Clark Foam has Quit Business

kneecaps · Post by **kneecaps** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:01 am

I think he has a patent on the blanks (or some part of the process) which has acted as a barrier preventing other entreprenuers from entering this market.
He horded that privilage, as he should have...
but perhaps licensing out his patent to some other company that can make custom-blanks(?) within the confines of local and national environmental laws, even though he apparently was...
may be smart by him, and good for the industry.

ScottMac · Post by **ScottMac** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:13 am

kneecaps · Post by **kneecaps** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:45 pm

The shapers may want to check their property insurance policies for some contingent business interruption coverage that may apply...
They may have some lost income, extra expense, etc. coverage for the "shutdown" of a major supplier.

KAVA · Post by **KAVA** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:39 pm

so whats wrong with epoxy?

ScottMac · Post by **ScottMac** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:02 pm

Kevin W · Post by **Kevin W** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:03 pm

Can't we all just order boards from Australia now? Or did they get their foam from Clark too?

Beeline2.0 · Post by **Beeline2.0** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:08 pm

kneecaps · Post by **kneecaps** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:46 pm

Beeline wrote:I heard all the boards in the Used Board Section
just went up by $50

I assume that would include yours too?!

hart · Post by **hart** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:51 pm

Kevin W wrote:
Can't we all just order boards from Australia now? Or did they get their foam from Clark too?

Australia blows its own foam

There are 4 blank factories within one square kilometre of mine (only two of which that blow kneeboard blanks) that have all been contacted by US companies looking for supply

I would say that Dion Chemicals and Midget (Surfblanks) Sydney's largest foam suppliers, will be most interested in the recent developments in the US

hart

Jon Manss · Post by **Jon Manss** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:01 pm

From Scotty Mac " Guy's like Bud would have an advantage though, having the shaping machine for the rockers."
We have the technology up here as well. I have talked to this source and so have others. There may be an expanded epoxy line coming your way soon. This is all good to see a new adventure in the surfing world. It will be interesting who the new players will be. [/quote]

Shelfbreak · Post by **Shelfbreak** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:26 pm

Thanks Scott Mac for the posting the article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel. It seems like a curious decision if as reported the company wasn't facing any immediate sanctions for environmental or safety issues. Why didn't he sell the business if dealing with EPA etc was giving him the shits?

It does seem a bit shabby with respect to those clients that have maintained professional dealings with Clark foam.

Hopefully like nature, business abhors a vacuum.

surfhorn · Post by **surfhorn** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:50 pm

Guess I'm going to have to harvest some redwoods and mill some 2 3/4 " lumber....................Back to the Future.

But if we can come up with environmentally sensitive stock material then is the glass half empty or half full?

Which reminds me that I need to go grab another glass of my Duckhorn cab.

albert · Post by **albert** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 6:54 pm

Shelfbreak wrote:Thanks Scott Mac for the posting the article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel. It seems like a curious decision if as reported the company wasn't facing any immediate sanctions for environmental or safety issues. Why didn't he sell the business if dealing with EPA etc was giving him the shits?

I thought the same when I read the article, then I read Clark's 7 page fax and it changed my mind, it also reminded me of how the EPA (and other regulatory agencies in California) operate.

I think the journalist was pressed to find actual fines imposed by the regulatory agencies, because there were so few. These agencies typically threaten to impose these fines in the hopes of avoiding the paperwork and having the firm correct its actions without having to resort to the use of the legal system. I think what got to Clark was the mounting amount of threats and the fact that if they did go through the process of fining Clark foam for the infringements regarding TDI it would amount to a very large fine. Not to mention all the other bits and pieces that were noncompliant. Better to walk away now and nip it in the bud rather than draw the process out for decades and pay millions more than what he is actually going to pay.

just my 2 cents...

T Hall · Post by **T Hall** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:38 pm

While everybody is in shock about the closure of Clark foam I'm surprised that the subject of surfboard recycling hasn't surfaced. Today at the local landfill I picked up a Doug Haut shaped Sail board. This 1985 board is made with Clark foam, is a 9'6" winged pintail that is 4" thick 24"wide and has a 1" high density foam T-band stringer with 1/8" wood stringers on each side. This board not only has length to spare but a ton of thickness to accomodate lots of different shapes. $5.00 was the purchase price. Now do you think that I can get a nice 6'0" kneeboard out of this or what? For a little extra work this old board will provide me with a brand new custom board. I'm stripping it tomorrow but I'll take some pictures of it before I tear into it so I can have some before and after shots for comparison. Anybody else out there reusing old boards? It's a great alternative. T Hall

Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Clark Foam has Quit Business

foam

Recycle those old boards