Another business in California closes its doors

[Dissipate]

Dec. 8, 2005, 10:51PM

CUSTOM SURFBOARDS
Closing of foam block supplier could wipe out some retailers
Staying afloat will be harder
By GILLIAN FLACCUS
Associated Press

S AN CLEMENTE, CALIF. - For more than 40 years, everyone from weekend wave riders to top competitive surfers shared one thing: customized boards that began as nondescript foam blocks mass-produced by one Southern California company.

Clark Foam, an icon in California surf culture, enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the blocks that have been shaped and hand-painted by everyone from backyard do-it-yourselfers to design shops that churn out thousands of handcrafted boards each year.

That's why the company's sudden closure this week has the laid-back but thriving cottage industry fearing a wipeout.

Boards that cost between $300 and $800 have soared by as much as $200 at some smaller shops. Manufacturers are scrambling to secure the last supplies of the polyurethane foam blanks, customers are hoarding custom-made boards and thousands of specialty board shapers, air brushers and workers who coat boards with fiberglass face unemployment.

"Everybody's figuring how they're going to get on with their life," said Chris Mauro, editor of Surfer Magazine, which first broke the story on its Web site Tuesday. "There's probably a shortage of 2,000 boards a week globally now. It'll be months before things are back up to speed where any Joe Blow can get a blank ? maybe even years."

Clark Foam supplied the unshaped blanks for about 90 percent of all custom-made boards purchased worldwide ? and those boards make up nearly three-quarters of the total international market, said Bjorn Deboer of Stewart Surfboards, a major custom-made retailer and designer in San Clemente. The rest of the $200 million U.S. market is composed of machine-produced boards mostly churned out at factories in Asia and Eastern Europe.

A handful of small U.S. companies also produce foam, but Mauro said not in great enough quantities to fill the gap.

In a letter to customers Monday explaining his closure, company founder Gordon "Grubby" Clark said he has increasingly been in trouble with state and local government because of his nonstandard production machinery ? most of which he designed himself ? and his use of toxic and polluting chemicals.

He said he spent $500,000 in fire code fixes, another $400,000 defending himself against an employee's lawsuit and faced buying a multimillion-dollar scrubber to comply with emissions law. He also battled with the Environmental Protection Agency over pollution issues at his Laguna Niguel-based company.

Local and federal officials said Clark was in compliance with all laws and rejected the claim they were to blame for his demise.

Clark, who opened his company in 1961, revolutionized the surfboard in 1958 when he and surfing pioneer Hobie Alter poured resin over foam to create an all-foam board. The foam boards were durable, but had better flexibility than wooden boards that had previously been the hobby's standard.

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Another productive, job producing company bites the dust in CA. This place is going to be a complete socialist wasteland within 20 years if the bureaucrats and green eye shade boys keep it up. :thumbsup:

 

[Genx87]

California is a great experiment for the rest of the country. As it fails lets hope the rest of the country takes note and doesnt allow the same to happen to their state.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: Dissipate
Another productive, job producing company bites the dust in CA. This place is going to be a complete socialist wasteland within 20 years if the bureaucrats and green eye shade boys keep it up. :thumbsup:

The only problem and factor the CA government fails to realize is that without companies to provide tax base and jobs their "ideal socialist democray" is not tenable. Pretty soon there won't be enough income in the state to allow 3 families to pool their funds and buy a house yet the ostriches think everything is fine.

 

[RightIsWrong]

Wait a second.....are you implying, from your title/subtitle, that employees should be forced to work in a building that is a fire hazard and/or a toxic work environment? The article doesn't state what the lawsuit was about other than it was brought about by an employee. IF, not knowing the details on the suit, he was doing something illegal, is that really the courts fault?

I'm so tired of people that can't run a freaking business blaming everyone/everything but themselves and their own decisions and actions. So much for the "personal responsibilty" era.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Genx87
California is a great experiment for the rest of the country. As it fails lets hope the rest of the country takes note and doesnt allow the same to happen to their state.

Are you kidding? "As it fails"? California certainly has a lot of problems, but most of them are fixable, and California probably has the best state economy in the country. What is it, 15% of US GDP or something along those lines?

 

[Harvey]

California leads the nation in environmental protection because the interaction of our weather paterns and our geography interact to strengthen the impact of many pollutants in the environment.

I feel for the owners of businesses that are impacted by legislation intended to limit the impact of environmental pollutants, but that's not an excuse to allow them to continue polluting in light of newer information proving the dangers of allowing them to continue.

