General

[sdawg]

UPDATE: Layoffs at Smart Parts. That is all, nothing to see here, move along.

Major Manufacturer/Distributor Closes Its Doors Today

The game of paintball has taken another HUGE hit today as one of the largest and longest running companies in the game has laid off its entire staff and are closing their doors in a few weeks. Out of respect to the owners and employees we're holding off releasing the name of the company for a day or two. More tomorrow.

[desertT1]

In the meantime, any guesses?

[Wrathbringer]

Maybe the rumours of SP being millions in debt are true?

[tencent]

please be kee.. please be kee.. please be kee..

in all reality though i bet its special ops.. they have been down the path of going under for the past year and a half.

[sdawg]

I saw a rumor that Smart Parts was in deep trouble. I also saw a rumor that KEE is buying Kingman.

Maybe MCB will get its long time wish, and Smart Parts will come to an unseemly end?

[incynr8]

Sad thing is there aren't that many to choose from anymore. i have my guess, and it's near the NorthEast, and it's not Smart Parts. I also dont want to see anyone loose their jobs, regardless if I like the owners of a company or not, and regardless of I like their products or not.

[tencent]

Originally Posted by sdawg

I saw a rumor that Smart Parts was in deep trouble. I also saw a rumor that KEE is buying Kingman.

Maybe MCB will get its long time wish, and Smart Parts will come to an unseemly end?

but if that happened then we wont have an arch villian.. that cant be good for business

[Party]

Tippmann?

[desertT1]

Originally Posted by Wrathbringer

Maybe the rumours of SP being millions in debt are true?

It might benefit paintball on a whole, but the patents would still be valid. The ownership of 'the' patent would just be transferred to something/body else if SP is even a co-owner and it will live on.

In light of the <.680 barrel thread, the same would hold for the freak insert patent.

Until those patents expire, SP going down would really just be putting Americans (and overseas manufacturers) out of work.

[Wrathbringer]

Originally Posted by incynr8

I also dont want to see anyone loose their jobs, regardless if I like the owners of a company or not, and regardless of I like their products or not.

QFT, which is why I refrained from bashing SP in my post above. No matter which company is it's sad to hear that many people will be losing their jobs.

@ desertT1: Yea that point was brought up on PBL about a week ago, it's a shame really. We could definitely use some innovation in this industry nowadays...