Abasunguli ababili baphendule ukuzama okwehluleka kwaba umkhiqizo odumile kakhulu owaguqula imboni yokuthumela impahla.
Ngesikhathi uHoward Fielding osemncane ephethe ngokucophelela into engavamile kayise ezandleni zakhe, wayengazi ukuthi isinyathelo sakhe esilandelayo sizomenza abe ngumsunguli wemfashini. Esandleni sakhe wayephethe ishidi lepulasitiki elimbozwe amabhamuza agcwele umoya. Egijima ngeminwe yakhe phezu kwefilimu ehlekisayo, wayengenakukwazi ukumelana nesilingo: waqala ukuqhumisa amabhamuza - njengoba nje wonke umhlaba ubelokhu wenza kusukela ngaleso sikhathi.
Ngakho-ke uFielding, owayeneminyaka engaba mihlanu ubudala ngaleso sikhathi, waba ngumuntu wokuqala ukuveza i-bubble wrap ukuze azijabulise. Lokhu kusungulwa kwaguqula imboni yokuthumela impahla, kwaqala inkathi yezentengiselwano ze-e, futhi kwavikela izigidigidi zezimpahla ezithunyelwa emhlabeni wonke minyaka yonke.
“Ngikhumbula ngibheka lezi zinto futhi umuzwa wami wawuwukuzicindezela,” kusho uFielding. “Ngathi ngingowokuqala ukuvula i-bubble wrap, kodwa ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi akulona iqiniso lelo. Abantu abadala ababekanye nobaba kungenzeka benze lokhu ukuqinisekisa ikhwalithi. Kodwa mhlawumbe ngangingumntwana wokuqala.”
Wanezela ehleka, “Kwakumnandi kakhulu ukuwaqhumisa. Ngaleso sikhathi amabhamuza ayemakhulu, ngakho ayebanga umsindo omkhulu.”
Uyise kaFielding, u-Alfred, wasungula i-bubble wrap nomlingani wakhe webhizinisi, isazi semithi saseSwitzerland uMarc Chavannes. Ngo-1957, bazama ukudala iphepha lodonga elinobunjwa elalizokhanga i-"Beat Generation" entsha. Bafaka izingcezu ezimbili zekhethini leshawa lepulasitiki nge-heat sealer futhi ekuqaleni badumala ngomphumela: ifilimu enamabhamuza ngaphakathi.
Kodwa-ke, abasunguli abazange bakuphike ngokuphelele ukwehluleka kwabo. Bathole ilungelo lokuqala kwezamalungelo obunikazi amaningi ezinqubo nemishini yokuhlobisa nokunamathisela izinto, base beqala ukucabanga ngokusetshenziswa kwazo: empeleni ezingaphezu kuka-400. Elinye lazo - ukuvikela ukushisa - lasuswa ebhodini lokudweba, kodwa lagcina liphumelele njengephepha lodonga elinombhalo. Umkhiqizo wahlolwa endlini yokugcina izitshalo futhi kwatholakala ukuthi awusebenzi.
Ukuze baqhubeke nokuthuthukisa umkhiqizo wabo ongavamile, uhlobo lwe-Bubble Wrap, i-Fielding ne-Chavannes basungula i-Sealed Air Corp. ngo-1960. Kwakungonyaka olandelayo kuphela lapho banquma ukuyisebenzisa njengento yokupakisha futhi baphumelela. I-IBM yayisanda kwethula i-1401 (ebhekwa njengeModel T embonini yamakhompyutha) futhi yayidinga indlela yokuvikela imishini ebuthakathaka ngesikhathi sokuthunyelwa. Njengoba besho, okunye sekuwumlando.
“Lena impendulo ye-IBM enkingeni,” kusho uChad Stevens, iphini likamongameli wezokusungula izinto ezintsha kanye nobunjiniyela beqembu lezinsizakalo zomkhiqizo leSealed Air. “Bangathumela amakhompyutha emuva ephephile futhi ephilile. Lokhu kuvulele amabhizinisi amaningi ithuba lokuqala ukusebenzisa i-bubble wrap.”
Izinkampani ezincane zokupakisha zasheshe zamukela ubuchwepheshe obusha. Kubo, ukugoqa ngamabhamuza kuyindlela enhle kakhulu. Esikhathini esidlule, indlela engcono kakhulu yokuvikela izinto ngesikhathi sokuthutha kwakuwukuzigoqa ngephepha lezindaba eligoqekile. Kungcolile ngoba uyinki ovela emaphephandabeni amadala uvame ukukhuhla umkhiqizo kanye nabantu abasebenza ngawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, awunikezi ngempela isivikelo esingako.
