Did I miss anyone discussing these guys as a option?
Looks like the press release just came out on the first? Why don’t you tell us a little bit about the company. How about the big question, when are you going to have foam in normal distribution channels. That is, when will it be avaliable to us little guys.
Wish I had more to tell. I’m an “us little guys too”. I’d like to
know when they plan on having some foam available too. Saw this on a
post on one of the surfline forums. After finding 12 pgs by 12-6, on
the thread here bout Clark closing on the 5th. Seemed like something
like this would’ve been discussed before today. Thought maybe I missed
some of the commentary by anybody here. Looks like I’m part of their
Propaganda Machine now.
All I know is that Bennett foam’s new factory is being built in Mexico. I posted this a few weeks ago on the site when I heard it as a freind of mine in San Clemente knows the guys. I’ve heard they don’t want to advise the exact date but late April or early may could be it. I also heard they have 20-30 molds! This is also Bennett Aust foam not the Brazilian Bennett foam. I’ve been trying to find out more.
Watermark,
This will be huge. Kim was Clark Foam’s General Manager for years. She was instrumental in turning Clark Foam into a team based lean manufacturing facility. Reed was the Plant Manager forever, Helped build and design all the equipment Clark Foam had. These are the key people that can get a company up and going making quality blanks with the same exact formulas, rocker program, stringer program, ect… These are the people that understood why Clark Foam was successful. Plus with the $ backup of Gordon Merchant, look out.
Molds are being built by some of the most key shapers in the industry.
Also, they will be making EPS molded blanks as well.
I would have to say this is the best thing coming up.
Sluggo
but the rocker catalogue went to some one else and so did or will all of the equipment so rapidly produce them
I heard a group in Oceanside opened a rocker factory with all the Clark rockers etc. Any foam is good news as long as it’s good! When is the foam available?
They have the process, but will be buying new equipment. All rockers will be based off the new plugs. No real need for the old rocker library. Anyone can have access to it if they need it through Green Valley.
Sluggo
Read this off of a different website
Contact:
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORMER TOP CLARK FOAM TEAM LAUNCH NEW COMPANY
Surfboard industry relieved as supply of quality foam blanks set to
return to normal
LOS ANGELES, CA 1 March 2006 9:00 AM EST - Former key Clark Foam
employees Kim Thress and Jeff Holtby, with a combined 40+ years
experience with Clark have today announced the formation of their new
company - ?US Blanks?. They?ve selected as partners - Ted Wilson of
Fiberglass Hawaii, supplier of fiberglass and resin to the surf
industry, and Gordon Merchant, surfboard designer and founder of one
of the world?s leading surf companies.
Thress and Holtby will handle day to day management of US Blanks.
They?ve put together a strong group of long time ex - Clark staffers
with considerable expertise in all facets of the business. Appointments
include, Patty Wirtz , office manager and head of customer service
staff, Joel Lizarraga, production training, quality control &
customer service, and Reed Price with Clark for 35 years, who will
assist them in building the new company. The team also includes a
number of highly trained ex - Clark production employees.
Having supplied the majority of the surfing industry with what was
considered the world?s highest quality foam blanks for decades, this
group looks well placed to pick up where Clark left off.
President Kim Thress was quoted as saying ?we?ve all been doing this a
long time, and have figured out just what the customers want, and we
have the know-how to provide it? also adding ? right now, our number
one priority at US Blanks, is to get a quality foam blank back out
into the market place as quickly as possible, at a very competitive
price, and to help the industry stabilize and move forward with
confidence? .
Thress, Holtby, Wilson & Merchant have expressed their commitment to
direct their considerable resources to ensure that US Blanks stays
constantly at the leading edge of current design & technology - and to
continue to produce the highest quality blanks in the world. They?ve
undertaken to offer their customers, a full range of size & density
options and rockers - and to provide the industry with an unmatched
level of service.
The company is offering 3 types of foam. The US Blanks Polyurethane
foam, gives the highest level of physical properties required by a
surfboard - developed, tested and proven over decades - its quality,
stability and consistency has long made it the choice of the majority
of leading builders.
For builders preferring to work with US Blanks EPS foams, the company
will offer 2 quality solutions. A Molded EPS Polystyrene foam -
available in various densities, together with an Extruded Polystyrene
foam.
US Blanks will meet and exceed all Governmental & Environmental
regulations and requirements. Production of the Polyurethane Foam has
been moved to a more suitable location in California.
