hope it is a good thing. We'll see.
Ecklers sold
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 624
Likes: 1
From: Melbourne, Fla. 6 months- New Middletown, Ohio 6 months
Ecklers sold
Don't know if this has been posted yet but I read yesterday that Ecklers has been sold. Time will tell whether it is a good deal or not!
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc...=2012307170013
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc...=2012307170013
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 5
From: Middleburg Florida
It's almost gotta be an improvement. I'd been using Ecklers since the 80's until the last couple of years when their customer service and quality really seemed to take a significant turn for the worse...
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 624
Likes: 1
From: Melbourne, Fla. 6 months- New Middletown, Ohio 6 months
Some of these purchases by holding companies work out and some do not.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
They were purchased by a private equity firm. The new owners will probably put a lot of pressure on the company to reduce costs. So that means cut jobs and move remaining jobs to lower cost locations.... and then you try to reduce COGS - cost of goods sold, so you source the cheapest parts possible. I could be wrong, but seems to me it doesn't bode well for the company, it's employees or its customers. From here on in the goal is to do what will benefit the new owners.
Here are some images from the Baird Private Equity website....
Here are some images from the Baird Private Equity website....
Last edited by PRNDL; Jul 18, 2012 at 01:32 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 5
From: Middleburg Florida
Baird Capital is who bought them. For those of you who don't know what that means, Baird is an investment firm, think Bain Captial which has been in the news lately. This isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. Typically if a capital investment firm buys a company it's because they believe they can make money by either improving the company and increasing their value and then sell them off, or because they're realized the sum of the parts is greater than the sum of the whole and will break it up and then sell it off.
In looking at Bairds information, it seems they believe Ecklers is well positioned to grow and get stronger in their market segement and that's why they bought them, to increase their value and then sell Ecklers off again at a profit. There's certainly room for improvement at Ecklers so this could be good for those of us who rely on companies like them for parts.
In looking at Bairds information, it seems they believe Ecklers is well positioned to grow and get stronger in their market segement and that's why they bought them, to increase their value and then sell Ecklers off again at a profit. There's certainly room for improvement at Ecklers so this could be good for those of us who rely on companies like them for parts.
Terrorizing Orange Cones
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 17
From: Northern CO
I've spent some coin with them in the past and had no real complaints. I wish them well and hope their future doesn't go dark.
Fair competition in an industry is always a good thing in a free-market society.
Fair competition in an industry is always a good thing in a free-market society.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 140
From: Kanuckistan
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Baird Capital is who bought them. For those of you who don't know what that means, Baird is an investment firm, think Bain Captial which has been in the news lately. This isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. Typically if a capital investment firm buys a company it's because they believe they can make money by either improving the company and increasing their value and then sell them off, or because they're realized the sum of the parts is greater than the sum of the whole and will break it up and then sell it off.
In looking at Bairds information, it seems they believe Ecklers is well positioned to grow and get stronger in their market segement and that's why they bought them, to increase their value and then sell Ecklers off again at a profit. There's certainly room for improvement at Ecklers so this could be good for those of us who rely on companies like them for parts.
In looking at Bairds information, it seems they believe Ecklers is well positioned to grow and get stronger in their market segement and that's why they bought them, to increase their value and then sell Ecklers off again at a profit. There's certainly room for improvement at Ecklers so this could be good for those of us who rely on companies like them for parts.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 5
From: Middleburg Florida
Also, business is about making money. If your business stops doing that, you stop having a business. It's nice to do right by folks and do the right thing, and in my opinion that tends to strengthen business long term, but that's just me. Again, who knows for sure what Baird's plan is.
Last edited by damoroso; Jul 18, 2012 at 05:12 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,626
Likes: 140
From: Kanuckistan
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Denpo, my comments are in no way intended to outline or describe everything that a capital investment firm can or might do, but that is what I ment when I said the sum of the parts might be greater than the sum of the whole. In looking at Bairds porfolio, you see companies that stretch across a wide area of services and products. I seriously doubt dismantiling a company such as Ecklers is the most profitable way to go for a variety of reasons. One capital investment firm I have experience with typically holds their companies for about 10 yrs. so unless you really dig into what they do, there's no telling from surface info. That said, they do have an Asian component to their holdings, so who knows.
Also, business is about making money. If your business stops doing that, you stop having a business. It's nice to do right by folks and do the right thing, and in my opinion that tends to strengthen business long term, but that's just me. Again, who knows for sure what Baird's plan is.
Also, business is about making money. If your business stops doing that, you stop having a business. It's nice to do right by folks and do the right thing, and in my opinion that tends to strengthen business long term, but that's just me. Again, who knows for sure what Baird's plan is.
Sometimes they take over the company, squash all expenses deemed unnecessary in the short term (like cutting RD, I've seen that), and resell what looks like a now profitable company, even if the company's clients are now pissed about,let' say, that rare (and seemingly unprofitable) part that is not in stock anymore and the employee don't give a *** anymore.
I've seen that too much times, the company shut off soon afterward, people get fired...
Just talkin'
Like you I hope Bairds is has a long term vision, you know, that "common sense" people flying too high above lacks sometimes.
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: verona va
I hate to say it but I'm going to agree with Denpo. I have seen companies cut to the bone to make profits, sacrificing quality and other things and then sell the company while its on the cliff just before it starts to decline in a major way.
I hope it turns out good but too many times everything is done for profits and the shareholders.
I hope it turns out good but too many times everything is done for profits and the shareholders.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
[QUOTE=Dustup7T2;1581348464]I've spent some coin with them in the past and had no real complaints. I wish them well and hope their future doesn't go dark.
Fair competition in an industry is always a good thing in a free-market society.[/QUOTE
I too have had been please with the company. Whenever I bought a product that I wasn't happy with they made good on it. I hope the quality of the customer service I got remains the same. It's been a year or so since my last purchase. I hope they keep all their employees.
Fair competition in an industry is always a good thing in a free-market society.[/QUOTE
I too have had been please with the company. Whenever I bought a product that I wasn't happy with they made good on it. I hope the quality of the customer service I got remains the same. It's been a year or so since my last purchase. I hope they keep all their employees.
Last edited by boeing46; Jul 18, 2012 at 07:25 PM.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
I worked for Mcdonnell Douglas Long Beach. Boeing bought the whole company and promised us the world. A few short years later several hundred acres of what we were was leveled. I know different situation but when taken over start looking for work elsewhere. They eliminated every single program.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 38
From: Space Coast Gator Territory
Eckler's has changed hands a few times. Their showroom about 40 minutes away from my location and stop in their showroom a few times a year. Over the last several years they have expanded their product line and continue to to so. I had a bad experience dealing with them about 25 years ago, but have been happy dealing with them over the last 8 years. I guess you can't make everybody happy all the time. I suspect they aren't going anywhere.
Last edited by Red 69; Jul 18, 2012 at 07:38 PM.
