wwii axis reenactment forum

dagda wrote:Will the Gebergs tent be available for Beltring?

koobleguy wrote:?!?! strange, because he was last online here Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:10 pm ;
and he knows customers are waiting ......

a little information would just be fair, I think

koobleguy wrote:I ordered a complete german officer's set several weeks ago, but nothing has happened yet...
neither via his homepage nor via the forum

jack wrote:OK folks many thanks for that and I can now give everyone an update and get everyone up to speed.

It has been a tough time and still is but yes Pathfinder has closed. Came as much a shock to you as it did me and I am still trying to come to terms with that. But I have always been one for openness and transparency so let me give you an idea of why.
It is usually a combination or a chain of events that often lead to a crash and this is the case here. In Jan this year we ordered and paid for the coming seasons worth or tents – which is no small change. No problems there as delivery was due in March – plenty of time and lead times we are used too. However we were given delays because of the Haiti disaster, OK we can work around that. Then another disaster that took canvas production away. So we got through that but it was going to be tight.
OK thats business and you have to build that into your business life – it happens. All of our order was completed and ready to go (even thou the delivery time was months behind) we were happy it was on its way. And then – all flights were grounded because of the ash cloud – when I got that news I just had the 1000 yard stare.

We were being fob off with stories from our supplier that our order was on its way but never arrived. Unbeknown to us – the ash cloud had caused the supplier to go bust. Again this happens in business all the time and certainly in the current economic climate. So what did that mean to us? It meant that our order had gone with no recourse what so ever. In simple terms it means that we would lose our order and all of the money we had paid for it – it also meant that all of our clients would lose their orders too. I couldn’t and wouldn’t have that.
So I had to deal with their administrator to get our tents here and dealing with an administrator in the country is pain at the best of time let alone one in a foreign land and time zone. I worked myself to death to get this sorted and I even got the British Embassy on to it but I did it. Do not talk to me about stress at this time as I can write a book on it.
So the tents dripped into us a bit at a time – some stock we ordered and some stock we didn’t – a complete mess all-round. But we had clients who needed their tents so you get it done.
I had two majored shareholders in Pathfinder – both very wealthy individuals and both into property. Now as we all know property is suffering and by association so too are the people who have business in that sector. So the next and final blow was for one of them wanting to pull his investment out as he was in a world of hurt. So he pulled the rug out from underneath us all and that was that. I could do no more. Pathfinder hasn’t gone bust or liquidated – it has just closed.
Yes it is a damn mess and yes it had let some folks down but I have worked hard to make sure everyone received they order. Yes it has taken some time but I was/am pretty much working with both hands tied. I don’t want to go into to much detail but I have had to fight damn hard to make sure everyone got everything as that has kept me awake at night. And the reason it has kept me awake is because I care and it is important to me.
I have worked nonstop for three years to build Pathfinder. And I have given it my all. I hope we were able to provide you with great service and products – yes we may not of got it right every time but hope we made up for it and put it right. I love this hobby and everyone in it. I can’t leave it –have way too many friends and they won’t let me!

So where am I now? Dazed, tired and exhausted and my head is still spinning from it all. So where will I be? Actually, I intend to start again – on my own. It will take me a day or two to get my mental, emotional and physical strength back but I will be back – I have too.

My deepest apologies to everyone this had caused stress to –it wasn’t the plan but please rest assured that I have and will continue to work 24/7 to make sure everyone is happy. My current email address is jackbeckett5000 @ yahoo.co.uk for those who need to get hold of me.
The reason I am writing to you is because I am not some faceless guy or company who just cuts and runs. So I am here to face the music and critic’s and get this tided up. I hope you can appreciate that and I won’t rest until that is done. I could just sink into the back ground but not going to do that. The Pathfinder Magazine and HMVF is safe and I am being asked to do another Armour and Embarkation.

You have my email address and I am currently restructuring the tent come back.

My kind regards,

Jack.