| Charleston and Port Company | ||
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Je Me Tiens Contre le Vent | ||
| Name | Charleston and Port Company | |
| Type | Family business | |
| Product | Tea and coffee | |
| Origin |  Stephen Headland, Lovia
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| Founded | 1903 by Darius West | |
| Owner(s) | Ella Estelle West | |
| Headquarters | West Manor, Stephen Headland | |
| Profit | +$17 million annually | |
The Charleston and Port Company is a family business that operates out of the hamlet of Charleston, Sylvania. Charleston and Port is a sole domestic supplier of coffee and tea to Lovia, the company also manages most of the logistics behind the sale of its products to a middle merchant. Stephen Headland has been the location of all agricultural operations since the company's conception in 1903. As of 2012, the company is still owned by the Charlestonian based West family.
History[]
Charleston and Port was originally founded in 1903 by Half-African Darius West who immigrated from the Southern United States because of racial discrimination. Ambitious, Darius sought to make a name for himself in the agricultural world of Lovia. With the small amount of money he had taken from his original home in Atlanta, Georgia, Darius was able to purchase a small parcel of land along the Bonney River south of Charleston. The highly competitive Morgan Plantation discouraged the local trade of pineapples, so West decided to grow coffee and tea within his strip of land. As most of the nation's tea was imported at the time, he made a large profit in the first few growing seasons. After buying two more plots of farmland near his original site in 1908, West officially established his new business as the Charleston West Company. The demand for his locally grown product swelled in 1914, as international tensions put a large strain on the shipping of goods globally. The result was the purchasing of a large swath of land and several methods of transportation for West's goods. With the acquirement of the Stevenson Porting Company in 1915, the name was changed to Charleston and Port. By the end of World War One, the company had grown to a size that West could not manage to expand any further. By 1923, Charleston and Port was the largest domestic supplier of tea and coffee in Lovia, and the wealth generated from the company had given the West family prominence in the hamlet of Charleston. The West and Morgan families were seen as counterparts in 1934 when the Wests purchased a large manor outside of the city. However, as time passed, the business of each other raised no more suspicion, and a stable flow of profit was achieved by the West family.
In the 1950s a great drought caused a massive strain on agricultural production in the region. From 1954 to 1968, nearly half of the company's assets were on the verge of total ecological collapse. To prevent a financial crisis for the company, operations were halted until the drought ended officially in 1973. After a year of allowing the crops to grow, the company's profits resumed, and business became as it was before. The Lovian Civil War saw a time of stagnation in revenue for the company. However, much like the drought, operations become normal again soon after the war ended.
Family governance[]
The locally influential West family owns the Company in its entirety, and there are no Board of Directors or Shareholders within the financial limitations of the abilities and operations of the incorporated business. The Family Patriarch is the owner of the company until they pass the position onto their most eligible child when they feel it necessary to do so. While it is usually the Family Patriarch who owns and runs the company, this does not always have to be true. When making large financial decisions that may change the aspect of the business, it is required of the Company owner to take a family vote. The funds of the West family are directly related to the coffers of the Company, meaning that some members of the family rely solely on the well-doings of business.
Operations[]
West Manor, located west of Charleston, is the primary headquarters of the West family. Although most of the corporate aspects of the company are managed from the Manor, the 4th Bridge Street Warehouse is maintained in Charleston as a collection point for all regional raw products to collect. Shipments are then moved to the Manor to be sent out across the country, or from the Manor to Noble City for international shipping.
Agricultural[]
- Darius' Plantation - A large plantation located along the Bonney River which supplies the coffee sold by the company.
- Aunt Annebelle's Farm - A moderately sized farm just north of Darius' Plantation that supplies most of the tea sold by the Company.
- West Family Farms - A small farm that surrounds the West Manor that grows tea sold by the company.
Shipping[]
- 4th Bridge Street Warehouse - The company's primary warehouse used for the logistics of packaged goods.
- West Charleston Dock - A small dock located on the West Manor grounds from which the company exports most of its goods.
Products[]
Coffee[]
Coffee is the largest selling product of the Charleston and Port Company, with nearly one thousand tonnes of coffee sold domestically each year. In Lovia, most coffee is sold directly to commercial merchants which then sell coffee to individuals. However, coffee chops located across the nation buy directly from Charleston and Port, which increases the profit of the company and the quality of the goods. Charleston and Port has some roasting operations located at its Warehouse, which is directly sold and marketed as the Charleston and Port Black Label. Black Label is known to be very expensive because of its small quantity and high quality. The brand is not sold in stores, but only directly from the company.
Tea[]
Tea is the second largest product of Charleston and Port, though the company is still the largest domestic supplier of the goods. Much like the sale of coffee, tea is sold to commercial merchants who then sell the tea to individual consumers. Charleston and Port is affiliated with several smaller domestic restaurants and cafes that buy the tea directly from the Company, though such business with consumers as a whole is not possible without family connections. Much like the Company's independent coffee sales, the Charleston and Port Gold Label is the branded version of its tea. The name implies much on the product, as it is extremely rare to buy Gold Label because of its extremely high quality and extremely low quantity. Only the best tea leaves are selected to make Gold Label, effectively making it one of the most exclusive brands of tea in Lovia and possibly even in the world.