Dell_Griffith
4 years ago
Not stalking you, but was checking in on Materion and saw you posted here and read some of the posts.
To confirm your thoughts, 3-4 (maybe more) years ago, I spoke to Kelley (previous CFO) with Shamrock on the line. Iβll say, first, that Kelley did all the talking and Shamrock was there for βobservation.β (Itβs the smart thing to do, so that the person outside the Company canβt twist the words of the insider).
Second, I appreciated them setting up the call. Both of them were ALL class and really sharp guys.
Third, it was clear they did their part and tried to cultivate a relationship and introduce LQMT to their connections, but LQMT mucked it all up. No, they didnβt say it, but that was my conclusion and it wasnβt a guess because I could hear the frustration in Kelleyβs voice; sort of like a professional helping a fellow professional, repeatedly, but then you realize that itβs a waste of your time. Now, who is it to βblameβ? Hauck? Steipp? Combination of both? Kelley had too much class and professionalism to name names, but I remember that call SO vividly because it was clear to me, although Kelleyβs words were understandably carefully crafted, that the Company I was invested in had a CEO and salesperson that were total muck-ups at LQMT (Steipp was just wrong for LQMT, Hauck is just a Hack). It sounds pathetic and contrite, but my heart sunk and that was the impetus to start a rotation out. (Hack selling was a revolting, disgusting sign, as well, and they should have canned his ass then, which maybe they eventually did because of it). Even if Steipp wasnβt to blame, and I know how much you despise the guy, he hired Hack, who I despise as much as you despise Steipp. I had my interactions with Hack and Iβll leave it at that and, believe it or not, in a professional setting, I donβt act like a petulant child, like I do on ihub, so my point is I tried to be professional with Hack, and was, but I read that guy, called his bluff, and he resented it. As much as Steipp hired him on, in my opinion, I think a lot of the bullshit, wasted opportunities, and misdirection was because of Hack because he was in over his head and he was completely full of shit and out for himself to the extent heβd walk over ANYONE to benefit himself.
I may stick around for your reply, but Iβm signing off ihub today (going full circle, I guess, first connecting with you here on ihub and closing out with you here). Either way, donβt think Iβm being insolent if I donβt reply to you. When I think Iβve suffered (βsufferingβ is all a relative term, of course) holding that other Company, I canβt help thinking how tough it is to have held much longer. Hoping you guys get your payoff this year, although Iβm sick of βhoping.β Iβve kind of had enough of a lot of social media outlets. Theyβre a big part of the problem.
I still have enough shares for it to matter, not like you bigger shareholders, but with all that you bigger holders have been through, NO ONE can say you donβt all deserve it. Never say never.
Best of luck.
Watts Watt
5 years ago
Thanks to all of my friends from Materion, Engel and LQMT who wished me well today on my 75th birthday.
Still waiting to get a call from Lugee Li today for him to tell me the good news that he has asked Materion and Engel to make a joint venture with him to market on LQMT's behalf in Europe and North America.
I will report to all here if I receive a call today from him.
Thanx, Professor Li, in advance, from all of us at Materion, Engel and LQMT where most of the dust has already settled.
Please, stir some things up!
Watts Watt
5 years ago
I am quite aware of Eutectix. Materion contracted with them to manufacture bulk metallic glasses...even sent their employee Jason to manage the operation.
Can't believe how Professor Lugee Li burnt all the bridges that LQMT had made with Materion and Eutechtix and Heraeus. Seems that they would have been good partners for European markets, in particular.
Now with the US government seeking rare earth independence from China, it makes you wonder why Lugee Li deep-sixed the US operation.
I suspect that the US government will seek to ban imports of rare earts from China down the road, so it seems a little counterintuitive to shelve the US operation in Lake Forest, California.
Materion probably has some insight...perhaps they are even seeking to prevent Eontecs exports of product to the USA. This would benefit their partnership with the US government, which will most likely, as they have in the past, partner with Materion and subsidize some of their future mining of rare earths from US soil.
Watts Watt
5 years ago
Yep, this is where I post about the lack of progress. Looks like Materion is completely severed from LQMT, except that they still remain a licensee, unless Eontec has quashed the old agreement. What do you think?
I am guessing, that with the new Corona virus, that Lugee Li may have pulled the plug on the Lake Forest operation prematurely. Dongguan is not immune from the Corona virus.
What a coincidence that Engel's Liquidmetal machine outlet in Corona California has the same name as the virus. Looks like Engel is shut out of future involvement as well.
The great Engel, Materion, LQMT trifecta has been tabled indefinitely.
Watts Watt
7 years ago
Dr. Edgar Vidal, Manager, Market & Business Development, Materion Beryllium & Composites, sees a bright future for the alloy as it finds its market. βWithin five years, Materion can expect to be the worldβs premier supplier of this alloy, at the lowest cost,β he says. βAnd we will identify additional methods of fabricating the material.β
https://materion.com/resource-center/news-and-announcements/beryllium-and-composites/shapeshifting-the-market-for-amorphous-metals
Watts does not think that this forecast, made 5 years ago, has panned out.
I would imagine that Lugee Li is selling more of his formulation for die casting than Materion is selling for injection molding on the Engel machines.
Watts Watt
7 years ago
No. However, here is a current link as of today.
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=139303665
What particularly concerns me, however, is why the total silence about Materion of late.
I attended the Open House last year and Edgar Vidal and his right hand spokesperson (forgot his name) were making presentations at the individual breakdown sessions about how Materion had reduced the cost of making the Vitreloy formulations, including LM105 by subcontracting them out to another manufacturer.
However, no discussion at all was made about Materion becoming a contractor to make Lugee Li's formulation which he is using on the LK die cast machines.
I would think that all parties would want it to be known which suppliers of bmg's are still relevant when it comes to Liquidmetal making purchases of ingots and other raw materials.
https://materion.com/resource-center/product-data-and-related-literature/alloys/bulk-metallic-glass
I guess we will just have to wait and see.
I do know that Materion was not too happy with the DC machines, which, to me, is a way of saying that they will lose business as a supplier of bmg to LQMT, since, apparently, Lugee Li has his own formulation and makes it via another Chiness partner for supply to the LK machines in China. I would assume that they will also get the supply contract for the LF machines as well.
Another interesting subject today is that the Chinese have developed their own rail gun for ships, quite similar to the US Navy's rail gun and projectiles.
I wonder what China is making their projectiles out of?
Do the Chinese have the same concerns about Depleted Uranium and have developed a BMG projectile?
Hope someone can come up with the answers to these questions.
Link:
http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/chinas-supergun-nears-readiness/news-story/f3554a1cc140413ae16af7078f0e5cca
At one time, Materion was hoping to get a supply contract for BMG containing projectiles.
NB: I wish I had put all of my LQMT investment into Materion. I would be sitting very pretty today and would be a multi-millionaire. Instead, I dumped it in Liquidmetal and have lost a ton of money.
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