Kanya, because SGLB is local, and I want desperately for them to be successful, I spend more time here than I should. I'm not an engineer, but I had a long career in high tech sales and marketing with some highly successful and competitive companies. I have also been involved as both a principal and a board member on two high tech startups. I've attended two of the SGLB Board meetings and come away highly disappointed both times. My honest opinions, which run counter to most here are as follows:
Mark has shown very little interest in his stockholders. He may be an extremely skilled scientist (I'm not qualified to judge), but has made a number of poor business decisions which have been costly to the company and to the share price. The Board has been a non-entity, at least to date). Hopefully that may be changing now.
Mark has been allowed to operate the company with a free hand, as more or less a sole proprietor (going so far as hiring his wife in the number two position with a generous salary and benefit package). Rather than focusing on sales and revenue Mark seems to have focused on recognition within the industry, both personally and product-wise for his scientific achievements. The excuse that the industry is not ready for software that services a mass production environment is wearing thin after PrintRite being available for two years now, and a number of players clearly commencing large-scale metal printing production. Once again, I'm not qualified to judge but it does make one question whether after all the testing and evaluation that has gone on, whether PrintRite's price point justifys the benefits to be derived from it's use.
As to how i can help. Mark is clearly not interested in my input (we've had some heated exchanges at Board meetings). I'm going to continue to raise my concerns here, and to the extent that others agree, perhaps pressure can be put on the company to become more shareholder friendly. A step in the right direction would be to bring in an experienced high tech business manager to become the C.O.O. freeing Mark to focus on the technical issues and his Board responsibilities.
I understand that my views differ considerably from your own, but you asked and I tried to provide an honest response.