If the scienece behind the legislation is good, this isn't a matter of conservative vs. liberal thing, and it's not a matter of "big government" hammering "the little guy." It's a matter of government being the representative of all the people and correctly using its power to mitigate or remove hazards to all Californians.

Don't like it? Don't move here... PLEASE!

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Harvey
California leads the nation in environmental protection because the interaction of our weather paterns and our geography interact to strengthen the impact of many pollutants in the environment.

I feel for the owners of businesses that are impacted by legislation intended to limit the impact of environmental pollutants, but that's not an excuse to allow them to continue polluting in light of newer information proving the dangers of allowing them to continue.

If the scienece behind the legislation is good this isn't a matter of conservative vs. liberal thing, and it's not a matter of "big government" hammering "the little guy." It's a matter of government being the representative of all the people and correctly using its power to mitigate or remove hazards to all Californians.

Don't like it? Don't move here... PLEASE!

I think that's what I liked so much about California when I lived there...the relative lack of the kind of people who hate California. They're so unpleasant 😉

 

[ntdz]

California's govt is pathetic. Arnold is doing all he can to try and fix it, but the democratic legislature and idiot voters who vote against all his proposals undermine him.

 

[Ldir]

Originally posted by: Dissipate
Another productive, job producing company bites the dust in CA. This place is going to be a complete socialist wasteland within 20 years if the bureaucrats and green eye shade boys keep it up. :thumbsup:

How many new businesses opened in California this year? How many did not close?

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: Ldir

Originally posted by: Dissipate
Another productive, job producing company bites the dust in CA. This place is going to be a complete socialist wasteland within 20 years if the bureaucrats and green eye shade boys keep it up. :thumbsup:

How many new businesses opened in California this year? How many did not close?

The fact of the matter with California is that businesses are leaving b/c the environment to conduct business there is horrible. You have regulations, over the top taxes, etc... Do you know how much it costs for a permit to build a house here? over $100,000...

 

[techs]

I would like to know what kind of emissions his factory was putting out. Were they killing people, ruining peoples health, polluting something that another industry needed, etc?
It is AMAZING how people have jumped on this guys being asked to comply with environmental regs as something bad, without knowing any of the specifics. Not to mention the article is in a Houston, Texas newspaper. Where are the California articles?

 

[techs]

Or perhaps this is closer to what happened:
here
Rumors are running rampant as to the reason for the shut down, but none have yet been confirmed. Some are hearing the company voluntarily shut things down after being slapped one too many times by the EPA. Other versions are that federal agents actually came in and mandated it shut down. Sources closest to Clark Foam insiders say a letter came to Clark Foam headquarters from a government agency that triggered the shocking move. What the letter stated remains a mystery.

 

[Ldir]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: Ldir

Originally posted by: Dissipate
Another productive, job producing company bites the dust in CA. This place is going to be a complete socialist wasteland within 20 years if the bureaucrats and green eye shade boys keep it up. :thumbsup:

How many new businesses opened in California this year? How many did not close?

The fact of the matter with California is that businesses are leaving b/c the environment to conduct business there is horrible. You have regulations, over the top taxes, etc... Do you know how much it costs for a permit to build a house here? over $100,000...

You did not answer my questions.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Dissipate
Topic Title: Another business in California closes its doors
Topic Summary: Bureaucrats and court system shut down surfboard foam supplier

Another productive, job producing company bites the dust in CA. This place is going to be a complete socialist wasteland within 20 years if the bureaucrats and green eye shade boys keep it up. :thumbsup:

Good, this follows the Republican business model of the new America that we don't need any manufacturing or jobs here anyway. <shrugs>

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: ntdz
California's govt is pathetic. Arnold is doing all he can to try and fix it, but the democratic legislature and idiot voters who vote against all his proposals undermine him.

Yeah, how dare those voters actually....vote!

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Ldir
The fact of the matter with California is that businesses are leaving b/c the environment to conduct business there is horrible. You have regulations, over the top taxes, etc... Do you know how much it costs for a permit to build a house here? over $100,000...

HAHAHAAHA. Are you seriously claiming it costs over 100,000 to get the permits to build a house in California???

More to the point is that California has been the hardest hit state by outsourcing. And idiots who claim that if we could just lower wages or ease up on pollution regulations are just that, idiots.
Jobs are going to China because the people there make the same in a week as Americans make in a couple of hours. In China you can pour poison on the streets and if your workers get sick and die from your negligence you just go out an hire some more desperate people.
We are CIVILIZED in America. We don't want our kids and ourselves to die needlessly from poisons in our air and water.
And since brutal dictatorships don't care if their people die we will always be at a disadvantage in competing on price in America.
So don't blame California for the loss of jobs. Blame the Bushies and big business that will send EVERY job possible to wherever it can be done cheapest. Its not malevolence, its just pure capitalism with out restraint.
Which is why the country must ACT to save its economic future.

