" So anyway we don’t know why Gordon decided to do what he did, but all we’re trying to do is deal with the chaos. –
Harold Walker, December 31, 2005 " -
Something is missing in the story. I just don’t get it… Who would set up factory in China 6 months prior to the action happening, thinking that they can compete with clark foam? If we assume that walker did not know about the impending clark foam shut down, then we can safely assume that walker was planning to go head to head with Clark foam in the mass production of polyurethane blanks. Nobody goes to china to make 100 blanks a week. Nobody goes to china without a business plan. Walker and Linden seem too suprised, and are suggesting that the whole situation was simply a matter of good timing.
Clark abandoned the very people who were paying his bills. Clark abandoned the people that funded his millions. Does this tell us something about ethics? He was in full compliance after all-- the EPA and fire dept claims were disputed in the WSJ.
Walker never explained their reasons for deciding to go to china six months ago. If walker did not know about any impending closure, then he would have had a PR campaign, and word would have been out among the shaping community to be ready for thousands of walker blanks months ahead of time. Yet no shaper heard a thing. If I were going to be managing a factory producing thousands of widgets a day, I would tell every person in the widget market and in my personal network that 'i’m a gonna be ready in some months, so you better get ready for me. ’ Um, Mr Linden? Um, Mr Walker? Why was the walker factory movement on the down low?
What are we to expect from a company who was in on the plan? Will the future largest blank manufacturer also abandon and mistreat the very people who foot the bill? Perhaps the future largest blank manufacturer already has mistreated the people that will pay for the food on his table.
What we need in this industry are some fresh ethics.
One, Harold and Joe knew nothing of Clarks plan to shut down. Second, the set-up of the offshore plant was intended only to supply the Asian market with no forethought into ANY of the foam being shipped to the US. The Clark fiasco happened and we are where we are today. Thirdly, Gordon is 73 years old, the average American male lives to 77. 4 years from now we pick up the morning paper to read that “surfing icon, Gordon Clark of Laguna Nigel was discovered this morning to have suffered a massive coronary during his sleep”. “He was sole propriotor of Clark Foam and left no provision for it’s continuance after lengthy court battles with the state, local and federal agencies.”
We would have been in the same boat, but with no paddles, at least he is doling out the remaining blanks, rather than having an uncontroled free for all
You need to find a better use for your time than writing and posting such foolish speculations. Be glad there IS a Walker Foam Company to step into the vacuum left by Clark.
One, Harold and Joe knew nothing of Clarks plan to shut down. Second, the set-up of the offshore plant was intended only to supply the Asian market with no forethought into ANY of the foam being shipped to the US. The Clark fiasco happened and we are where we are today. Thirdly, Gordon is 73 years old, the average American male lives to 77. 4 years from now we pick up the morning paper to read that “surfing icon, Gordon Clark of Laguna Nigel was discovered this morning to have suffered a massive coronary during his sleep”. “He was sole propriotor of Clark Foam and left no provision for it’s continuance after lengthy court battles with the state, local and federal agencies.”
We would have been in the same boat, but with no paddles, at least he is doling out the remaining blanks, rather than having an uncontroled free for all
Good one Jim. So much ignorance and guessing on something that no longer matters. We deal with what we have NOW. Why worry about and old man the helped create the industry and decided he wanted no more part of it. He owed nothing to anyone.