Self Defense from Libel and Defamation!!
Jill, the webmistress of this thread, has suggested that I refute Douglas B Meyers libelous statements about me on this thread. I believe Douglas B. Meyers is a composite pseudonym with authors inside Quadrax senior management and outside Quadrax. I could take "Doug" to court for defamation, and it is tempting, but it is easier to answer him here than to chase down which one wrote the malicious insults aimed at me. Further, I figure I had better get my licks in while I can, while the Q is still around! My apologies for the length of the five posts but I felt I should explain everything - that I can.
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In May/June 1996 I did some consulting for Mike Dorf and then he asked me to join him at Quadrax and take charge of the Vega business the Q had just bought. Mike hired me for my extensive experience in all kinds of composites; both thermoset, thermoplastic and high volume( ultranet.com ).
It soon became obvious that the Vega machine was not going to be the 'turnkey' operation that was promised. The snowboard was a joke as were the skates. I worked many 12 to 16 hour days in July, August and September to get the pultruder up and running and to develop the snowboard technology we would need. I still have a wardrobe of resin-soaked clothes from that time because the pultruder would jam frequently. The only way to clear it would be to get inside the machine and pull resin soaked fibers out of it!
By September I had samples of good hockey sticks (A-20's) and low-cost/high-performance snowboards. We presented these samples to the 'committed' customers that came with the Vega deal. These promised purchase orders vanished as quickly as Vega's owner, Sam Rabinowitz, had vanished.
We now had a product but it needed selling. Mike Dorf and Mike Buck were very busy at this time marketing and selling golf shafts. With Mike Ds support I began marketing and selling the hockey sticks. I resurrected the TP10 thermoplastic stick to add to the product line.
In October and November 96 I made contact with all the Major OEMs in hockey and also began putting together a network of reps to sell sticks directly under the Quad-force name. Mike Dorf and I contacted Power Stick in November to see if we could make a deal. In December/January I put together the basic technology we needed in the factory for finishing hockey sticks as a 'shelf-ready' product for retail sale. In late January we exhibited at the Montreal International Sports Exhibition - the major venue for hockey. Our products were well received, but as Johnny-come-lately's we were not yet 'real' for most of the OEMs. We also exhibited at the 'Super Show' in Atlanta a few weeks later.
During this period most working days were 12 to 16 hours long, but I don't think Jim Palermo or his VPs noticed since they would leave at 5pm promptly every day. I was working Saturdays as well and I did not take any vacation time around Christmas. Far from 'taking naps on company time', I was giving Quadrax 60 to 80 hour long weeks all through this time.
This post is long enough - more in another post. David |
