09/01/2007
IWDM Study Library
CPC Meeting

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Speaker:
Praise be to G-d. We would like all of those who are standing around, if you can come and relax yourself and have a seat, our leader is with us. With G-d's Name, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer. We witness to the Creator that He is One and in need of nothing, and we witness to our dear beloved Prophet Muhammad, the Prayers and the Peace be upon him. And we know this witness because of our leader, Imam WD Mohammed, and he needs no real introduction. His life is introduction and we reflect that work and that life here today and all over this country and outside this country. The numbers here are only a fraction of what represents the words that the Imam is giving to the world, to the leadership of the world. We thank him, we love him, and we are with him. And we thank G-d for blessing us to be born today to be with him, our Imam WD Mohammed. Welcome him please.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Praise be to Allah, the One G-d for the heavens and the earth and for all of the human creation and all that we produce and all of our resources. One G-d, we praise Him and thank Him for our presence here today at this business meeting and show, Grace Line show, fashion show that will be coming on soon, very soon. And for all the great things that we have on this program for this three day Labor Day weekend. We are going to receive some very special entertainment from some of the best performers, artists that we have in the United States and perhaps in the world. I'm giving a business statement. This is a business statement. And this statement is addressed to all of us because we are interested in including more people in what we are doing. But this statement is a statement for our investors, CPC investors who invest in the products that we sell and who share the vision that we have for the future, for our neighborhoods and for our communities. It is occurring in Markham, Illinois, in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, and this year's Convention addresses business culture and business support for the religious community.

It is clear to us where and how we got started. Didn't start with me and didn't start with many of you. It started before I was able to lead a community, long before I was able to lead a community, it got started. It is clear to us where and how we got started. Our vision for neighborhood or community life is clear. This vision is also a plan. As a plan, it has steps and strategies assuring its development, being successful. Such planning needs circumstances favoring its success. Material items or products require a physical location and a facility for a business office, workspace, storage space. Across the road from where we are speaking now, 29-79, 167th Street. That facility has been sold to Mi-Jack, the large sprawling facility you most likely notice upon your arrival at this spot. We believe we got a fair price for the sale of our property. This purchase made possible by CPC investors. The sale did not include freezer and holding cooler, not included in the sale were meat processing equipment, tools....

Yes. Give us a moment, just a moment. We believe we got a fair price for what we sold. The sale did not include, as I said, freezer and cooler. It did not include meat processing equipment and tools for meat processing. It did not include vehicles. We had two trucks. We sold one of those trucks to a Muslim brother who is in the same business we in. It did not include our forklift. These items we hope to sell very soon. We got a purchaser this for these items and when we have these items, we will give you a report on those items also. There was no need to sell our furniture, our office furniture and office equipment. We are keeping that because we, when you change business, the kind of business you're operating, you don't have to change office supplies and equipment. Most likely you can use them without a problem. Just very few things that are not of any real price consequence that we may not be able to use, but we might then give them away to someone who's doing business in our circle of associates. Now, we are talking about a facility or a building that was right over there. It's still over there, but it's not owned by us anymore. It's owned by Mr. Maja.

A facility that was bought to process meat, halal meat. Like the Jews have kosher-I'm speaking to those that might be among us that are not familiar with this language- we have halal. Our faith has never been hurt or made weak. We decided not to invest in perishable items requiring costly management. Remember, we did not receive the support we expected from members and from Mosques, religious houses or Masjids, et cetera. We did not receive the support we needed. Allah is the best Knower. G-d knows best. Maybe it was best it happened that way. Someone told me say, you should never sell the equipment or the meat processing tool. They wrote me a letter and told me this, I just got it yesterday, say, because that's a good business and you can always use them later. But I don't want to try it again. Not with the same people. Maybe I'll try it in Mexico somewhere but not here. But why should I have to try it? We got a brother, he's doing a very good business. He's in Atlanta, based in Atlanta. Brother Michael, he got the new African sausages and they're delicious. So, we are happy to see him and in fact, I think he was interested in some of our equipment, but we didn't get a follow up. Another brother who's been in business for, oh, almost for as many years, more years than I've been your leader. That's the brother in Newark area, Unity Beef.