Njengoba ukugoqa amabhamuza kwanda ngokuthandwa, i-Sealed Air yaqala ukuthuthuka. Lo mkhiqizo wawuhlukahluka ngesimo, usayizi, amandla kanye nobukhulu ukuze wandise ububanzi bezicelo: amabhamuza amakhulu namancane, amashidi abanzi namafushane, imiqulu emikhulu namafushane. Okwamanje, abantu abaningi ngokwengeziwe bathola injabulo yokuvula lawo maphakethe agcwele umoya (ngisho noStevens uyavuma ukuthi “kuyindlela yokuqeda ukucindezeleka”).
Kodwa-ke, inkampani ayikayitholi inzuzo. UTJ Dermot Dunphy waba yi-CEO ngo-1971. Wasiza ekukhuliseni ukuthengiswa kwaminyaka yonke kwenkampani kusuka ku-$5 million ngonyaka wakhe wokuqala kuya ku-$3 billion ngesikhathi eshiya inkampani ngo-2000.
“UMarc Chavannes wayengumuntu onemibono kanti u-Al Fielding wayengunjiniyela osezingeni eliphezulu,” kusho uDunphy, oneminyaka engu-86, osasebenza nsuku zonke enkampanini yakhe yokutshalwa kwezimali nokuphatha yangasese, iKildare Enterprises. “Kodwa akekho kubo owayefuna ukuqhuba inkampani. Babefuna nje ukusebenza ekusungulweni kwabo.”
Njengosomabhizinisi ngokuqeqeshwa, uDunphy wasiza iSealed Air ukuba iqinise ukusebenza kwayo futhi yahlukanise imikhiqizo yayo. Waze wandisa lo mkhiqizo embonini yamachibi okubhukuda. Izimbozo zamachibi okugoqa amabhamuza sezithandwa kakhulu eminyakeni yamuva nje. Isembozo sinamapokhethi amakhulu omoya asiza ekubambeni imisebe yelanga futhi sigcine ukushisa, ngakho amanzi echibini ahlala efudumele ngaphandle kokuphuma amabhamuza omoya. Le nkampani ekugcineni yawuthengisa lo mzila.
UmkaHoward Fielding, uBarbara Hampton, uchwepheshe wolwazi lwe-patent, washeshe waveza ukuthi amalungelo obunikazi avumela kanjani umukhwe wakhe nomlingani wakhe ukuba benze lokho abakwenzayo. Sekukonke, bathole amalungelo obunikazi ayisithupha ekugoqweni kwama-bubble wrap, iningi lawo elihlobene nenqubo yokuqopha nokufaka ipulasitiki, kanye nemishini edingekayo. Eqinisweni, uMarc Chavannes wayethole amalungelo obunikazi amabili amafilimu e-thermoplastic, kodwa cishe wayengacabangi ngama-bubbles aqhumayo ngaleso sikhathi. “Amalungelo obunikazi anikeza ithuba lokuthi abantu abanobuciko bavuzwe ngemibono yabo,” kusho uHampton.
Namuhla, i-Sealed Air iyinkampani ye-Fortune 500 edayise ngo-2017 amaRandi ayizigidigidi ezingu-4.5, abasebenzi abangu-15,000 kanye namakhasimende akhonzayo emazweni angu-122. Ekuqaleni yayiseNew Jersey, le nkampani yathutha indlunkulu yayo yomhlaba wonke yaya eNorth Carolina ngo-2016. Le nkampani yenza futhi ithengise imikhiqizo eyahlukahlukene, okuhlanganisa i-Cryovac, ipulasitiki encane esetshenziselwa ukupakisha ukudla neminye imikhiqizo. I-Sealed Air inikeza ngisho nokupakisha amabhamuza angenamoya ukuze kuthunyelwe kumakhasimende okungabizi kakhulu.
“Kuyinguqulo efuthwayo,” kusho uStevens. “Esikhundleni semiqulu emikhulu yomoya, sithengisa imiqulu yefilimu egoqwe kahle enomshini owengeza umoya uma kudingeka. Isebenza kahle kakhulu.”
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Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Okthoba-05-2024