Chapter 217: New Business
Saint Denis.
Davey was looking for new business opportunities.
Moonshine brought in enormous profits, but it was still illegal. As the federal legal system of the United States continued to tighten, it wouldn’t take many more years before the moonshine trade became increasingly difficult to maintain.
More importantly, Davey understood very clearly that moonshine was not protected by patent law. The flavor profile he had developed would inevitably be copied—perhaps in just a few months at most. When that happened, his product would lose its edge.
Of course, even if others copied it, New Hanover was already his territory, so the profits would still be considerable.
Davey had once considered buying a few distilleries and building his own brand, but after thinking it over, he realized there was little point. Prohibition would be enacted sooner or later, and when that happened, distilleries would only bleed money. It was better to stick to the mob-style bootlegging route.
Still, he needed more legitimate businesses.
“Stella, we can’t rely on moonshine forever. We need legal industries. Only by paying enough taxes can we earn recognition from the federal government.”
Davey said this to Stella. They were deeply in love now, and there was nothing they couldn’t talk about.
Naturally, after that night, neither of them brought up Catherine, who was still in university. And for Davey, aside from Stella, there really wasn’t anyone else he could discuss these matters with.
Mac was out of the question—talking business with him was like playing music to a cow.
As for Uncle, while he had plenty of life experience, he had no real sense for business. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be drifting along with Dutch just to survive.
The only person around Davey who truly had insight was Stella.
She had graduated from Federal University and grown up in the civilized cities of the East. Her way of thinking was completely different from that of the lower classes.
“That’s great, Davey. You know, I’ve wanted to talk to you about this for a long time, but I was afraid you’d get angry.”
“Bootlegging is illegal. Even if it brings in a lot of money right now, it can’t be everything you rely on.”
“Maybe you could expand the security company—hire more people and provide protection for wealthy clients. That might become a solid source of income.”
Stella spoke with obvious excitement. She was glad Davey had come to this realization. As a law major, she knew exactly how harsh the crackdown on moonshine would eventually be.
Most importantly, her family would never agree to their daughter marrying a bootlegger.
“Alright, Stella. You really don’t need to worry. If you have ideas, just tell me directly. How could I ever be angry with you?”
“That said, a security company isn’t bad, but the profits are limited. We wouldn’t get many contracts. People would rather trust Pinkerton—they have a much bigger reputation.”
“And if it comes down to price, they’d probably just hire bounty hunters.”
“So I have a better idea: opening a garment factory.”
Davey smiled as he explained his thoughts. By the late nineteenth century, after the First Industrial Revolution, machines had begun replacing manual labor.
This was exactly the period when the textile industry was rising. Even though many garment factories already existed, the market was far from saturated.
More importantly, the industry had not yet been monopolized by major capital. That meant Davey wouldn’t face resistance from powerful interests whose profits he might threaten.
And clothing itself carried excellent profit margins.
With his knowledge of the future, Davey knew exactly how to guide fashion trends.
“It does sound like a great idea, but neither of us has any experience in this field. Is a clothing factory really that profitable, Davey?”
Stella couldn’t help asking. Her understanding of business was limited—otherwise, the law firm she once worked for wouldn’t have been on the verge of collapse.
Davey paid little attention to her concern and answered confidently:
“Of course it’s profitable. We already have our own farms to grow plenty of cotton, and we can buy more land if needed.”
“That lowers our costs, and then we can invest in the most advanced machinery available.”
“I read in the newspaper that modern looms can produce better fabric faster, and they don’t require much manpower.”
“First, we don’t need to price our products high. Just like with moonshine, we make quality goods and sell more through promotions and discounts.”
“I don’t think anyone can resist clothes that are cheap, good-looking, and practical. Don’t you agree?”
“And not just clothes—bags, buttons, all those everyday necessities. We can even create separate brands for men and women.”
Stella gasped. “Good heavens, Davey. That’s genius. I’m sure it’ll make a lot of money—maybe even more than your moonshine.”
Davey smiled faintly. “That’s not all, Stella. There’s another business I’m very optimistic about.”
“Have you ever heard of movies?”
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