And he also sells a variety of meats and also the sausage. He got a delicious chicken sausage too. Very delicious. So, it doesn't mean we as a community losing the meat processing business. We have two great brothers in the meat processing business and I don't know about you, but I received the same help from my spirit knowing that some Muslims are doing it as if I was heading it up myself in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. I don't have to be doing it to appreciate it and get support from my spirit from what others are doing. So never say, oh, the community lost the business. We didn't lose the business. We changed businesses and other brothers are carrying along that same business. And two that I really know and appreciate the quality that they insist upon and the great taste they have in their products. Brother Michael in Atlanta, Georgia, a young man, and Brother Salaam in Newark. These changes were made to reestablish CPC interest. The vision did not change the plan did not change. The following is a report on transactions and proposals. It is hope d that common sense is appreciated. I hope you know where I'm coming from. Some of us want to put Yakub’s history and the deportation of the moon in the business plan. We purchased men's business suits from Italy through our brother, dear Brother Imam of San Francisco, Imam Qadir Al Amin. And we spent a total so far of $93,474 and 50 cents. From Pakistan, we bought leisure garments and some business wear for women. And some of the garments can be business wear for men also. But most of the garments bought from Pakistan are leisure wear. Very, very classy, high quality leisure wear. And we have spent so far on those purchases, $89,224. Men's leisure suit from Inserch, a company in New York that was brought to our attention by our Imam that just introduced me, who is doing a marvelous job in New York of investing in business properties and other neighborhood investments. Well known, well respected by those in the area of New York where he is, high and low. In high places and also on the grass with all of us. Imam Pasha is the Imam of Masjid Malcolm Shabazz. And really there's much to say about Masjid Malcolm Shabazz under his leadership. It is really an organization of several corporations, several corporations and most of them business. The total amount spent on those suits purchased is $7,701. Also, through Imam Pasha, leisure garments were purchased from Men’s. It's pronounced Men’s, but it's spelled M-E-N-Z, Z at the end. Menz. And the total spent $1,501. Over a brief time period, Vitamin supplements have been purchased for Salaam Nutrition from NHS Labs totaling $60,672. Idris Bir, not our good Brother Imams business or company. The product just happened to have the name Idris and Idris is one of the Prophets mentioned in Qur'an and Idris, this brother has that name and the company in England, I believe is where they are based, also have that name. The total purchase, $16,934. This total does not include some items like vehicles, office equipment and office supplies, et cetera. Having said that, the total spending for the above is $269,506 and 50 cents. Now you didn't see also the cost for real estate purchases. That is land and the building across the street. There was a total of about $300,000 paid for the building that we sold, close to $300,000. That included lawyers fee, everything. Brokers, everything that we needed for closing close to about $300,000, right at $300,000 I think.

We sold it. We asked first, they insisted that our price was much too high. I told them "Well, get your own appraisal." They decided that they wouldn't do that, that they needed to negotiate a price and they didn't want to give. They said, "Well, we don't want to go over $250,000. We know that we are not going to use the whole facility. We just going to use the structure. We don't want the freezer, we don't want the holding cooler. We don't want any of your equipment inside for your business that you are operating. So, I had to respect that. So, we came to agreement that they would buy the facility and give us time to sell the freezer. The holding cooler. The freezers big. The holding cooler includes the area that is cooled called the cutting area. That whole facility was just for processing meat except for the office space in the front. That's not much space. Yes. So, I told them $280,000 His business arm sitting at the table. I don't want to give any names. That wouldn't be nice. That wouldn't be good business. He didn't want to give us $280. But I think Mr. Mi-Jack, the big man saw in my eyes that I was going to walk away from the deal. He said, "We pay it."

So, we got $280,000 from him. That's pretty close to what we paid for. Once we sell the equipment that was part of the purchase price, all the equipment went into the cost of that building. Once we sell the equipment, I think we're going to come out ahead. I think all of you all who invest with us, we're going to be comfortable.

