South Park Los Angeles

LAST POSTING: FOR THE FUTURE-WWW.MCPCONNECTS.COM

Posted in Uncategorized by southparkla on August 23, 2009

FOCUS HAS BECOME THE BUZZ WORD OF MY LITTLE WORLD-BOTH FROM A BUSINESS AND PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE:

ONE STRUGGLES, ONE MAKES MISTAKES AND, HOPEFULLY, EVALUATES ONESELF-THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING.

A PART OF MY SELF-EVALUATION IS THAT RUNNING 4 BLOGS IS CAUSING ME  TO LOSE FOCUS ON MY CORE-BUSINESS ENTITIES AND, ON MY FAMILY.

THIS IS THE LAST POSTING ON SOUTH PARK L.A BY ME-OUR READERSHIP IS STUNNINGLY LARGE-AND, A MEMBER OF MY TEAM, WILL, OVER TIME, BEGIN POSTING SOUTH PARK RELATED ITEMS AND I WILL DO ONCE/WEEKLY EDITORIAL.

THIS IS WHAT I WILL SAY: MONTHS AGO FORBES NOTED THAT IT WOULD BUILD A VERTICALLY INTEGRATED FURNITURE/WOOD-WORKING CABINETRY SHOP IN SOUTH PARK-REVIVING CRAFTSMAN INDUSTRY: WE ARE NOW 60 DAYS AWAY FROM COMPLETION.

FORBES PROMISED TO DELIVER ON A FARMERS’ MKT: 45 DAYS AWAY.

AND THE LIST GOES ON.

I WILL BE PERSONALLY POSTING DAILY ON: WWW.MCPCONNECTS.COM KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST AND GREATEST THERE-AND, IN A FEW DAYS, ALL SOUTH PARK WILL BE TREATED TO A RARE SITE- THE HOISTING OF THE FORBES FLAG- WHICH GOES BACK TO 1965 AND THE FIRST INCARNATION OF FORBES- MY FATHER’S COMPANY-  FORBES FAR EAST LTD: THE CORPORATE FLAG WILL FLY AGAIN FROM THE TOP OF THE DESMOND BUILDING.

REMEMBER: WWW.MCPCONNECTS.COM.

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THE BIRTH OF EMELIE CAVANAUGH PORTER & A WIFE I NEARLY LOSSED

Posted in EMELIE CAVANAUGH PORTER by southparkla on August 12, 2009

Eve and Emilie Cavanaugh Porter- And a blood soaked room: It brings Focus.

My wife and I delivered Emilie Cavanaugh Porter prematurely, Aug 8, 2009: The day before my birthday. She is in the N I C U ward: Stable but serious.
My wife underwent blood tranfusions, and, at best, is fragile. I am blessed that my little family is safe-but precarious: A daughter struggling, a wife torn to work and compelled to rest.
 I am somber: My duties are clear-to live better and to do better.
 I am contrite: I look back at my life and see the debris of a man who lived so near to the edge for so long, working tireleslly, and, in my youth, living with some degree of heedlessness. I am not young and I wish I could live better NOW-that life’s lessons were not so dearly paid for in pain and grief.
 And yet from a blood soaked, spattered room at Good Sams where two of my girls fought for their lives, I saw, with clarity that, at 35, it’s better to have friends then enemies-to make peace-to seek reconciliation-and to take advice.
 My wife-exhausted, and my my daughter, fragile as brittle stalk, must live in this world and not feel the reprecussions of my life: My role is to provide and to love and to find peace. If peace means relieving myself of my pride and seeking reconciliation for the sake of my children and wife-then I will go a great distance to do so.
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SOUTH PARK’S ALL ELECTRIC, ZERO EMISSION HUB: THE MARTIN MOTOR GROUP

Posted in SOUTH PARK L.A: CENTER OF MICRO MANUFACTURING, THE NEXT TRIBECA, The South Park Development Group's Vision for South Park L.A, The South Park Work Shop: bringing back handcrafted quality furniture manufacturing to downtown l.a, branding innovation and entrepreneurship by martin cavanaugh porter, south park: hub of vital innovation, southpark l.a: the world's next great biz incubator, southparkworkshop, zero-low carbon emission transport for south park los angeles and downtown l.a by southparkla on July 27, 2009

Martin Motors: Green Vehicles 4000’s: All Electric, Zero Emission-Non Polluting, and Freeway Safe

We’ve been very careful about mentioning Martin Motors- Forbes’ Venture: It’s a vision blown on the winds of a legacy begun by my father: Martin Cavanaugh Porter Snr.
 The bikes in the pic? 4000 Series, from Green Vehicles in Palo Alto-we’ve upgraded them with leather seats which are standard on all 4000 MM-FSS. What does F stand for? Forbes-my father’s foundational company. What does SS Stand for? Sustainable Sport: 60 MPH, 3 Hour Range, Swift as lightning, 5 hour recharge.
Martin Motors will being carrying many more zero-emission, all electric vehicles in DT Los Angeles: South Park L.A. We are on a mission-and we’ll talk about that soon: We’ll do our PR and marketing soon, we will do it all-right now, the focus is on product, on building the vertically integrated service-custom shop, and warehouse, and, on completing the showroom.
After that:  A terrific, interactive website, ecommmerce back-bone, and recharger stations throughout L.A. My team and I are working with strategic allies to get the word out-it’s a process-and we’re taking steps, so one day we can sprint.
Martin Motor Group will be open, officially September 1, 2009 but, by the 10 August, we’ll be open to sell you phenomenal, zero-emissions, all electric vehicles-powered by green vehicles, E+ Ultra, and A2B. And that’s just the beginning. Beverly Hills Oct 15, West Hollywood Nov 15.
Oh…by the way-if you need your car or vehicle washed in the heart of South Park L.A: Well, we’ll be providing that service soon.
THE MARTIN MOTOR GROUP
213-261-1949
 
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SOUTH PARK L.A’S GOLD: NICK COOPER (CEO VOCAL CORNER STORE-AND SO, SO MUCH MORE)

Posted in NICKCOOPER: MY FREIND, SOUTH PARK L.A'S GOLD, branding innovation and entrepreneurship by martin cavanaugh porter by southparkla on July 26, 2009

There’s a fellow i’ve known for 8 years: A great and good man with power, style, verve, and vigor-packaged in subtly, with class, intelligence, and a richness of ideas and vision. His name is Nick Cooper-and we’ve reconnected.

We’re going to move forward together: Lifting both boats toward one vision: A better world, a better life-for ourselves, our communities, and our families.

Nick Cooper is high value-humble and that’s Gold.  He;s a connector, a forward leaner-he embodies the bleeding edge community that is South Park L.A

Gold is a very valuable thing-and should be treated as such: With care, concern, and kindness.

Circle’s circle: All that is good comes back to you-Nick Cooper is good- he’s coming back to me-and me, to him.

Gold. Solid. You can bank on it.

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The seeds of vertical integration in South Park L.A

Posted in THE NEXT TRIBECA, The South Park Development Group's Vision for South Park L.A, The South Park Work Shop: bringing back handcrafted quality furniture manufacturing to downtown l.a, branding innovation and entrepreneurship by martin cavanaugh porter, southparkworkshop, zero-low carbon emission transport for south park los angeles and downtown l.a by southparkla on July 25, 2009

An officious technocrat was discussing business with my team and I recently and he announced with aplomb: “Of course vertical integration is dead in the L.A.

No it’s not:  The South Park Development Group (A Forbes Company) has assembeled a workshop and the beginnings of custom shop for Martin Motors (much more on that later-too close to the button-too big to discuss-a vision whose heart beats bravely, and is too special in relation to my father and the revival of our ties to South East Asia, and the rebirth of my families’ moniker: Forbes)- An upholsterer, a fine cabinetry maker, a painter,a furniture maker, and, possibly, a trimmer-with all their combined equipment, skills, honor, and excellence.

When? Next week, the week after, and the week after-all together in one location fulfilling a common goal: upgrading vehicles that Forbes retails and wholesales under the banner of Martin Motors. Further, providing the community those same services-under one umbrella-bannered under Forbes.

