Just arrived in Pittsburgh about 30 minutes ago! Sorry I have taken so long to report on the Richlands trip but here we go: Saturday morning I went from total dispair to total elation in a few hours! I drove over to 5513 Gov. Perry Hwy. looking for a Vencor office or something that even looked like it and went past what looked like a torrefactipn unit on a flat bed, made a u-turn and drove onto the property. First thing I saw was the shed/building that was behind the torrefaction unit in a PR way back in November,remember? I got out and was taking pics of everything.....the main building was a big truck servicing building but there was no life, no sign, nothing but rusting stuff, truck parts and what looked like torrefaction parts on this flatbed truck. I went behind this property to a house and asked an old man about the property in front. He said "the last man who worked there quit." Then he told me that the whole thing was for sale! I went back to look into the windows and take more pics...including the big for sale sign out front! At this point, I was getting the Allendale sinking feeling of "OH NO, here we go again!" I went back to the hotel and told Joan to sell everything Monday! I called the number on the for sale sign and a man answered and told me that building used to be his truck service business. But he also told me that Vencor has at least one unit out in the woods working. That made me feel at least a little better. About 20 minutes later, I got a call from Doug Vance, Mr. Torretherm!! He told me that he was the cause of the open house postponment and there will definately be an open house! He invited us over to 5513 to "sit down and talk and to show us what's going on! WE SPENT ABOUT 4 HOURS WITH HIM (including dinner with he and his wife! Here's what we learned for Doug Vance: There are two Vencor units that he built that are working at this time! The two orders are actually real and in force; he is building another one that is more efficient and has a few innovations that "no other torrefaction unit in the US has!" Doug assured us that Vencor and Vega are heading in the right direction and "All will be fine, hang in there, do not panic! He told me where the site with the orange buildings and rail line is, but asked me to not post it. (We did not go there). Doug is in the timber business too and was in fact logging today as we left Richands.........he can produce biocoal for $90 a ton and at some point may produce for Vencor and/or Vega to help fill the orders! He even named the power combine in Europe that the orders of from......DRAX. The bottom line? Everything we learned from MM about the open house in true, even the fact that an incident happened that made the May 30 open house impossible AND IT WAS DOUG VANCE THAT CALLED IT OFF, NOT MOLEN!! Doug said he was the host for the thing....in his building! Doug Vance came across and a real, hard working, straight shooter that you can believe in. More to come later....this is becoming a book!
So the feeling we left with: Eveything is a go.........these orders WILL be filled........and Vencor and Vega are for real and he is working with them. I am buying more because this thing is going to head to penny land, if not this year...........next year. BTW, I am NOT a paid pumper and I am NOT Molen!! I live in Lakeland Florida and make a living repairing cameras and binoculars........also I am 6'2" and have very straight German hair and do not wear boots!!