Business management measures have been taken to reduce waste of money and materials. Elimination of payroll. We don't want any payroll anymore. It's too much and workers are too much too. You hear what I said? I don't want to say anymore behind too much, but workers are too much. Okay? Especially in America and in the poor sections of America. Workers are just too much. But I hear it's everywhere. Yes, I complained with these big fellas who got operations up in the sky and they say, "Hey, we are suffering the same thing, the same problem." It's everywhere.

So, we eliminated payroll, that means payroll taxes and all that. Finished with it. We eliminated it and replacing it with what? We replaced it with what? Commissions. Work, we give you commission for what you do. You have a service you can render, we'll give you a fee for your service and we'll give you a 1099 at the end of the year that tells you, we told the IRS what you got from us. Okay? That's the way we have to do business. And when you purchase from us, if you purchase a small quantity and you want wholesale price, bring us at least a peddlers license that you got from some town or something. Bring us a peddlers license. Don't leave us in a situation where we have to pay taxes for you. We are not going to pay your taxes. Bring your license, retail license, peddlers license, whatever it is that you do business with, bring it to us and then we could continue to do business with you. In conclusion now, all unnecessary problems will be resolved by necessary changes to save the interest. We are not going to give up on this interest we have. We are going to keep our interests in our future as a business people trying to support our schools, our religious community, and every, all needs that need support. Business has to do this. You can't get poor people, some of them on welfare and you begging them for money. We have to buy this, we have to do that. You have to get business people to supply your financial needs.
Audience members:
Applause.
Imam WD Mohammed:
In some cases there might be a need to eliminate an item or even a project from the plan. An example now that I'm faced with, that I'm looking at is our purchases from Dubai. Dubai is a very impressive market. We went there on the plane and when we got in the airport of Dubai, so huge, so modern, it looks like the future. And that's what you see in big, huge letters when you come off the plane and come in the airport. WELCOME TO THE FUTURE. However, there's a problem because the products that we are buying, business suits, they get them from China. And China is supplying big huge markets throughout the world, alright? And they are able to supply. I have to fill you in with these things because many of you, you don't know this is going on. And the reason why China can supply so much and become the number one supplier right now, number one supplier of goods, manufactured goods, it is because of their numbers.

They have huge numbers of people and their huge number of people are mostly workers. They're mostly workers. So, they have so many workers, they can produce products at a much lower cost than we can. Also, their standard of living is much lower than ours in the United States or in the industrial world. Their standard of living is much lower. So, they don't pay their workers near as much and they have so many of them. So that's how they're able to compete and take lead. Take the lead right now. And what permits them to do that is the, what you call the one world, one world market or one world economics. The economic system has become a one world system now. It's not a national system controlled by any country. It's a one world system. And because of that, and the market is a one world market, this market for the whole world. A global market they call it. Market for the whole world.

And that's how they're able to compete and take the lead. And if you have been keeping up with the news, Brother preachers and Imams or Imams. If you've been keeping up with the news, you know that things are getting hot in Washington DC. Yes. And you never can tell what may happen. They have trade wars, and trade wars lead to physical wars, outright wars. So, we have to take all of that into account. And I'm looking right now for other sources because it's not looking too good for us with Dubai because they are depending heavily on purchases from China. And they tell us, and we believe it. In Dubai, you know in Dubai are Arabs, Muslims. And they tell us in Dubai that if we went to China, we couldn't get the products cheaper. And they didn't have to tell me why. A lot of you all should be able to know, I guess especially you Imams and business people, you should know why. The answer is they are so rich with oil money that we can't outbid them. So, they take so much money over there, China is looking at who got the money. That's all they're looking at, who got the money? So, if Dubai got the money, that's who they going to do their business with. And if you come to them, they're not going to sell you anything at the price they sold it to them in Dubai. They're not going to do that. That's bad business. "Hey man, where you get that suit? Is that a Seersucker suit?" Say, "Okay, you better make sure when it's raining don't wear it." We don't want to get one of these fine suits called Super 140's and you get caught in the rainstorm and you get home and they look like three quarter length pants, and you have to have your wife to help you get out the coat. One thing we going to do, we going to very diligently work to protect our interests. Don't be alarmed. Our ship is on the commercial waters and the captain knows what he's doing.

