Another Vendor disappearing

[argoldman]

I just got off the phone with Marie, from Ken Brock Mfg. (his wife, I believe).

 

She announced to me that Ken Brock Mfg co. will be closing its doors the first week of January. She thought the company was sold, sold the building and the business. The purposed buyer, one of several, pulled out... Perhaps a possible investment for some enterprising builder.

 

If you want brock stuff, she is selling off her stock.

[Jon Matcho]

Ouch. That's what I get for privately wanting for competition to exist in this area.

 

For Cozy builders, I would expect Aircraft Spruce to help figure something out here -- source parts from another machine shop.

 

Then again, maybe I wanted to pick up metalwork...

[Jon Matcho]

Here's a worst case scenario... I just checked the Aircraft Spruce Web site and they don't offer the hardware that Brock makes (used to make?). I thought they resold it, but apparently I am mistaken.

 

So now I wonder whether Aircraft Spruce considers themselves to have any responsibility to source another vendor. I hope they come to the quick conclusion that they, as the owner of the Cozy brand, need to source another provider of the necessary parts now that they're no longer to be available on the market.

 

Otherwise everyone is in for a surprise when they find out they need to pay custom metal shop fees, or become a metalworker.

 

[Jon Matcho]

Good news! Check this post from Jim Irwin, president of Aircraft Spruce: http://www.canardzone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1501

 

Dale, did you get any calls yesterday? There's definitely going to be new demand for your services.

 

Also, on the Yahoo Canard Aviators and COZY mailing lists the Cozy Girrrls have indicated that they have plans to start a "Canard Parts Store". Chrissi announced that they would first cater to the Cozy Mark IV, and then move into production to support the Long-EZ canards. This implicitely includes the AeroCanard as well. I am so very excited by this news -- the notion of a REAL store specifically for canard builder/flyers.

 

With some hard work and a little luck, we very well can come out better than before with Brock as the only game in town.

[Dale_R]

Ouch. That's what I get for privately wanting for competition to exist in this area.

...

Nat was using that as his reason for not approving alternate suppliers for parts already being made by Brock. He was only approving entirely new items like the two electric nose-lifts. Well, one exception: Dennis Oelmann's rudder pedals.

 

The fact is, though, that the canard parts were a small part of Brock, which is also known as Santa Ana Metal Stamping (even though they've long - maybe always - been located in Stanton.) I rather suspect that Marie was just flat tired of running a business and wanted to retire.

 

Dale R.

[Dale_R]

Dale, did you get any calls yesterday? There's definitely going to be new demand for your services.

 

Yes - someone on the COZY_builders list bought the only MKMGA-C set I had ready. I should have another ready by mid-January.

 

Folks, my phone number is good, but I don't have VM on it, so the only practical way to reach me is via email. I check it several times a day, except Sundays.

 

Dale R.

COZY MkIV #1254