 

[zendari]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: ntdz
California's govt is pathetic. Arnold is doing all he can to try and fix it, but the democratic legislature and idiot voters who vote against all his proposals undermine him.

Yeah, how dare those voters actually....vote!

They deserve what they vote for.

 

[Starbuck1975]

I'm so tired of people that can't run a freaking business blaming everyone/everything but themselves and their own decisions and actions. So much for the "personal responsibilty" era.

I'm so tired of people who can't hold a job/bother to raise their kids/abuse drugs & alcohol...blaming everyone/everything but themselves and their own decisions and actions. So much for the "personal responsibilty" era.

 

[Todd33]

Originally posted by: zendari

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: ntdz
California's govt is pathetic. Arnold is doing all he can to try and fix it, but the democratic legislature and idiot voters who vote against all his proposals undermine him.

Yeah, how dare those voters actually....vote!

They deserve what they vote for.

Same goes for Bush voters, they sure have buyers remorse.

I'm waiting for proof that a house permit cost $100,000. I'll ask my cousin tomorrow at the family holiday party, he owns a construction company near Sac.

 

[zendari]

Originally posted by: Todd33

Originally posted by: zendari
They deserve what they vote for.

Same goes for Bush voters, they sure have buyers remorse.

I'm waiting for proof that a house permit cost $100,000. I'll ask my cousin tomorrow at the family holiday party, he owns a construction company near Sac.

I know I have no buyers remorse, but for some people that might be true.

Maybe when liberals and Arnold screw over California enough they will realize the truth.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: zendari

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: ntdz
California's govt is pathetic. Arnold is doing all he can to try and fix it, but the democratic legislature and idiot voters who vote against all his proposals undermine him.

Yeah, how dare those voters actually....vote!

They deserve what they vote for.

Yet if can afford it it's still the best place to live in the US.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: zendari

Originally posted by: Todd33

Originally posted by: zendari
They deserve what they vote for.

Same goes for Bush voters, they sure have buyers remorse.

I'm waiting for proof that a house permit cost $100,000. I'll ask my cousin tomorrow at the family holiday party, he owns a construction company near Sac.

I know I have no buyers remorse, but for some people that might be true.

Maybe when liberals and Arnold screw over California enough they will realize the truth.

Where is this fantasy that California is being "screwed over" coming from? Certainly the facts tend to disagree, California has its fair share of problems (maybe more than that) but it is still the richest and most productive state in the country, and there is no shortage of people wanting to live there.

 

[Sysbuilder05]

The fact of the matter with California is that businesses are leaving b/c the environment to conduct business there is horrible. You have regulations, over the top taxes, etc... Do you know how much it costs for a permit to build a house here? over $100,000...[/quote]


Really?!?!? Building permit costs in Shasta,California.....

http://www.co.shasta.ca.us/Departments/Resourcemgmt/drm/bldg.htm

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: zendari

Originally posted by: Todd33

Originally posted by: zendari
They deserve what they vote for.

Same goes for Bush voters, they sure have buyers remorse.

I'm waiting for proof that a house permit cost $100,000. I'll ask my cousin tomorrow at the family holiday party, he owns a construction company near Sac.

I know I have no buyers remorse, but for some people that might be true.

Maybe when liberals and Arnold screw over California enough they will realize the truth.

Where is this fantasy that California is being "screwed over" coming from? Certainly the facts tend to disagree, California has its fair share of problems (maybe more than that) but it is still the richest and most productive state in the country, and there is no shortage of people wanting to live there.

Well when yiou consider it ios larger than most countries and has the fifth largest economy in the world it's problem seem rather minor in comparison comapred to Russia. China and ...America. Ahhnold might not be the best leader but at least he isn't a total fsck up like the Dub.

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: Sysbuilder05

The fact of the matter with California is that businesses are leaving b/c the environment to conduct business there is horrible. You have regulations, over the top taxes, etc... Do you know how much it costs for a permit to build a house here? over $100,000...

Really?!?!? Building permit costs in Shasta,California.....

http://www.co.shasta.ca.us/Departments/Resourcemgmt/drm/bldg.htm

[/quote]

Including zoning and all that stuff, the permit fees are ridiculous.