New ownership
- Thread starter richmke
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Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
If they were worse, do you think they'd tell us? 
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Care to explain and fill in the blanks for all of us that are not "in the know"?
Since ownership of any business can easily be transferred with the stroke of a pen from say a husband to a wife, or other close family member and thus be "under new ownership", chances are slim to none.
You guys have really piqued my curiosity. Whom are you referencing?
I see the post above that talks about the issue.
I met the former owner about a year ago when I decided to start this hobby. His store is located about 150 miles north of where I live.
My wife happened to be attending a conference near the former owner's store and she invited me to drive up with her. I decided to use this trip to visit the store while she attended conference meetings. My thought was that the visit would save me shipping costs for the equipment and wine kit I needed for my first batch of wine.
No one greeted me when I entered the store, nor did anyone offer to help me as I wandered around the medium sized shop. After checking things out, I realized that the prices shown on the products where all manufacture suggested retail prices. I walked up to the counter to make sure that the online prices actually applied. He told me that his mail order and retail businesses were separate; although, it was obvious from the behind counter activity that they both were being run out of the same space. When I told him that I had driven up from Miami to fill a large order and requested a discount, he started yelling at me. The brief conversation ended with my putting everything back on the shelf and walking out.
In the long run, I paid more for what I needed. But the support I got, as a new wine maker, from the guys at Label Peelers and the Wine Making Superstore in Orlando made the differences seem negligible.
When I joined this forum and read the previously mentioned thread about this guy, I wasn't surprised.
The new owners have their work cut out for them. Business reputations are easily lost but hard to win back.
My wife happened to be attending a conference near the former owner's store and she invited me to drive up with her. I decided to use this trip to visit the store while she attended conference meetings. My thought was that the visit would save me shipping costs for the equipment and wine kit I needed for my first batch of wine.
No one greeted me when I entered the store, nor did anyone offer to help me as I wandered around the medium sized shop. After checking things out, I realized that the prices shown on the products where all manufacture suggested retail prices. I walked up to the counter to make sure that the online prices actually applied. He told me that his mail order and retail businesses were separate; although, it was obvious from the behind counter activity that they both were being run out of the same space. When I told him that I had driven up from Miami to fill a large order and requested a discount, he started yelling at me. The brief conversation ended with my putting everything back on the shelf and walking out.
In the long run, I paid more for what I needed. But the support I got, as a new wine maker, from the guys at Label Peelers and the Wine Making Superstore in Orlando made the differences seem negligible.
When I joined this forum and read the previously mentioned thread about this guy, I wasn't surprised.
The new owners have their work cut out for them. Business reputations are easily lost but hard to win back.
Here's the announcement I received, redacted to remove the company name - moderators feel free to delete or modify further if needed:
"Important Announcement!
Hello to all our wonderful friends and clients,
Can you believe that it's been 5 years since we opened in February of 2010! Time sure does fly when you're having fun. With your continued support and patronage, we built it from zero in 2010 to well over a 7 figure annual grossing juggernaut in 2015. You, our valued friends and clients who have supported us through the years have made all that possible not to mention our superb management and marketing skills. We thank each and every one of you. The road was not without its share of controversy but no business out there can ever satisfy 100% of its clients, 100% of the time. We were happy with the 98% that we could satisfy. Some can never be satisfied and we leave those happy campers for those who try to compete with us.
As the leading beer and wine kit supplier in the USA, it's time to move on and pass the baton to the new owners - Kevin and Jennifer. The decision to sell was most certainly not an easy one but a necessary one due to the limitations placed upon us by LD Carlson and Winexpert with their newly found wisdom of controlling prices with 'Minimum Advertised Pricing' or MAP. The business and hobby are just full of whining, greedy merchants who want all of your money and as such their supplier, LD Carlson agreed to put restraints upon us with MAP. As many of you know, we simply do not have the temperament for it which is an entirely different issue. We did enjoy poking fun at LD Carlson and Winexpert products as well as introducing many of you to the RJS line of comparably priced and better wine products. RJS appreciates your support and believes in a free American markeplace.
There will be no changes as result of the new ownership. Kevin and Jennifer have done well in the transition process and will be maintaining all the policies, marketing and pricing that have made us the leading beer and wine kit supplier in the USA. To that extent, you can expect the same quality in service and pricing that you have come to expect over the past 5 years. In fact, you may even receive better service in some areas if that is actually possible.
In closing, I want to personally thank all our friends and clients, especially our critics for keeping our name in the forefront. Thank you everyone for your support and Kevin and Jen will take it over from here. I wish all of you my very best - salute & God bless.
Joe
Happy Former Owner & Founder with more time on his hands now to dedicate to his other businesses and hobbies."
"Important Announcement!
Hello to all our wonderful friends and clients,
Can you believe that it's been 5 years since we opened in February of 2010! Time sure does fly when you're having fun. With your continued support and patronage, we built it from zero in 2010 to well over a 7 figure annual grossing juggernaut in 2015. You, our valued friends and clients who have supported us through the years have made all that possible not to mention our superb management and marketing skills. We thank each and every one of you. The road was not without its share of controversy but no business out there can ever satisfy 100% of its clients, 100% of the time. We were happy with the 98% that we could satisfy. Some can never be satisfied and we leave those happy campers for those who try to compete with us.
As the leading beer and wine kit supplier in the USA, it's time to move on and pass the baton to the new owners - Kevin and Jennifer. The decision to sell was most certainly not an easy one but a necessary one due to the limitations placed upon us by LD Carlson and Winexpert with their newly found wisdom of controlling prices with 'Minimum Advertised Pricing' or MAP. The business and hobby are just full of whining, greedy merchants who want all of your money and as such their supplier, LD Carlson agreed to put restraints upon us with MAP. As many of you know, we simply do not have the temperament for it which is an entirely different issue. We did enjoy poking fun at LD Carlson and Winexpert products as well as introducing many of you to the RJS line of comparably priced and better wine products. RJS appreciates your support and believes in a free American markeplace.
There will be no changes as result of the new ownership. Kevin and Jennifer have done well in the transition process and will be maintaining all the policies, marketing and pricing that have made us the leading beer and wine kit supplier in the USA. To that extent, you can expect the same quality in service and pricing that you have come to expect over the past 5 years. In fact, you may even receive better service in some areas if that is actually possible.
In closing, I want to personally thank all our friends and clients, especially our critics for keeping our name in the forefront. Thank you everyone for your support and Kevin and Jen will take it over from here. I wish all of you my very best - salute & God bless.
Joe
Happy Former Owner & Founder with more time on his hands now to dedicate to his other businesses and hobbies.
"
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Oh, THOSE Guys! Interesting comments by Rustbucket. I had no idea that their "on line" pricing was different than their "in store" pricing. If I had gone into that store during a trip to Florida, that would surely have been a surprise to me. I, too, experienced their surliness over an order I had placed and never patronized them again. There are too many suppliers out there who repeatedly demonstrate kind and courteous customer service at very competitive pricing and a number of them are our sponsors.
My heart goes out to Kevin and Jennifer, the new owners. They have bought the proverbial pig in a poke. I hope they did not pay a lot.
My heart goes out to Kevin and Jennifer, the new owners. They have bought the proverbial pig in a poke. I hope they did not pay a lot.
