The Caravan: The Search for the Land of Milk and Honey

By James Colombo

In Exodus 3:33, the Jews searched for the land of milk and honey, as mentioned by the Lord. Silicon Valley began as a caravan with start-up companies wandering, looking for success, which became companies and, in time, grew into giants in their industry. How can a valley with the vision to create technology become myopic for some that failed to change with the evolution of technology? Silicon Valley began in the midsixties with companies like Memorex and Fairchild Camera that grew and fostered trail blazers like Lockheed, General Dynamics, Hughes, Rockwell, Litton, Varian, and Motorola with startups like Intel, AMD, and National Semiconductorall chasing the thought of great profits with no vision of what would it cost to get there.
These were events that were witnessed by Joe Rios, a senior buyer for many Silicon Valley companies. Technology was developed over time and, by February 1999, with great expectations, created a frenzy to capture an elusive prize. It was a time when technologies converged, creating a potential for profit and an opportunity to seize market share from competitors. Only the quick and the resourceful would win the prize, and it was like the Oklahoma land rush; they saddled up, gathered the necessary materials and employees, and rode off toward a point on the horizon. Along the way, there were red flags, but they were ignored, while focusing on the treasure, not the path they were taking.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499073034

James Colombo

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Copyright © 2014 by James Colombo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Rev. date: 11/11/2014

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Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 Joe Rios SJS grad June 81, Qual eng start ups

Chapter 2 Start at Matrix Jack Yetah

Chapter 3 Matrix layoff The Caravan: searching for the oasis small companies with cash

Chapter 4 Atari 82 Nolan Bushnell Neal Duncan Joe learns more engineering

Chapter 5 Pac Man and other games then slow down and lay off

Chapter 6 Trend Plastics, Joe meet Uma learns mold injection process

Chapter 7 Androbots Topo Joe’s first girl friend Uma and Banford Wong

Chapter 8 Multi Plex Joe leans about printed circuit boards

Chapter 9 Letter from Uma Banford at JPL Joe’s interview at Litone

Chapter 10 Littone 1985 new guy new position GFE and Purchasing the first survey

Chapter 11 New suppliers 1986 1,200 employees Joe starts MBA

Chapter 12 1987 Neal has crash Joe meets Maggie

Chapter 13 1988 Joe and Harold rent a home Maggie and Joe

Chapter 14 Maria and Pete marry 8/20/88 Litone has196 employees Joe finishes MBA

Chapter 15 1989 Maria and Pete one year married Maggie meets Joe’s parents

Chapter 16 Harold and Irene get married 7/90 Litone and microwave oven

Chapter 17 Maggie at Redstone Joe and Maggie buy home Joe and Maggie get married 7/7/96

Chapter 18 1997 to 1998 Nutel Randy again many meetings Maggie doing well at Redstone Joe gets let go at Nutel 7/24/98 works with Dior until 1/31/99

Chapter 19 Philips 2/1999 to 9/ 2000 Nino hand held computer and TDMA phone

Chapter 20 DMC 10/2000 to 5/2001 3/2001 Purchasing Mgr. quits the sharks are circling

Chapter 21 Cause and Joe Rios’ opinion

RSV

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Prologue

In Exodus 3:33 the Jews searched for the land of milk and honey, as mentioned by the Lord. Silicon Valley began as a caravan with start-up companies wandering, looking for success, that became companies and in time grew into giants in their industry. How can a valley with the vision to create technology become myopic for some that failed to change with the evolution of technology? Silicon Valley began in the mid sixties with companies like Memorex and Fairchild Camera that grew and fostered trail blazers like Lockheed, General Dynamics, Hughes, Rockwell, Litton, Varian, and Motorola with start ups like Intel, AMD, and National Semiconductor. All chasing the thought of great profits with no vision of what would it cost to get there.

These were events that were witnessed by Joe Rios, a senior buyer for many Silicon Valley companies. Technology was developed over time and by February 1999 with great expectations, created a frenzy to capture an elusive prize. It was a time when technologies converged, creating a potential for profit and an opportunity to seize market share from competitors. Only the quick and the resourceful would win the prize and it was like the Oklahoma land rush, they saddled up, gathered the necessary materials and employees, and rode off towards a point on the horizon. Along the way there were red flags, but they were ignored, while focusing on the treasure, not the path they were taking.

Suddenly penny parts became scarce and expensive because component brokers hoarded components and an insatiable demand by manufacturers inflated cost. Windows of opportunity and time to market would evaporate daily creating an Oklahoma Land rush mentality racing new product introduction to channels of distribution in quest of profits and market share. It was a time of intense competition, risk, and stress that was a time of opulence, big salaries, and global strategies. 1999 was the most exciting year for Joe Rios in purchasing.

Imagine being on a Carnival cruise for two years. Each day surpassed the previous day with excitement and accomplishment in a fast paced environment with morning conversations with Lyons, France and Amsterdam, Holland and evening conversations with Singapore, Malaysia, and Seoul, Korea. You purchased globally for a multinational corporation, attended meetings with suppliers like Sony and Intel, and orchestrated multi-million dollar contracts. Recall the best feeling you have had and experience it each day for a year.

Imagine the cruise returned to port and you were no longer wrapped in gold chains, catered to and worse yet, the rush was gone. There were no more thrills and you saw it coming but you denied the reality. Such was the case in Silicon Valley, a valley teeming with technology, energy, and challenge inhabited with nomadic people who traveled from company to company searching for the ultimate challenge and reward.

Cause— They were jaded beyond redemption, worshiping a golden cow.