In South Park L.A, for South Park L.A: The South Park Work Shop. One boat-many rowers, skilled, driving against the winds of  convention, against the foes of full employment, better days in L.A, a better, safer, happier downtown L.A.

Tell a man and his team with a vision who collectively have lion-hearts what they cannot do, fueled by a legacy that must never be torn asunder-Forbes’ legacy,and, see for yourself what can be done.

Vertical integration in South Park L.A-in Down Town L.A: Better days, better ways-renewed manufacturing, and-yes-a vertically integrated company.

I’d like the ‘NO’ men to keep their collective opinions to themselves-they are, as individuals and collectively, the destroyers of all that is good and great in man: The will to win through.

“The glory of a next Augustan age
Of a power leading from its strength and pride,
Of young ambition eager to be tried,
Firm in our free beliefs without dismay…”

Robert Frost

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There is more meaning in what you don’t say, than what you do: Business is personal

Posted in COMMUNICATING POSITIVITY, branding innovation and entrepreneurship by martin cavanaugh porter by southparkla on July 25, 2009

What you say and what you don’t: It makes all the difference in the world

“Business is not personal,” is like saying egg doesn’t have yolk.
Everything is personal-because we are not automotons, we are not islands devoid of feeling: What you don’t say to someone: “Thank you,” or on-going appreciation, a degree of understanding for the pressures and difficulties your co-workers face, and most importantly applause (your hands don’t have to clap!)when they do well, says as much as what you do say.
Example: There is one fellow I am dealing with, abroad, who sends me ‘panic-emails’ ongoing-regarding his issues in the midst of his setback. Ones which, to a great degree I am trying to assist him with: Both on a personal front and on a business front: He is unable or unwilling to eke out a word of encouragement or thanks-and his excuse is that “things get lost in translation.” This fellow, I have been told is a masterful negotiator who negotiates for a living: Nothing masterful here,just panic driven, reactionary, and demeaning messages, which, after awhile, fill one with bile. What is bile? The precursor to throwing up.
Bravery, brightness, and brilliance hold their ground on the rock of steadniess through rough seas and a wink and a nod at your fellow ship-mates facing the same troubles you are.
And, if all you have to say-to telegrapgh-to communicate, is pressure driven and not motivation driven, you will soon loose your allies and cut off your legs-proverbially, left with stumps: Then you will be alone, bereft of a team, of allies, and of partners in your business journey.
The test of courage and of toughness is not in the best,bright, sunlit moments of prosperity and triumph, it is in the midst of gloom and setbacks, in that time of your quiet panic. In those moments, if you can signal to your mates, to your companions in this war against time and complacency, thanks, on-going gratitude, and a sense of shared suffering and shared hope (I’d refer you to Henry V’s Agincourt Speech) then, then you can stand with your head held high and say: “I’m a man…”
I am as at fault in this area, I am sure, as everyone else-which is perhaps why I bring it up.
Band of merry brothers…   
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SOUTH PARK L.A: CONVERGENCE OF MICRO-MANUFACTURING (WITH GLOBAL COMPONENT SOURCING), ORIGINAL CONTENT PROVIDERS, AND HIGH TECH: L.A’S GREAT HOPE FOR DYNAMIC GROWTH

Posted in Leadership, SOUTH PARK L.A: CENTER OF MICRO MANUFACTURING, THE NEXT TRIBECA, The South Park Development Group's Vision for South Park L.A, branding innovation and entrepreneurship by martin cavanaugh porter, innovation by southparkla on July 23, 2009

This recession is not over: Some sectors are showing signs of growth-amazing recovery-some sectors sluggish, and the next sector to crash: To devour more wealth and savings, to unglue, unhinge, and demolish the life savings of thousands of investors will be the commercial real-estate market.

It will plunge as sure as rain falls from the sky.

So what is the solution to this? To the Macro economic environment and the Micro economic environment?

Cooperation, connectivity, and the renewal of mercantilism: Of a form of high-tech, high-level, “I trust you, you trust me,” bartering. Alliance building, strategic partnerships, aggregation of forces (businesses, personalities, and organizations), and a willingness to accept the concept that so many Americans shy away from as a viable mode of business: Warfare. Total warfare.

There are enemies-they exist as concepts (I am almost no one man’s enemy): Conventional thinking, delays, anemic policy making, obtuse officials, fearful capital, and mindless, inane C-Level decision makers many of whom, instead of being swept away by a recession they helped cause, have been shifted to another company, or worse elevated.

Capital must flow to innovation and innovative people and organizations congregate together in areas: South Park Los Angeles is one.

Its the next Tribeca- Its most certainly a micro (veiled) Silicon Valley.

This recession will come and it will go in the next three years-in the next three years-through the recession, exponential growth will be found in sustainability, green-companies, green-tech related companies, and-yes-dare I say it: Manufacturing. Manufacturing is a different animal that what it once was.

Its nimble, its out of garages and small warehouses, its fast, replicatable, and getting less expensive to do: This recession has cracked the delicate egg of Union domination and corporate greed-its the moment for America (for Los Angeles), to seize and begin to develop rapid-cycle, niche manufacturing.

MANUFACTURING IS THE OLD NEW. WATCH SOUTH PARK L.A: ITS SOON GOING TO BE A HUB OF MICRO-MANUFACTURING ENABLED BY ITS INNOVATIVE SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS CONCENTRATED IN TECH AND CONTENT CREATION, AND INTERNATIONALLY THROUGH GLOBAL SOURCING OF COMPONENTS.

We’re not at a dead-end, its a cul-de-sac: The tide will turn and lift boats powered by entrepreneurs, risk takers, and visionaries.

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Extending the life cycle of a product and the importance of personality,ideas, emotions, strategy, excellent design, and CONNECTIVITY

Posted in FROM MARTIN CAVANAUGH PORTER, Leadership, M MOTORS, THE NEXT TRIBECA, The South Park Development Group's Vision for South Park L.A, branding innovation and entrepreneurship by martin cavanaugh porter, innovation, low carbon emission transport for south park: ride easy, south park l.a: a better vision; a brighter future., south park: hub of vital innovation, southpark l.a: the world's next great biz incubator by southparkla on July 21, 2009

-Martin Cavanaugh Porter

Evolution of products used to be long-tail: Six years from design, manufacturing, and sales. That’s changed: radically. Product development can be done anywhere: R+D can be done anywhere. So-so design can be done in many places and that means products evolve and get better faster ergo-shorter, tighter life cycles.

The market place demands more-expects more-and gets more. Prices fall and rise based on commodities and the changing policies of governments, the willingness of private money and institutions to invest, and policy: All those factors are variable.

This means almost anything-anything, can be commoditized: Businesses are no longer applauded just for having a well-made product and sales teams don’t just win on ‘product knowledge’ alone.

What’s left? What can’t be dragged down into the morass of commodification and what questions should you ask about yourself and your company?

Personality: Do you have an attractive personality- are you a magnet? Is this reflected, infused, in your brand and company? Are you able to connect people with other people? Do people call you. Do people ask youto assist them, solve problems, and get things done? Is all this integrated into your companies’ brand and image. Personality decreases the disaster of commodification. Can your personality, difuse through your organization, renown, encourage consumers to purchase your products just past the conventional widom of when the product’s life-cycle is supposed to be over? Do you believe you can remake your personality? You can: Mirror and study attractive personalities.

Ideas: Do you have great out-of-the-box ideas: Are they so compelling and powerful that they drive alliances and bring people together to assist you with your dream-make that dream their own, and, in partnership make real, what is your vision? Do you have many good ideas? Do you write them down? Do you share them with others-bringing them closer to you? Can your ideas singularly improve enough peoples’ lives and businesses that what you sell, and the company you own turn the commodification tide and extend your product’s life-cycle?

Emotions: Do you care? Stop for a moment: Ponder this- Do you care? Do you empathize? Are you able to emote powerfully positive energy that compells others to join with you in bold visions-are you emotionally in tune with others? Do they feel better when you are around: Energized, cheered-up, grateful for the time they spend with you? Bottom-line: Do they feel inspired. No force, no cheaper, faster, better manufacturer or company can compete with a leader who can inspire his/her team under any conditions, threats, foes, or situations. The power to inspire= the power to strike down the tidal-force of copy-catism. Inspiration is the ultimate brand and as rare as the rarest diamond.

Strategy: Do you drive your choices in business strategically? Do you map your business out? Goal post, do you put yourself in another man’s shoes and try to bring enough good to the table that conventional deals, contracts, and ways of doing things-which led to this recession-which led to this recession-can be undone through force of out-of-the-box ‘win-win’ strategic planning?

Excellent Design: And here is the shield and sword of a companies’ ability to go to war with mass-volume-hydra headed, far flung purveyors of rapidlly produced product: Exquisite design. Do you have on your team or in your universe players able to up-brand and extend the life cycle of your companies’ products with innovative, trans formative designs-over and over again?

CONNECTIVITY: Can you bring people together when you have very few resources and execute the goal? No man is an island-none of us are perfect. CONNECTIVITY is not “making connections”-that was pre-recession babble- CONNECTIVITY is the combination of 1-3 above: Personality, ideas, and emotions. CONNECTIVITY IS YOUR (AND YOUR COMPANIES’) WARRIOR-It can’t be beat. And maybe only one in 100,000 people have the power of CONNECTIVITY. Seek them out-and stay stuck to them like epoxy.

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South Park L.A: Southern California’s Sillicon Valley

Posted in Demographics and trends, Doers not Just Talkers, FROM MARTIN CAVANAUGH PORTER, Leadership, South Park Business Development Association, THE NEXT TRIBECA, The South Park Development Group's Vision for South Park L.A, branding innovation and entrepreneurship by martin cavanaugh porter, innovation, south park l.a: a better vision; a brighter future., south park: hub of vital innovation, southpark l.a: the world's next great biz incubator by southparkla on July 19, 2009

Here’s why- The brilliance and boldness, the ‘newness’ and vigor of ideas that flowed from that great hotbed of ingenuity which helped the economies of the world flourish-exists in South Park, within a six block geographical zone. And more: It is youth, brilliance and glitter matched with (some)seasoned experience (half those folks caused this recession-the other half have allot of wisdom to offer: Just North of our great 90015 incubator that is South Park are the institutions that repose in them many men and women with experience and the financial expertise to assist the tech-creative-manufacturing-design hotbed that is South Park, L.A.
 Even better: Abroad, in South East Asia, in the most unlikely places one might think, are other hotbeds of brilliance- Ayala Tech Park in the Philippines, and VC’s spread out like fans on a spinning fan looking for excellence, seeking alliances, and investing in strategic partnerships.
 
Our company,my team, Forbes-South Park Dev Group (mcporter@flvllc.com) is working with one of the key players in that VC fan for two reasons:
To build the dream that is M Motors- a dream that convention and retrograde, formulaic in-the-box thinking will never destroy.
To work to form a strategic partnership with them, providing a pipeline of projects from South Park, viable to finance for expansion and growth purposes.
It is with alacrity and with a renewed sense of purpose that I find myself forever taken by South Park and it’s pioneers-and it is my mission and one of the core purposes of my life to move South Park L.A’s brilliant, bright, entrepreneurs into the spotlight of international expansion, of better, brighter days.

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Forbes & M Motors: A dealership and distributorship-one day, a manufacturer in the heart of DT L.A’s new vital business hub: South Park L.A, 90015

Posted in FROM MARTIN CAVANAUGH PORTER, M MOTORS, THE NEXT TRIBECA, The South Park Development Group's Vision for South Park L.A, south park l.a: a better vision; a brighter future., southpark l.a: the world's next great biz incubator, zero-low carbon emission transport for south park los angeles and downtown l.a by southparkla on July 17, 2009

I can’t stop learning because within the limitations of my points-of-view and sense that I must engage actively in the small world I inhabit: DT L.A (South Park L.A), I meet so many people, so talented that force me to re-think concepts and precepts and to do new things in new ways: Patterns that I would not normally follow.