We expected to pay only $50 for those 140's. Now we may be paying back what we were paying before around $70 or so, but we'll still be able to sell our suits. Even though we have to change the supply source, we'll be able to sell our suits to the brothers who buy in volume. Brother Abdullah, who works with us. He' purchasing 30 suits. Yesterday, another brother came, purchased 30 suits. So, this doesn't sound like a lot, but for a poor community, that is a lot. That is a lot for a poor community of people. That is a lot. I have one more thing to bring to you before I leave the mic. So let me finish this. I'm at the end of this.

We have an Asian person who's related to one of our good brothers who has supported us for a many, many years before I came into the leadership, under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad he was supporting us in the same business and way he's supporting us right now. He's married to a Chinese sister, business woman who got sick, but her sister, her real blood sister took over the business and now she's the boss and we are going to her because they are well situated to help assist us with our needs. This person represents a business establishment in the US equipped to assist us in the area of business advice and also as a brokerage for our needs as an importer of clothing items and accessories, clothing, suits and accessories, et cetera. That means purses, scarves, accessories.

Lastly, I want to tell you that we've been looking for another location, but we needed that facility. I started off by saying if you're going to invest in business, you need a location and you need a facility for your operations that you'll have to have and also for your products inventory, to house your products. So, I started off with that and I've come back to that point. So, we've been looking for a place with the help of a very sincere broker, African-American person, and we think we've located what we are going to get. Now I told you we sold the property across the street for 280,000 and that facility could not really serve us as a facility for clothing products. It wasn't designed for that. Wasn't built for that. We have located a place now in south of Chicago, south side of Chicago, south suburbs of Chicago, really very near where we have our office, WDM Ministry office. doing business as the Mosque Cares. Very near where we have that office, like 10 minutes drive by car maybe on Holster Street. Now, if you came up in Chicago, my city that I love very much, I can't leave it. Every time I go, I stay about three years. That's the most time I can spend outside of Chicago. I end up coming right back here. That song about Georgia, I could sing one about Chicago. Yeah, Chicago. I just can't leave it. Chicago is a city that treats you bad, but it also treats you so good you can't leave it.

I used to hear expressionists say, it goes like this. If you don't like Chicago, stay around. Stay around a little while, stay around a little more. Yes. So, we found a facility that's only, that's going to cost us a little less than $200,000, but it's going to have at least five times the working space that the other facility across the street has. At least five times. In fact, what we plan to do, I think it's going to be near to eight or 10 times, but at least five times bigger. And what we plan to do is lease or rent space to trustworthy persons, business persons who want to share the space with us. And I represent a business. When I say I represent it, I mean I'm the sole proprietor, but I'm not working for just myself. I'm working for myself as a business person, but for many others who purchased with me. Collective Purchasing, that's what we are. Collective Purchasing Conference, LLC, Limited Liability. So, I represent this company and if my business secretary was here and our business secretary for our company, she will tell you that I'm the biggest investor we got.

If you wonder what I'm doing with the Ramadan Session money that just started coming to me. And I haven't seen anybody but me conducting those Sessions, but that money wasn't coming to me. I said, boy, these people going to think I'm just a fool. I'm not going to have any respect. Let me tighten up this thing. So, I want you to know where the bulk of that money is going. It's going in as investment into CPC. I'm one of the biggest investors right now and after this Ramadan Session that's coming up, I'm going to be certain that I'm the biggest investor. Because I don't think any of you all coming up with a hundred thousand dollars or more during Ramadan. I believe I'm going to have it. Yes, we want see our vision realized as soon as possible. We don't want to have to die generation after generation for it to happen. We want to see it happen in at least within five or 10 years from now. Do I look like I'm going to last five or 10 years? I feel like I'm going to last the whole time that I've lived. Really, I'm serious. I feel that I'm going to last again the whole time that I've lived and that's a lot. I can't even tell you right now. Thank you very much. Have faith and let us keep going for the destiny. As Salaam Alaikum.




