Smart Parts is going away?

[Hoss]

Wow, pretty ions

[MostAwesomestPaintballer]

How come tammy's is nicer than yours? I have an extra gloss black, impulse threaded, clamping feedneck and stock ion grips if you want them. I'd say you still have at least a year before you start having problems getting stuff. Ions are pretty popular so there should be a pretty steady market. On the plus side, you could probably score stuff for cheap in the coming months.

[d-shade]

I was building the ion originally for tammy.. mine was just reusing the frame...  I was able to get the firing cannon and the shocktech body on ebay super cheap.. the internal parts are from seventh element so I just needed to get the banjos.. but it pretty much stopped there.. the feedneck on mine was suppose to go on tammy's but she didn't like it..

I think tammy is looking for a red/black clamping feedneck.. but I could use grips on mine.. I don't know what grips to get for my ion yet but I haven't really been looking either....

I have an extra smartparts qev if anyone needs it.. I found out I couldn't use it if I get the hollowpoint..

[MostAwesomestPaintballer]

Official word is they are 'restructuring'.

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3291634Smart

[MostAwesomestPaintballer]

Unofficial word is they are gone for good. I got this from another place.

Here is what I can tell you from the vantage point that gives me:

1) Since early summer 2008, they have been running a large "Clearance Sale", trying to unload whatever they could. Every month a new price list was issued with current stock numbers on them, and current prices. Prices dropped every month on anything that was still in stock. Everything was on sale, markers, tanks, clothes, barrels, parts, you name it.

2) They have been entirely out of stock on markers, tanks, regs, and most parts since the middle of summer 2009. Every price and stock list I've gotten since May or June of this year has shown every marker as out of stock, and near all parts as out of stock, save for a very few team label Ion bodies. Dealers and distributors had to fight over every marker they found on a shelf somewhere. You put in your request to your sales rep, and then they battled it out. I could not ever get on a list for an NXT Shocker after July, there were simply none to be had.

3) My sales rep had to take over several other regions, and kept apologizing for the lengthy shipping delays. The problem was that they had gone from a small army of shipping staffers down to a single guy who was literally running everything on his own. One guy to pull, pack, and ship all the orders they filled since about mid-July 2009. Either that guy is Superman, or they weren't doing much volume.

4) The last price list came out on Dec 1, and it had nothing but clothes, DVD's, and a few Ion bodies on it, all heavily discounted.

5) They have not issued any more sales or press material for the "new" Impulse since the initial reveal in mid-May 2009. At that time, the sent out a few pictures and a tentative price structure, but since then, they've not said a word, and no other info has been forthcoming. It's as if the rollout never happened. Either they've abandoned the project after a short run and didn't tell anyone (perhaps, like the Nurv, they realized they just launched a $900 marker that folks wouldn't pay $400 for, and snuffed it). Or with the business under water, their attention was diverted elsewhere, and the new Imp just kind of lurched to a stop and got kicked to the wayside.

6) Everyone I've talked to that is intimate with SP has said that all the mfg facilities are shuttered for good, and that if SP the company comes back, all their hard parts will be manufactured in Asia someplace. No word on what's up with the patents or any merger/buyout deals.

That sounds pretty bad. If they do come back, I'd guess everything would be made in asia.

[Hoss]

Wow, not looking good.

[MostAwesomestPaintballer]

Now they are at chapter 7 bankruptcy

http://68caliber.com/?p=8397

Smart Parts Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Posted on28 July 2010.
Earlier this year (May) the distressed paintball manufacturing company Smart Parts of Latrobe, PA, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Information filed with the bankruptcy application seem to indicate that the company had been in trouble since as early as October of 2009.
Chapter 11 Bankruptcy allows the debtor (Smart Parts in this case) to attempt to shed some of their debt and re-organize the company in a manner acceptable to secured creditors (and which presumably allows the debtor company to once again become profitable).
Rumors on the paintball street have run rampant since the original petition for bankruptcy in May, with speculations naming virtually every other paintball company as a possible buyer, savior, acquirer or partner that many anonymous/unnamed sources have assured the paintball public would be the return of Smart Parts.
Today’s filing is a petition by the debtor (Smart Parts) to change their form of bankruptcy from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7.
Chapter 7 is liquidation.
Barring some major unforseen circumstances, a Chapter 7 filing means that Smart Parts will be selling off all of their assets – inventory, machinery, IP – everything – in order to settle their debts with their creditors.
Smart Parts may yet return (who knows what the Gardner brothers will do), but if so,  it will be under an entirely new name, with entirely new products.
A copy of the filing is included below.
IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
__________________________________________
)
IN RE: ) Chapter 11
)
SMART PARTS, INC. ) Case No. 10-23521-TPA
)
Debtor. ) Doc. No. _____
__________________________________________)
) Related to Doc. No. ____
SMART PARTS, INC. )
)
Movant, ) Hearing Date and Time:
)
v. )
) Response Deadline:
NO RESPONDENTS. )
__________________________________________)
ORDER CONVERTING CHAPTER 11 CASE TO A CASE UNDER CHAPTER 7
AND NOW, this ____ day of ____________, 2010, and upon consideration of the motion
(the “Motion”) of Smart Parts, Inc. (the “Debtor”) styled: Motion of the Debtor to Convert Its
Chapter 11 Case to a Case under Chapter 7, and it appearing that notice of the Motion has been
adequate and that the relief sought in the Motion is in the best interest of the Debtor, its estate
and creditors and that good and sufficient cause exists for granting the relief sought in the
Motion, it is hereby:
ORDERED, that the Motion is granted; and it is further
ORDERED, that this Chapter 11 case is hereby converted to a case under Chapter 7 of
Title 11 of the United States Code; and it is further
ORDERED, that the United States Trustee is directed to appoint a Chapter 7 trustee as
soon as possible; and it is further
Case 10-23521-TPA Doc 59-1 Filed 07/28/10 Entered 07/28/10 18:23:26 Desc
Proposed Order Page 1 of 2
{P0175119.1 }2
ORDERED that the clerk shall serve a copy of this Order on all creditors and parties
having requested notice.
UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE