122 As the 1990s continued, the Board and management were becoming concerned about the company’s future. There were bright spots, such as 1994’s introduction of the TITAN 1300 Continuous Centrifugal, significant investments in technology, and a new publications department that was created to develop training materials, sales literature, and videos. Unfortunately, there were also efforts that weren’t as successful. The Company developed a freestanding centrifugal that worked well but failed to generate any sales. A prototype centrifugal for use in drying large volumes of lettuce worked flawlessly, but failed to provide the easy portability packers needed to follow the harvest. Sales to chemical and pharmaceutical operations remained brisk, but were less profitable, especially as competitors outsourced manufacturing overseas to cut costs. Chemical companies themselves began moving offshore for production to countries with lower labor costs, lower standards for quality and fewer safety regulations. Management made a decision not to pursue this offshore market, deeming it too risky from a safety and legal standpoint. CHAPTER 10 John Wake