Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

On the 28th of September, 884, Poul found himself aboard a train bound for Pittsburgh. Seated by the window, he gazed out at the picturesque landscape whisking past, an ever-changing tapestry of colors and shapes. After a contemplative moment, he turned his attention to a letter he had received a week prior. Carefully, he unfolded the parchment, revealing the words penned by his friend, Jonathan.

[We have a lot of business to deal with and I can't do it alone. I need you to be back here as soon as possible and help me out.

Sincerely yours

Jonathan.]

Poul chuckled as he read the letter from Jonathan. It was so typical of his partner to be short and to the point. He knew that Jonathan must be in a real bind if he was asking for his help, but Poul couldn't help feeling a bit amused at the urgency of the letter.

As the train rumbled on toward Pittsburgh, Poul's thoughts turned to the business they had been dealing with lately. The Air Brake and the Union Switch & Signal Company were doing just fine, receiving orders from the fastest-growing industry in the United States of Avalonia, the railway companies. As for the Arms Manufacturing Company, they continue to dabble from government contracts as the war in Crimea still continues up to this day, and is showing no sign of stopping.

With the Russian forces winning over land battles, it only fueled the spirit and motivations of the Russians, thus making it hard for the allied forces to subdue the Russian Empire.

But, whoever wins the war doesn't concern them. After all, there's only one winner in this conflict. And that is them, swimming in the money that they have earned from selling weapons from both parties.

And since the hype of the AN-M1 rifles, arms manufacturing companies such as Colt and Smith & Wesson have tried developing their semi-automatic rifles. And they failed, as they don't know the technicalities that made the semi-automatic action rifle possible.

But they knew that there will be a time when they'll make underhanded tactics to get the recipe for the semi-automatic rifle. One of the possibilities he could think of is that they might bribe the workers who were working on the manufacturing of the AN-M1 rifles.

There are tactics that they already implemented to prevent the workers from leaving their company and not accepting bribes from rival companies.

One tactic that they had considered was offering competitive wages and benefits to their employees, ensuring that they felt valued and fairly compensated for their work. By providing a work environment that was supportive and rewarding, Poul hoped to foster loyalty among his workforce, making it difficult for competitors to lure them away with bribes.

Another tactic was to invest in employee training and development, providing workers with opportunities to advance their skills and careers within the company. This would not only make them more valuable to their enterprise but also create a sense of personal investment and pride in the work they were doing.

To further protect the secrets of the AN-M1 rifle, Poul contemplated implementing tight security measures within the company. These could include strict access controls, regular security audits, and even the use of nondisclosure agreements for employees working on sensitive projects.

In addition to these preventive measures, they knew that it was essential to maintain a strong presence in the market and continue innovating. He believed that staying ahead of competitors by constantly improving their products and developing new technologies would deter rivals from attempting to steal their designs. And they are doing good in that aspect.

But, even though they implemented such strategies, it still doesn't guarantee their workers to leave the company and still get bribes. After all, if a person were to be flashed with ten thousand dollars, there's no doubt they'll accept it.

Moving on. Their new enterprise. The Axelsen & Nielsen Electric Manufacturing & Distribution Company is in the making. He received news from Jonathan while he was in London that he had hired three hundred workers and ten engineers who are formerly James's Russel employees and contracted a construction firm that will make them the power plant. According to Jonathan, they are studying the schematics Poul has drawn for them to build. Such as steam turbines, water-tube boilers, fire-tube boilers, deaerators, flue gas desulfurization, and electrostatic precipitators, all designed to maximize efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. The power plant would not only supply energy to their various manufacturing facilities but would also provide electricity to the city of Pittsburgh, revolutionizing the way people lived and worked. But there's one problem, they don't know how to build it, since it's a new technology, especially the steam turbines.

As Poul thought about the progress being made on their latest venture, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. He and Jonathan had come a long way since their humble beginnings, and their dedication and ingenuity had led to the creation of numerous successful enterprises that were shaping the future of their country.

The train's rhythmic motion and the soothing hum of its machinery lulled Poul into a state of relaxation as he continued to mull over the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. He knew that their success had drawn the attention of competitors, who would stop at nothing to steal their ideas and sabotage their efforts.

They were determined to stay one step ahead, anticipating their moves and countering them with innovative strategies.

As the train pulled into the Pittsburgh station, he collected his belongings and stepped onto the platform, eager to reunite with Jonathan and tackle the challenges that lay ahead. The air was thick with the scent of industry, and the city's skyline was dominated by factories and smokestacks. It has grown unprecedentedly over the last few years.

The first order of business would be meeting the engineers and the workers who will be working on the power plant.

Upon arriving at their headquarters, Poul was greeted by Jonathan, who looked relieved to see his trusted partner back in town. They exchanged pleasantries and quickly got down to business, eager to make progress on their ambitious plans.

"The engineers wanted to know how they are going to manufacture the steam turbines of your specifications?"

"Really? In that case, gather them," Poul rose to his feet confidently.

"You are going to give them a lecture, don't you?" Jonathan chuckled softly.

"Well, it's best that they know what they are doing to prevent mistakes that could have been avoided, right?"