Chapter 1

Joe Rios SJS grad June 81, Qual eng start ups

July 1981

The light turned green and the crowd began running across the street. The doors had opened an hour ago, a sense of emergency had grown, and for most this would be their first experience and panic began to grow. Joe was caught up in the flow of humanity and pursued the herd inside to the sign-in tables. He quickly filled out the card asking for name, job title, and experience. He was a recent grad from San Jose State as a Mechanical Engineer with no experience, so he filled in his name and that he was a Mechanical Engineer part time for six months for the now defunct Porter Switch Company. Joe entered the large auditorium and saw six rows with company booths on each side of the rows. He received a program listing one hundred ten companies stating who they are, where they are located, and what they sell. Joe had brought 25 resumes, so he needed to be selective. He had written his senior paper about switches and connector and knew enough to carry a conversation. He walked up and down the aisles and stopped at the Matrix Connectors and Switches booth.

Are you a resent grad and what was your major, asked the man wearing a blue suit and a white shirt with a matching blue tie sitting at the Matrix booth?

San Jose State class of 81 as a Mechanical Engineer and my paper was about switches and connectors, replied Joe.

"We are a start up and need a Mechanical Engineer and a Quality Manger. Actually, we need someone who can do both. Do you think you can?

I’ll do my best. I have written procedures for all types of components and minored in English.

You would do lot of writing. We can’t offer a lot of money, but you will get a lot of hands on experience. The man read Joe’s resume and told him that it was impressive. Right now I need experience, said Joe.

I’ll give the Owner and the Director of Engineering your resume and call you for an appointment to interview in a couple of days, if they are interested."

That will be great. I hope you call me, said Joe and shook the man’s hand.

Three days had passed and Joe had just finished dinner when the phone rang. It was a lady from Matrix with a pleasant voice and asked he could come at four o’clock on Friday for an interview?

Joe said he would be there and hung up the phone.

"Who was that, asked Joe’s mother, Maria?

It was a lady from Matrix, replied an excited Joe. He would have to iron his pants, type a cover letter, and he would try to get information about Matrix Connectors and Switches at the library.

The three days went by quickly and it was 3:45 Friday afternoon, Joe was sitting in the lobby of Matrix, and hoped that he had prepared enough for the interview. The receptionist looked like a recent grad from high school and her black roots were peaking through her bleached blond hair. She wore a white blouse, had bright red finger nail polish, and she would glace over at Joe, so he smiled at her. She smiled at Joe and the intercom buzzed. A moment passed, she pointed at a room at the end of the hallway, and told Joe to wait there for the Director of Engineering.

Joe waited ten minutes and a well-dressed man entered the room. He wore a dark grey suit, a white shirt with a red tie, and black wingtip shoes. He interviewed Joe for an hour and asked if he had any questions. Joe had three and the man was impressed. He waited a moment and told Joe the Owner wanted to speak with him. He left the room and Joe waited twenty minutes. Then a chubby man wearing a brown suit and a wrinkled white shirt with a brown bowtie and thick glasses entered room. His faced was scared from acne and he had not washed his hair in couple of days. Joe was not impressed. It seemed like an hour, but mercifully it was only 35 minutes. Joe answered all of the Owner’s questions and had one for the Owner, Were do you see your company in five years?

Hopefully, we will go public in two more years.

He glared at Joe and made him feel uncomfortable. Joe thanked the Owner and smiled. He thought that he would never hear from Matrix and would mail a thank you letter the next day. Joe shook the man’s hand and said good buy.

Joe needed The Cure so he went to the infirmary. The guys at San Jose State referred to Wally’s Bar and Grill as the infirmary and went there after every final. Two cold beers later Joe was starting to feel better. Wally’s offered good fried chicken, great barbecued pork ribs and ten varieties of domestic and imported beers. Wally’s was noted for great half-pound hamburgers with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and every burger came in a basket with fries. Joe had worked at Wally’s his senior year washing dishes, frying chicken, and French-fries. Joe ordered a side of pork ribs with a basket of fries and asked Wally for another beer. He told Wally it was one of those day and Wally shook his head and did not charge Joe for the third beer. A couple of Joe’s friends came in and they sat at the table that they had been sitting at since they were at San Jose State. It was Phil Vega, Randy Mazzei, and Joe joined them. They recalled their school years and how things had change after graduation.

It was nine o’clock and Joe said good night to the guys. He went home were his mother Maria and younger sister Ana lived. Joe’s father died seven years ago as a fireman and his mother had recently met a gentleman at church. After church the gentleman would escort Maria home. A month had passed and Maria invited the gentleman to stay for dinner the following Sunday. Joe felt uncomfortable, so he told his mother that he had plans that Sunday.

Maria and her gentleman friend arrived at home at two o’clock after they hadwalked from church and Maria looked excited. The gentleman was Mexican and dressed well wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt with a blue tie, and black shoes. The gentleman gave Maria a brown paper bag and she quickly removed a bottle of Rose’ wine and put it in the refrigerator. The gentleman smiled and extended his hand to Joe and said, Hello Joe. I’m Pete. Your mother and I go to the same church. She invited me for dinner and to meet her children.

Joe smiled and shook Pete’s hand and said, I glad to meet you, Pete.

Joe’s sister Ana entered the living room and introduced herself. Ana was eight, slender for her age, and had beautiful black hair that hung to her waist. Joe and Ana excused themselves and when to their bedrooms. Maria looked nervous, but excited. She was a petite woman with short black hair and had a beautiful smile. Joe came back into