I am trying to remain calm while typing this, but I am pissed.
It's a discussion of a symptomatic disease GTE has that has helped proffer a bunch of the negative press we have gotten, that frankly could have been easily mitigated, if not out right avoided.
Let's take one example of GTE's relentless insistence on "holding the cards to the chest so no one can peak" PR mentality, and what it costs shareholders in valuation.
A year ago, Huff and Jones made a big deal out of the fact that they would have to get FAA clearances to move the Strat, where it was being constructed, from Palmdale (FAA airspace) to Edwards Air Base, 8 miles away, to launch the Strat for all these tests. This was told would be a major obstacle. For a whole year, and after several repeated communications from the company reiterating that concern, we postulated on any number of ways that had to be done...trucked, tethered, manned gondola..etc. etc.
Suddenly, June 1, yesterday, we learn the Strat two test vehicles (at least one in pic slide), have been assembled and built from scratch AT Edwards for all these flight tests! Thus the FAA issue has suddenly disappeared.
Now a Strat is not built in one day. A negotiation to allow GTE to construct approval in an Edward's Hanger does not happen in a day.
The barrier of an FAA denial that GTE made apparent a year ago was a material event.
WTF...Wasn't a grant by Edwards to allow GTE to construct on-site, a material PR'd event when it occurred, just as the FAA block was???
Wouldn't this announcement PR have lifted an overhang cloud of doubt off the share price??? In a more timely fashion than, yesterday? Instead of an ...oh by the way...guess what? and only if you caught it?
This company may have some brilliant engineers. But they have some very unmarketable sense when it comes to promoting share holder value, lifting clouds on title, and outright defense of slander by proactive valuable press releases properly dropped in the right outlets.
Harrumph!
m
Before dawn there is darkness.
