headquarters is NOT the place for the actual manufacturing.
Thank You for the correction, please feel free to edit any of my posts at any time!
I appreciate your sharing of the never ending knowledge you have of LQMT.
At the next ASHM, lunch is on me! I promise.
From what we know the original order quantity from Milner-Adams is 500 knives. Certainly MA could always buy more in the future. Certainly MA could sign a contract for a different product or new model of knife. But it is reasonable MA is going to sell all or most of their 500 before they order more of the same.
Now, it has been disclosed by MA that the knife ordered is actually 3 components; the blade made of LQMT, a handle made of LQMT, and some type of spring mechanism made by someone else. It may be inferred that the blade and the handle are separate items manufactured by LQMT. If that is the case the amount of pieces is 1,000. Just be careful of future fuzzy math, FYI.
Disclosed by MA is that each knife will have a LQMT logo, MA logo, and the serial number laser etched. We presume this is done by another 3rd party.
It is also presumed that another 3rd party actually assembles and boxes the knives; not LQMT.
This is important because theoretically once the 500 of this and the 500 of that are made; those last pieces will have an invoice attached to them.
The numbers of other MA products sold is, at least in my mind; suspect and unverified.
Bayonets......
Let me clarify a couple things:
--This new machine CAN NOT be for Apple related products. Two green mystery machines are not nearly enough to produce the quantities of anything a whale like Apple requires. Even if they were for tiny proprietary screws such as Jonny Ive has hinted at. Tim Cook saying he wanted to reel Apple manufacturing back to the USA did not mean a trade partner buying a couple machines. Apple is much larger than that.
--(slightly off topic) I found Apple's last earnings call to be funny. It was funny because previously a couple months earlier the GTAT failure cost Apple what?, $500m? A few months pass by and they announce $18B profit in a quarter. Nobody even mentions the GTAT debacle because by comparision, GTAT was that small of an event. Now using proportion, try to figure LQMT into the Apple mix. I can't at this point, LQMT is way too small. There is hope glass-half-full'ers, Read on....
--The empty GTAT Arizona facility left Apple with egg on it's face because of it's prior promises and receiving of state benefits. Apple needs to do something quick. The quickest thing for them to do is use the facility for the iCloud product. Even though Apple just built a nearly exact same facility in North Carolina about a year earlier. It is far easier and cheaper to blueprint Arizona from North Carolina and announce a Grand Opening.
--That being said, that does NOT mean Apple will use all 11 football fields for servers in Arizona. What if they left say 2 football fields empty to lease out to future manufacturers? Because Apple owns the building they still control the comings and goings. Goods are actually manufactured by another company (back to that defer all responsibility thing) but still under tight Apple control. Big WIN for Apple... and the door just opened for LQMT.
--It's my experience that large firms like to collect revenues while deferring any and all responsibility of actually earning them. They also HATE writing checks. Therefore they lease tools, trucks, buildings, and other assets rather than owning them even though it may be at a higher cost down the road. If LQMT were a rational "normal" company they will lease Engle machines and buy the maintenance warranty (just like a company truck). They get to use the machine was though it were theirs and sidestep the responsibility in case the LQMT "accouterments" in the mystery machines aren't really working out as planned. It leaves more money in the bank account. And it opens up more leverage for other things. That's IF LQMT were a rational, normal company....
--I completely agree with your point on Visser. I believe today he is essentially a competitor with inferior machines and process. Barney Visser said he'd rather go play race cars anyway, remember?
--As much as I like the "LQMT is ramping up for something" idea of a new machine, I'm quickly brought back to reality with all the reasons I don't like the LQMT Machine Shoppe. I think fellow posters reading those recently granted patents the past couple days now realize what really needs to happen inside a green mystery machine. It is going to be a very finicky process; on good days. I think the Machine Shoppe is a departure from what LQMT was originally set out to do. LQMT used to be about intellectuals bringing science to the marketplace and furthering research.
--Investors like the Machine Shoppe idea because it makes LQMT accountable for numbers. Numbers that are easily understood and seen. How many pieces were sold? How many contracts this quarter? What's the profit margin? It removes LQMT from the cloaked darkness that they like to burrow in and exposes them on a stage with a single spotlight. It will be interesting how LQMT tries to wiggle out of their new responsibilities. If the past is any indication, wiggling is what I think they will do.
--We all were enthusiastic with the obtaining of the first mystery machine last summer. The amount of products produced to date with that machine? 0 We do know of an existing order of 500 pieces. So, exactly what justifies installing a second machine if the first is unused? Is the second machine any different???
This new machine is like buying and financing a second car -- without having a job.
I just don't understand the logic.
No problem!
Stay tuned there is more to come!
I don't know exactly how long but certainly they are made to order. Particularly with the add on "accruements" specific to LQMT. I don't think 3 months to be an unreasonable time frame.
But where does the money come from?
The cart is in front of the horse.
LQMT Machine Shoppe Ups The Ante
I just don't understand where the money comes from. The monthly cost of the lease of the machine, the additional cost of the electrical hook up, if the Rancho Margarita Fire Department knows whats going on, and finally....the freight alone to get one of these from Austria has got to be $20k.
To do this without having profit generating orders in hand is mind boggling. Certainly no "normal" business is operated this way.