OK guys, those of you that ordered the first batch of rear bumpers, they are almost done. For the ones that didn't order the sandblasting, those will be shipping out the first of next week. Those that order sandblasting, they will be getting sandblasted next week and will ship out when finished, so expect those to start shipping around the end of next week. All the bumpers are test fit to an actual KJ during the build, and again once all welded up, to make sure there will be no fitment issues when you get them. The extra time allowed me to make a few slight improvements that adds more strength to the bumper. I know some of you have changed your shipping address recently, so those have been noted. If you haven't talked to me lately, and have had any changes to your shipping address or billing information, please let me know. I have the shipping amounts that I quoted previously already locked in on your invoices, so the 25% UPS inflated their large shipment prices will have no effect on you. I think everyone will be very happy with their bumpers, and I feel much happier with the improvements that wouldn't have been there had they shipped out months ago. I appreciate everyones understanding and patience. You guys have been very supportive and no one has given me any grief about the long delays. Things are moving much more smoothly with the business now, and I would like to give a big thanks to Ted (USAFCOP) who has spent a lot of his very little time off from work and school away from his family to help me out with these beasts. As some of you already know, I've had a couple reconstructive back surgeries, so I can't manage these bumpers by myself without ending up in the emergency room like I did a few months back, so I'm a little cautious about what I do as far as lifting goes.
I do already have another batch of rear bumpers in production, that my manufacturer told me today about 5 weeks out right now. Once I get those parts, I'll be gluing those together much faster now that I have a better assembly system and have worked out all the little bugs that came up during this first batch. This second batch is selling out pretty fast, and with my costs going up in shipping and materials, this will be the last batch at the intro price.
Front bumpers, still getting the bugs figured out on the prototypes. Prototypes aren't cheap, and they take time for my manufacturer to squeeze in being a one off item, so I am trying to get it right with as few prototypes as possible. I'm still planning on the first batch by early April, but as shown with the first batch of rear bumpers, unexpected delays come up.
For Skinks Sliders, in the very near future after getting caught up with getting this first batch of rear bumpers out of the way, I'm going to possibly make some slight modifications to the mounting brackets for the unibody mounts. Nothing too spectacular, but might make the assembly process a little easier to make build time much faster.
I guess for the big news. I'm making some changes to the business that I hoped I wouldn't have to do, but needs to be done. Being a one man business, with a wife, a 4 year old, and a 16 month old, I have been spending a lot of time with the business and very little time with the family. This is starting to have some effects on me and my family. As many of you will understand, having a business, such as mine, takes a lot of time and dedication to get it started and keep it going, especially in the first four of five years. This month is the start of my fourth year. It has been a rough journey with a lot of sacrifices, but with the way things have been recently I can't continue doing business the way I have been the last three years. I don't think it is fair to my family, with the many hours spent in the office and the shop and not with them, to my customers with the long delays, and myself with the physical and mental exhaustion trying to keep everyone happy. So, I have had to make some difficult decisions recently.
It all comes down to this. I have decided that until I can afford some full time help and a bigger shop, to start dropping out of the Cherokee product market for awhile and be a full time Liberty supporter. I can't be a full time supporter of both markets by myself, so the XJ stuff is going to go on hold. I have already dropped most of the companies that I was a vendor for, because I just don't have time to sell another companies products, nor do I make enough profit on them to make it worth my time. The Cherokee market is so competitive, and with all the chatrooms with a lot of bogus info and garbage products that are selling for little profit that I have to compete with, I just can't do it anymore until I can get some full time help to help pick up that end of the business. The KJ community has shown a lot of support for my business. I have seen other companies ask for interest in KJ products, and have been asked to make KJ products, just walk away. I watched this before getting into the KJ market myself, and was a little skeptical after watching interest lists build up to incredible amounts, then when the time came for people to "put their money where their mouth is", it was pretty dissappointing. I just happened to be in a position to take that chance with my business at the time. I can't remember the exact numbers, but I had an interest list for my rear bumpers before they went into production, and the numbers were up around forty I think. Now, I haven't hit that number yet, and a company can't expect to get anywhere near the numbers that are shown by interest, because most people want the product, plan to get the product, but don't have the funds to buy in right away. The first batch of rear bumpers, I sure wasn't going to buy 40 in the first batch, so I made up a batch that I thought I could afford if only 5 people on that list purchased. The first batch was completely sold out before I even got the parts from my manufacturer. I was truly impressed. And this second batch is about sold out as well, and I wouldn't be surprised it they are all gone before I get all the parts the end of February. I think the KJ community is a strong and supportive bunch, and I am happy how everyone has welcomed me into the group, not just as a vendor, but as a fellow wheeler and a friend. Although many of you wish for more products to be available for the KJ, I personally am happy they are not, because that allows me to work with you on a more personal level and try to design things the way the majority of customers want something, not just the way I want to build it. I keep an eye on what goes on here, and I know what people want, and I am doing everything I can behind the scenes to make new products beyond bumpers and sliders, and working with other companies to persuade them in making more products. I won't get into those details, but Ted and I go out to IHOP once or twice a week and just talk jeeps for several hours thinking up new stuff, and I send out emails and make phone calls whenever I can to other companies to get them interested in making more products that aren't available yet that I don't have the abilities to make myself. If you haven't been to my site recently, well, there isn't a whole lot listed because I just haven't had the time to rebuild my website (yes, I even built that website myself, and I have no idea what I am doing, so please don't make fun of me
), but I am a dealer for AllJ as well as Jeepin' Al. I'm working on being able to get anything any KJ owner will ever need so you can get it at one place, and even get it for less money. If you need anything, please contact me. I can't list all the products and prices on my site, but I can get almost anything for the KJ, from stock replacement parts, to all the good stuff to make your KJ an offroad machine to impress anyone.
I am a member and even the event coordinator for the LOST Rockies Colorado Chapter, and we have had a great time this last year hitting some very impressive trails. I don't own a KJ, and I probably never will, just because I'm not comfortable with the interior, but I have no problems taking my Cherokee out with a bunch of KJ guys on the trails. When your rig is extremely built, and you wheel with a bunch of Wranglers and Cherokees that are extremely built, the trails don't offer much of a challenge. Wheeling with the KJ guys here has been a lot of fun, because the KJ has some obvious handicaps, so the trails we have run have been very challenging, and to conquer these trails offers the greatest rewards.
OK, so this has gotten very long winded, so in short, thank your for your support and your business, and for a little while, I am all yours. I am going to work on new and interesting KJ products/armor like I have for the Cherokee, and with your help, we will get some much deserved recognition on the trails from the skeptics with their overbuilt Wranglers and Cherokees that look just like every other jeep on the road.
Thanks for your time.
Phew! My fingers hurt.
Speaking of which, I may have a couple of purchases coming your way in the near future.
