1.) Alex - 12/17/2018

and there it is.
wow
[QUOTE][COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]Dear Sir or Madam:[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]Parker Bows has made the difficult decision to cease operations. We have explored what we believe to be all possible options to continue operations in one form or another but to no avail. It has truly been an honor to have been a part of your hunting seasons for over two decades. And it is hard to put into words what your loyalty and support has meant to us.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial] [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]Effective as of the date of this email (December 17, 2018), all Parker and Red Hot branded products sold will be without a warranty regardless of statements on the packaging or in owner’s manuals. We will make every effort to honor existing warranty claims for items received at our Staunton, Virginia headquarters on or before December 31, 2018. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]Before returning any item for warranty service, please call 540-337-5426 to speak with a customer service representative and obtain a Return Authorization Number. Items received after December 31, 2018 will be refused. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]As we wind down our operations, please check our [URL="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tKc54lB8BBCqA9sIR-SQveYfnovKBGCwhhw4V4OoWBfs5RdYnKX8AhCve-jXWUYj6rK1HvcBuDiviFJF-m2Ge2XURrtRH68gaD_hihsgyOpte8Ja80q4G49x0CT7is1lYDL7pczsJBl-RLAt9TzHEg==&c=hJ2qSIT6n19FwOOttsoBtPjvzIs192nZjicdrqtOG8DczPDAd2Gl-g==&ch=aBpOKpQIYYX9q4rr-wO7_oeHegl4bW2DR9z6rrnvwOpaj00z-eQGDA=="]website[/URL], social media pages, future emails and with your local dealer for special offers and announcements. [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial] [/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial]Thank you,[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#403F42][FONT=Arial][COLOR=#111111][FONT=Verdana][/QUOTE][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

2.) DParker - 12/17/2018

Well, that sucks. My son's first bow was a Parker (appropriately enough). So much for it's lifetime warranty.

Standing by for Mr. Peck's take on what happened.

ETA: It looks like I received that same e-mail a couple hours ago and just hadn't checked my inbox yet.

3.) Alex - 12/18/2018

Yep... As I understand this, the writing has been on the wall for a little bit. They gave it once last effort but to no avail.
So sad for the career employees at Parker.

They have been a client of mine for decades.
Sad to see it come to an end.

4.) Swamp Fox - 12/19/2018

I'm sure they don't blame you ... much.

What did you do for them, if you don't mind my asking and if it isn't something someone would have to kill someone for? Website, content, double-secret market research, baked goods or decorations for the office Christmas party ... ?

5.) Alex - 12/19/2018

Ive been doing their website work forever.
But that means their public website, their rewards website, their Salesforce CRM system, and their Return Auth. system for the warehouse.

Developed them all.

Earlier this year they finally took the main website to a local vendor in VA. I actually was relieved when they did that as my teaching job keeps me pretty taxed during the day now. But I was still running all the other systems.


So sad to see them go down like this. Sad for the employees and families too. Hard pill to swallow any day, much less holidays.

6.) DParker - 12/19/2018

[QUOTE=Alex;57507]...my teaching job...[/QUOTE]

You're charged with forming young minds? That's a scary thought.

Sorry...Luv2 hasn't made an appearance for a while and I felt the need to do his job in his absence.

7.) luv2bowhunt - 12/19/2018

[QUOTE=Alex;57507]Ive been doing their website work forever.
But that means their public website, their rewards website, their Salesforce CRM system, and their Return Auth. system for the warehouse.

Developed them all.[/QUOTE]

OK, so like when your pipes busted and flooded out ArcheryWorld or Bowcountry or whatever it was at the time, did that cripple them also? I'm guessing they couldn't recover from that any better than ArcheryWorld did. God, I luved that place.

...although it was a silly place. Alex lives, I can hardly believe it.


Bob P. will know all the details of this I'm sure.

8.) luv2bowhunt - 12/19/2018

[QUOTE=DParker;57508]Sorry...Luv2 hasn't made an appearance for a while and I felt the need to do his job in his absence.[/QUOTE]


Always lurking in the shadows. Like a rat in the back alley of the inner city slums. Watching, listening, waiting. Waiting for Alex to appear for that fleeting moment, and then disappear until the Christmas Eve picture.

God I miss Alex.

9.) luv2bowhunt - 12/19/2018

I miss Mike too.

10.) luv2bowhunt - 12/19/2018

I miss Kenny too...............hehe not really. :-)

11.) bluecat - 12/19/2018

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;57510]Always lurking in the shadows. Like a rat in the back alley of the inner city slums. Watching, listening, waiting.[/QUOTE]

Looks like 6 more weeks of winter.

12.) DParker - 12/19/2018

[QUOTE=bluecat;57514]Looks like 6 more weeks of winter.[/QUOTE]

:laugh:

13.) luv2bowhunt - 12/20/2018

[QUOTE=DParker;57508]You're charged with forming young minds? That's a scary thought.[/QUOTE]

Of course he teaches. What kind of leverage do you think he had to get young girls to pose semi-naked in front of him. What some folks won't do for a passing grade.

14.) DParker - 12/20/2018

[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;57521]What some folks won't do for a passing grade.[/QUOTE]

Hey, it was a long time ago and math is really hard. I'm not proud of it.

15.) bluecat - 12/20/2018

+ 3.14

16.) Bob Peck - 12/27/2018

[QUOTE=DParker;57499]Standing by for Mr. Peck's take on what happened.[/QUOTE]

There are some things I can say and there are some things I had better not.

Three (3) things I can say:

1.
If you don't innovate, you stagnate. If you stagnate, you'll eventually become a dinosaur and we know what happened to them.

2.
This folding of the tent didn't happen overnight and in fact slowly rolled out over 10+ years. Decisions (good and bad), diversification (good and bad), sad passing's, too little-too late, complacency and allowing the fox to watch the hen house finally squeezed the life out.

3.
A manufacturer has more control than an assembler.

17.) DParker - 12/27/2018

[QUOTE=Bob Peck;57559]...and allowing the fox to watch the hen house...[/QUOTE]

I'm guessing that elaboration on that point would fall under the category of "things I had better not" talk about?

18.) Bob Peck - 12/28/2018

Yes sir.

Let's just say when my former boss, founder & CEO Bob Errett passed, the transition was the beginning of the end.

As I said, the demise was a culmination of factors but the transition was the final nail.

19.) luv2bowhunt - 12/28/2018

...and Alex screwing up all their websites probably didn't help either.