another one bites the dust?

Surfboard manufacturer BASE goes under

Lucy Ardern   |  October 14th, 2011

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BASE supplied boards to surfing greats like Mick Fanning, above, and Stephanie Gilmore. Pic: Scott Fletcher

A LAST-ditch effort to save popular Gold Coast surfboard manufacturer
BASE has failed, with $3 million in debts sinking the iconic company
that supplies surfing greats Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore.

About
30 jobs will go down with the Burleigh-based company, which is owned by
long-time board makers Simon Anderson, Darren Handley and Murray
Bourton.

  Worrells was appointed as voluntary liquidator for the company last month when the Australian Taxation Office started putting BASE under pressure to pay off a tax debt of almost $1 million.

There were hopes the
company would be pulled out of financial trouble if new investors could
be found, but negotiations broke down recently with interested parties
and now the company will be shut down and the assets sold off.

Read more on page 7 of today’s Gold Coast Bulletin.

Your Say

"Possible business opportunity for Mick and Stephanie ????" **Shelley**

 

Also in Gold Coast News

It’s really too bad and kind of sad to see these talented shapers have such trouble in there business endevor.

Simon, Daryl and Murrary are very talented shapers and I wish them a full recovery.

 

 

Sad to see that the man that popularised The Thruster should ever be in financial trouble. Its the same Simon Anderson right ?

I’ve always thought these big companies missed a huge part of the market, fishes, eggs, longboards, single fins. maybe they should have looked at it 

Jim Ganzer could come on board as a consultant.

He did quite well gettin’ out from under JIMMY-Z.

…ambrose…

 

3 million?

wow!

and a million in taxes!

one hellof a great run.

You obviously don’t know much about what they made with your comment.

Murray especially was a mad scientist with a planer.

There were plenty of great hybrid boards in their ranges.

One of his early “Trippun fish” was one of the best “out there” design wise fish I’ve ever ridden.

He tamed it’s design down for the production model which was in his board model line up.

//??

hi huie. that was the way it would have to go from a business perspective. price wars and shite margins. fickle market

haaa’ how are you?

 

  yea as you know i am not a fan of big all this greed and swallowing up everything has got to end .

 

**  cheers huie
**

The one redeeming thing is all those involved still have their talent and still can shape boards

And who was it that said surfers make great CEO's?

\??

haaa’’ your safe ///???

**
**

  cheers huie

 It doesnt matter if youre a surf legend or a noob, business is not a game anymore.

 Either you get all your suppliers, transport, govt.regulations, media and staff organised or youre doomed.

 And have a good accountant to deflect the ATO and  a tame banker to maximise your income and credit stream..

 I've been a 20+ year employer and the most grief has come from employees.... slow, late, hung-over, constant theft and / or  downright useless.

 Ive had 2 employees demand that I pay them more immediately or they'll quit, so Ive terminated them on the spot. No final pay, just get the fuck out or I'll call the Police.

 Its always amazing how people can wander in the door one day, begging like a whore for a job and within months they start giving you ultimatums like they are the boss !!

 Sure Ive had heat from the govt., landlords and local authorities, but they just want their share and they'll leave you alone. So fill out the forms, pay the requested amount and they dont know how much youre ripping them off if you keep the real figures to yourself.

 Out of the 2, employees are way more trouble than the govt.

Previously a slew of employees were essential but now its possible to outsource certain skills and pay some other company to do some jobs rather than babysit your own employees. Less wages, less grief, guaranteed results...

Sure its cheaper to go overseas but wait until China gets Unionised.

 Over 40 years its gone from China to Japan, to Indonesia, to Korea, to SIngapore, to Thailand, to China and on to further non unionised countries with no labour laws and minimal wages.

If youre going to do business, either get professional advice or consider it a hobby.

China is unionized the big difference is The Government controls the Company and the Union.

 We have no idea of what brought on this bankruptcy.  I would not be surprised if one of the big US surfboard companies like Channel Island files for bankruptcy.  Lets face it board sales are down for everyone. With the big name brands you pay a premium for that name. yet a smaller company with far less over head might be making something similar or better then The name brand board.  As surfers mature and become aware they make choices not so much on name recognition but on Craftsmanship and quality. 

I like Stewart longboards. He has been building boards for a longtime and his designs work for me. However paying $1000.00 or more  for the Stewart name does not mean I will get a better board then one shaped by another longtime craftsmen makeing a quality custom board for $750.00

[quote="$1"]

...paying $1000.00 or more  for the Stewart name does not mean I will get a better board then one shaped by another longtime craftsmen makeing a quality custom board for $750.00

[/quote]

Last summer Zuma Jay was selling some beautiful locally shaped / glassed longboards at his shop for $500!!  I would have bought a dozen if I had that kind of money LOL. Instead, I'll build 3 or 4 myself for the same, and spread out over time.

......not the first domino......

I was offered a job about 10 years ago finishing per shapes for one of these 3 guys.

At my first official meeting, this “humble” -cough-cough- shaper put his feet up on the table, lit a cigar and said, “you know, I can make you into a God!” No shit “A GOD!”…lol haha …yeah right.

All true but no cigar.

-rely on no one! hand shape till the end!

No real $ in surfboards anyway! (for 99 % of us!)

 

 

 

I was at work yesterday, I looked down into the corner and saw 3 new pieces of wet and dry paper -well so ok no big deal… Then it hit me- F$%k- that’s $3 over there that had blown off 3 piles below me. Those three piles cost me approx $150 in total.

…walk up stairs, one of the young lads left the suncure resin out “it’s fucked” along with the brush and bucket…but its only a brush and bucket!

…And then paranoia about theft, $3-5 / meter for glass, 10 meters gone! easy! Yorky won’t see it! he won’t know!

…I have the answer…

Locks-locks and more locks! steel cabnets and video cameras.

(nar no video cameras…maybe!)

I have see Soooooo much theft from surf factories over the years that I get paranoid just being in one alone.

Half finished boards behind doors, on roofs hidden! so the “dumb” arse boss can’t see em. 2 boards stolen is a holiday for the factory owner…

Lock up-trust no one!

Sad I know!