Cecil is the one that sent me the info, with the sweet words of "here's all you'll ever need"!
Well in all truth I wasn't aware you'd go for it. It doesn't sound too bad though. Consider it like a starter home that will take you up to a new one some day. I can only imagine what this would cost brand new. Just the tanks sell for an arm and leg!
I still say if you keep marketing the tilapia for "natural and not toxic control of filamentous algae and a boost for largemouth forage" you could have a gold mine. And since they have to be replanted every year what more could a fish supplier ask for?
I'm looking forward to watching you take off with those tilapia!
A few years ago, Cecil sent me a link to an ugly, old red Ford Live Haul truck originally built for Zett's in PA. My tilapia were starting to become quite popular and I was in need of a larger capacity, so after some soul searching, I changed careers and became a "Live Hauler"!
In the quote above, Cecil suggested I think of the truck like a "starter home", and danged if that isn't just what wound up happening.
That truck did it's job!! Some of the untimely, Murphy's Law breakdowns and long hard hours nearly sunk my often struggling, but always rapidly growing business along the way. One trip, (my first year) it cost me over $20,000 to get out of Memphis. Year 4, I killed over 50 grand in fish. Yet I somehow managed to find a way, often with the help, support and encouragement from my friends here on Pond Boss, I managed to eek out a profit and even grow each consecutive year. Without the folks here, I could have never made it.
So, since Chapter one of this adventure began here, it is fitting Chapter 2 starts here also.
The "Big Red Ugly" with the Bucking Tilapia Logo is being retired to greener pastures as a crane truck to be used in a tree trimming business. I'd like to say I'll miss it, but that would be a lie...lol
Big Blue is being dressed and prepped for a Spring Debut. Sporting 8, 250 gallon tanks and 8, 125 gallon tanks, made entirely of highly insulating, Polyurethane "surfboard" material, 2 large liquid oxygen tanks and a few compressed bottles as back-up, all on a custom fabricated, bright and shiny aluminum bed, my load capacity will be more than tripled. Sporting a new Logo of a hand painted "Flaming Tilapia" a friend painted for me, I am anxious to shake off this Winter's cabin fever and get rolling. I look forward to seeing all of the friends and clients that made this happen, along with meeting many new ones. So far, I am licensed to haul and stock in MO, TN, OK AR, KS, NE, IA, IL, IN, MS, TX, WV, VA, SC, NC, GA, AL, LA, and PA
Last edited by Rainman; 04/16/1411:07 PM. Reason: add states
I notice that TN is not on the list, and am assuming that you were blackballed by the SPCT*. Hopefully they'll adopt a "forgive and forget" attitude in the near future, and this deficiency can be remedied.
*"Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Trees".
Yolkie, Tennessee was more than happy to take my name and $500 in exchange for the privilege of driving through, and stocking in your fair state....Oklahoma was also accidentally left from the list.