I am vitalized by my vision and my passions and trying to include all points of view-stay fresh-agile: Even when it doesn’t feel good: Digesting the unpalatable meal of humility to get along to go along. It is however nutritional and brings me, my team, my family, and the hundreds of future employees I hire and care for, one step closer to the great dream and the grand goal of building up DT L.A’s job base through green, all electric, zero-emission manufacturing of full scale vehicles.

Where? Not in some far flung industrial center-not in the outer-reaching of our incredible city-of this megalopolis, which Eli Broad, Richard Riordan, Mayor Tom Bradley, and others re-envisioned to have a central core.

M Motors, within three years, will manufacture in DT L.A and, like American Apparel-though with some core differences-components will be brought in from abroad to some degree, hundreds of men and women from Boyle Heights to South Central, hands coarse, full of un-used latent talents, even aging, will rise and work and see from their own labors our inner-cities’: Our core-city’s rebirth.

I am not a fanatic nor am I a hyper-idealist, nor am I an enemy of profit: Raised in dealerships and distributorships under the benevolent but insistent hand of my father: (age 6, 10 new vocabulary words a day-flash cards-until I was 18, from age 8 and on, reciting back to him The Economist Magazine, at age 10 through 18, forced debates-which I relished- at the dinner table about three subjects-politics, business, and values): I am a realist, who having been raised by a pragmatist who did many ‘impossible’ things, many times, taught me that to dream entrepreneurial dreams that combined a sense of social-justice with a strong eye on the bottom-line and ROI, and on profits (“look out for your workers-they have families-and they also have dreams,”-one of many things he would say to me), are not incongruous-they are complimentary.

There are many businesses to be in and for now and the foreseeable future, my company: South Park Development Group, bannered under Forbes Legacy Ventures LLC will develop a Dealership-Distributorship with expansionary goals and be a Business Advisory and biz-accelerator (it’s not my company-just like the consumer owns companies by virtue of buying their products-Forbes is owned by three-God willing soon to be four of my compadres, warriors, who through sleet or snow, under cover of darkness and in the full sunlight of a bright day, have stood by the vision, and maintained their equipoise even under the most egregious insults to our vision).

The seeds of Forbes were laid by my father: Raised in the flat-lands of Kansas, on a farm, whose father was loved and respected for his honor and drive (inherited by my father, and a goal-post for me) brilliant of mind, he gained degrees to George Town and Cambridge University, England, and, reading Nights of Arabia, married a young Spanish-Japanese beauty in Morocco, flew off to Asia (remember, if you can, when Pan Am was Pan Am!) and still, nearly penniless, went to Asia to seek and build a fortune and leave a legacy.

He built a fortune and he lost it. He built a legacy and I grasped it and asked others to join with me to build it.

It’ s a whisper on the wind, an echo in the night, a still-distant drum beat: But if you listen carefully enough, you can hear the beat of the drums getting louder and the sing-song cadence of hopeful birds chanting “rebirth.”

For my family, for my allies, for my team, for myself, and for my city: Late nights and early mornings until all the second-raters and nay-sayers see from their small apertures full-scale, powerful, vehicle manufacturing rise up in South Park L.A.

There was a mayor known for burning the midnight oil for the sake of his vision for the city (Downtown central library, integration, equality)-Mayor Tom Bradley. There was a Mayor “Tough enough to turn L.A around…” and he did, Richard Riordan-both were known for ‘late nights and early mornings.’

When I was a little boy (6-12) in my blue pajamas my father (he raised me-I was raised by my father alone), would review the vocab-flash cards before bed, read me a book (The Fountain Head, Atlas Shrugged, Shakespeare, the list is endless), and then go to his study and work. When I woke, blurry-eyed, but excited at a new day (nothing like the first wink of sunlight), my father was at the breakfast table, reading the Financial Times, muttering to himself, and watching the Telex machine for orders-he was a dealer and a distributorship (telex machine?-look it up, lol).

Late nights and early mornings.

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