December 14, 2009
UC HUB Shareholders:
Management continues to focus on bringing genuine assets into the company at minimal cost. Thus far, we have been remarkably successful at doing that. The original goal was to merge with a larger and better funded business enterprise; however, the diligence expense, the time, and the obvious fraud became overwhelming. So the choices remained to find a real suitor who had real funding and would be creative with a merger encumbered by debt; to find funding to pay employees and staff to grow the company properly; to find one or two small asset targets and inch your way forward with deals thereby bringing value and revenue to the company notwithstanding capital limitations; or to bankrupt the company. Management having chosen to gradually work our way to value and revenue while avoiding debt and dilution to shareholders and we believe time has honored our goals.
Not unlike many small public companies, we have been repeatedly approached by various predatory groups that claim to be small-cap specialists in capital infusion. Essentially, they want to PROMOTE the company for the sake of promoting it and selling the free-trading shares they would graciously take as their fee into any rally they might create. Wisely, we have declined. We have been approached by groups that want to sell us what might be construed as assets, but it is clear their goal is more about "perception" than the reality of revenue. We have been approached by the hypsters who want to work the fringes and by so-called merger and acquisition specialists who want no more than to rape, pillage and burn. In each case we have recognized the veiled tactics, and we have declined. And, to "major funders" who have asked us to restrict your shares and sign their death spiral documents, we have also said no.
Some advisors have said . . . "Hey, take the money!" Still we have said no. Management is not in this for the money if shareholders cannot make money. We recognize that our approach over the past three years-and our now well-practiced ability to say no to the wolf in sheep's clothing-- has been very painful for all concerned. However, we truly believe that our particular brand of conduct has been in the best interest of the long-term growth of the company. Capital can be replaced; reputation, once lost, is much harder to replace. We are now consistently raising small amounts of funding, so that we will produce revenue, and subsequently will then raise more capital. This is a difficult road, but it is the right choice for the company and its shareholders.
Please allow me to share with you where we are at this time: As of this date, through a small amount of investment capital ($30K to $50K) we acquired mining equipment and shipped the equipment to Montana so we can review processes and perform trial runs at the Company's gold and sapphire mine. We are now raising a small amount of capital to begin mining in earnest. If weather permits, we look forward to being able to begin as early as March of 2010. This has taken longer than we expected because of delays in funding and because of other necessary capital resource allocations. We believe that our Montana operations will be successful, and potential strategic partners are standing by to assist with refining, marketing, sales, and distribution.
It took many steps to get where we are. Notwithstanding the purchase of equipment, the expense of transportation, and leasing and permitting fees, the mining opportunity is unencumbered by debt. We are all very excited about this opportunity and the growth and revenue potential it represents. The obstacles and personal encounters experienced during the endeavor are replete with drama that we hope to share one day, but investors want mostly to know about success and not excuses for lack of it. We have been very successful in accomplishing these acquisitions of equipment thus far and will continue to leverage this as much as we can in the operation. This week we are in discussions about acquiring a few more pieces that would enhance our gold and sapphire efficiencies by using a magnetic separator and other specialized equipment during actual production. I believe we have used our capital and resources in the most efficient manner possible to make these acquisitions and prepare the Company for success. We decided that we needed to hedge our investment in the gold and sapphire mine with an opportunity that may produce revenue in a shorter time frame. With this in mind, we acquired our first oil well and began drilling with a cable tool. We knew we could not afford to do the standard $100K to $1M oil well rig and exploration model, so we chose a small operation. We wanted to create an immediate asset with a lease program, leverage existing equipment through a joint venture with our partner, and produce revenue in January or February of 2010--all with minimal capital investment. With this, too, we are on the brink of revenue production. We are 50-50 JV partners with the driller who owns 100% of the working interest which is usually 80-85% of the total well. We then fund this operation by selling a portion of our working interest to investors so we have no risk or outlay of capital per se. Once again our goal is to leverage immediate revenue and growth.
We believe we have been successful in our "inch-by- inch" methodology and this very lean approach. We have the first oil well over half completed and have acquired some small producing wells nearby our existing well in Illinois. These have casing and tubing in place, and pumps and tanks in place and would cost us several hundred thousand dollars to initiate on our own. We should realize revenue from these wells as indicated; as we enhance the wells, we will see even more revenue. Once we create "real gross revenue," we believe we can parlay our success into greater momentum and additional revenue.
If we are conservatively successful with our mining and oil business we expect to have real assets producing several million dollars of revenue a year. If we are only marginally successful, we will still have real revenue and real assets to grow a company. While ours is truly a hard road to follow, we believe it is the honorable way to go. It is, in fact, the only way to avoid additional major debt and dilution to our shareholders. As revenue increases and investment is approved, we will continue to act in a conservative fashion, adding staff and experts to govern and navigate our business endeavors.
Our next step is to report oil revenue and to acquire similar leveraged leases or assets. While doing this, we will begin asking for investor relations and public relations assistance to help with the two-way dialogue and to address the many shareholder concerns faced by a growing company. This will be yet another inch forward in an area that has remained so long orphaned due to budgetary constraints.
Anyone can say we want revenue, forgetting that revenue-production most often requires capital. Or, they can say we want stock price and IR to help make it happen, but they forget that, too, takes capital. Or, they can say we want a better management team, but they forget that takes capital. My own "wants" are fairly basic--revenue in the next 60-90 days, growth, and assets with very "leveraged investment" so we can conservatively create a chart that shows consistent growth. At this stage of the company's development, any revenue signals growth; that's the beauty of Phase One. We will then grow that revenue, which is probably also harder than it sounds, but I think we can do that.
As the CEO of this Company I want you to know that I sincerely want this company to be OUR success story, yours and mine. It would have been easier for me to abandon this company and return to producing TV series. However, I feel a sincere obligation to make this work and to be ready to be transitioned. I do not want this company to be another "promotion" company. If I wanted that I would have issued several hundred million shares this week to many firms who would have promoted your company and diluted the shareholder, leaving the CEO to just reverse-split the shares when appropriate. The investor doesn't need yet another ugly scenario like that.
I remain focused on providing you a conservative approach to quick revenue with leveraged investment and relationships that will hopefully produce an attractive return on your investment. We now have real assets--with trammels, truck, generator, shakers, screens, tubing, casing, wells, production, leases and expert joint venture partners in the wings--and we are about to begin revenue production, which is a major accomplishment and for which there is no substitute. The naysayers were wrong; ours is not an academic exercise.
This week I worked on news releases, the books, the audit and the 10-Q; the web site reviews, software issues, oil and gas strategies, expert consultant groups; mining legal work, gem sales and a TV reality show; discussions with IR and PR people in Las Vegas and Beverly Hills; capital infusion for the oil leases and respective legal work and contracts; negotiations on additional assets and mining equipment; legal and economical assessment; and new data base management enhancement tools for prospects. Soon, I expect all that multi-tasking will be rewarded. If I have left something out I apologize, because my intention is in good faith but I am stretched very thin.
Keep the faith . . . we are moving in a positive direction!
Larry Wilcox