Contact: Website: www.usblanks.com More details on
the US Blanks will be released shortly. For addtional information:
Contact: … … … PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
there is a short article at compositesnews.com: http://www.compositesnews.com/cni.asp?articleID=10535
What goes around comes around! For almost four months Fiberglass Hawaii(the largest retailer/wholesaler of Clark Foam) has sold almost no (ZERO) foam blanks other than those remaining Clark Blanks that had been shipped previous to 12/5/05. Because of the lack of production by board buiders(mostly smaller shops) resin and glass cloth sales have no doubt also been in the tank. It makes good business since that if no particluar domestic supply is going to step up that FBGLSH do what is necessary to insure a consistent supply to meet their own needs and thereby satisfy their customers. Why be at the mercy of a foreign supplier? McDing
Pricing will be interesting. Everything I’ve seen written about Clark Foam post-mortem indicates that Grubby kept prices down and profits up in large part by forcing board manufacturers into contracts guaranteeing that they would use no other blank supplier. The implication is that absent those restrictive arrangements, blank prices would have been higher (possibly considerably so). So what will US Blanks use as their marketing model? Will they try to get the genie back in the lamp by resurrecting contracts with guaranteed exclusivity? Will they accept the inevitability of a competitive marketplace and price blanks high(er) so that they can make decent margins without exclusivity? Will they use their capitalization to undercut the market, take a few years of losses to drive out the competition, then exercise the Clark option? Or will they make the “lose money on every item, but make it up on volume” mistake by treating market share as the end game, and eventually go under?
-Samiam
In all the posts, threads, related to Clarks’ demise, Resin Research, epoxy, Poly, EPA and CARB restrictions etc there has been sooo much wild speculation by so many who are so far out of even the “peripheral” loop that it would be highlarious if were not so flat out goofy. The "April 21 st thread "being one of the more recent.
You hit it on the head Mr McDing.
This is classic FEAR. False Evidence Appearing as Facts. “April 21 is coming” The government is going to get you. We have Bush the most pro-industry president in a 50 years.
Quote:
Everything I’ve seen written about Clark Foam post-mortem indicates that Grubby kept prices down and profits up in large part by forcing board manufacturers into contracts guaranteeing that they would use no other blank supplier. The implication is that absent those restrictive arrangements, blank prices would have been higher (possibly considerably so). So what will US Blanks use as their marketing model? Will they try to get the genie back in the lamp by resurrecting contracts with guaranteed exclusivity?
-Samiam
Samiam, Please name me one surfboard builder that had any “contract of exclusivity” set up with Clark Foam. I know for a fact that this is pure fiction. Were people paronoid about being cut off by Clark Foam, sure. Was there reason to be paranoid, no, unless you paid your bills poorly. Great example, Tom at Daum’s brother Jerry has probably been Walkers biggest customer over the last 5 years. Jerry will be the 1st to tell you he has never, ever, ever, had problems buying from Clark Foam.
With Kim Thress running US Blanks they will use the same methods Clark Foam used, add as much value as possible. They will be able to keep prices down if they chose because they understand how to run a foam company with Lean Manufacturing principles.
Also, Gordon Clark was able to keep prices down and remain profitable by having great long term supplier/vendor relationships and running his factory with the same Lean principles that companies like Toyota originally developed.
Sluggo
Quote:
Quote:Everything I’ve seen written about Clark Foam post-mortem indicates that Grubby kept prices down and profits up in large part by forcing board manufacturers into contracts guaranteeing that they would use no other blank supplier. The implication is that absent those restrictive arrangements, blank prices would have been higher (possibly considerably so). So what will US Blanks use as their marketing model? Will they try to get the genie back in the lamp by resurrecting contracts with guaranteed exclusivity?
-Samiam
Samiam, Please name me one surfboard builder that had any “contract of exclusivity” set up with Clark Foam. I know for a fact that this is pure fiction. Were people paronoid about being cut off by Clark Foam, sure. Was there reason to be paranoid, no, unless you paid your bills poorly. Great example, Tom at Daum’s brother Jerry has probably been Walkers biggest customer over the last 5 years. Jerry will be the 1st to tell you he has never, ever, ever, had problems buying from Clark Foam.
With Kim Thress running US Blanks they will use the same methods Clark Foam used, add as much value as possible. They will be able to keep prices down if they chose because they understand how to run a foam company with Lean Manufacturing principles.
Also, Gordon Clark was able to keep prices down and remain profitable by having great long term supplier/vendor relationships and running his factory with the same Lean principles that companies like Toyota originally developed.
Sluggo
As my post clearly indicated, I do not have direct knowledge of whether or not those allegations were true. They were, however, widely reported, at this, and other industry-related sites. Such arrangements are a well-established, successful model used in many other lines of business. If you are correct that the actual situation was not as I described, and McDing’s contention that environmental regulation fears are unfounded is true, we still have a lot of interesting (crucial, even) unanswered questions about Clark Foam’s demise. Among others:
Why did Grubby Clark outright abandon a hugely successful, highly profitable business if there was no major impending problem?
If he wanted out, why did he not sell out intact to someone else capable of manufacturing blanks (such as Kim Thress & team)?
Absent guarantees of exclusivity, if Walker’s product is such a joy to shape as compared with Clark’s (per Frye and others) why weren’t more shapers using more Walker Foam all along?
In a vacuum of real information, the animal that calls itself “man” will endlessly speculate. However, it is beginning to appear that after nearly 4 months, the real story behind the demise of Clark Foam has yet to be told. That isn’t an academic situation, as that story could have a dramatic impact on the future availability of materials for the surfboard industry. By the way, I have some exposure to JIT, and other principles of “lean manufacturing” as you call it. Those principles certainly have their place, but they do not constitute any sort of panacea or magic bullet.
-Samiam