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skydiverek

No more Relative Workshop...

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There is United Parachute Technologies now :)
"09.14.06

Relative Workshop Name Change

The uninsured Relative Workshop will commence trading under the new name of (the) uninsured United Parachute Technologies, LLC from 1 October 2006. This will allow Bill Booth to gather his many existing companies under one name, and will allow the company to implement a new business model more inline with modern day business practices, which in turn will fulfill our future needs for growth and diversity.



The uninsured Relative Workshop has been trading for over 30 years utilizing the same business model and now it is time for change!

What does this change mean to our customers??

Apart from some changes in email addresses and our website, there will be no major change in the way that we do business with our customers – apart from the fact that we will be streamlining the way that we operate and providing a better service. As a courtesy, United Parachute Technologies will continue to honor the one year warranty on Vector 3 products produced by Relative Workshop prior to the 1 October 2006 changeover date.

We do ask that during this changeover time that you ensure you make payment to Relative Workshop on Relative Workshop invoices, and to United Parachute Technologies on United Parachute Technologies invoices.

We are very excited about this change – we will continue to develop more new Vector 3 innovations, and also to diversify into other areas. Although we are sad to say farewell to the Relative Workshop name, we are looking forward to the future, and will continue to produce skydiving equipment using the highest technology."

http://www.relativeworkshop.com/home.html

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For those of us that are stupid (read: me) whats with the "uninsured" part of the name?

Is it something to do with American business law or just a play on words at how dangerous skydiving is?


------
Two of the three voices in my head agree with you. It might actually be unanimous but voice three only speaks Welsh.

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For those of us that are stupid (read: me) whats with the "uninsured" part of the name?

Is it something to do with American business law or just a play on words at how dangerous skydiving is?



In court the company is not allowed to say that is has no insurance. But it is difficult to hide your name :)

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Many years ago Bill got tired of being sued everytime somebody bounced. Even if his product had nothing to do with it, they still went after him because he had insurance. So he dropped his product liability insurance. I remember him being very happy the day I gave him a bumper sticker that read: "First we kill all the lawyers". I think he had that on his van for quite a while.

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For those of us that are stupid (read: me) whats with the "uninsured" part of the name?

Is it something to do with American business law or just a play on words at how dangerous skydiving is?



Insurance companies make easy collections for plaintiff's lawyers. Cash on hand to pay a judgment or settlement. Telling plaintiffs lawyers that you are uninsured tells them that if they want any money, they will have to work their asses off to collect it.

Hence, it gives the appearance of being "judgment proof" - that any monetary judgment is merely blood from the company of stone...


My wife is hotter than your wife.

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I thought that Relative Workshop was one of the strongest brand names in the industry. Why give that up for such a boring name as United Parachute Technologies?

Consolidating companies and changing business models can be done without changing business names. I don't know USA's business laws, but can't different tradenames be used in different markets?

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I very much dislike this name change. Oh well. Still a good product, but I don't think I will be wearing any "United Parachute Technologies" t-shirts or having that crap embroidered on my rig.
~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

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Well for starters Bill i myself am not an american and i think your product is the biggest name right around the world with skydiving, at least if i meet people around the world people know that vector equals realative workshop, i do not believe that is the same with Javelin and sunpath products.

Your new name... Untied parachute tech sounds like united states of america, like if europe was called united states of europe... people that are not american do not want.... well, what i am trying to say is your new name just sounds too american, and i think it will reflect in other countries...

You are a modest person Bill but i think if you are changing your name you could be a bit vein as you have earnt that right and if you ask anyone, people buy your product cause it is YOUR product, your testing, your development... After taking a drive to the airport with Pablo after summerfest and they way he spoke of you, i can see you are one very good man.

Hence why i think your name is what is selling the product and it is about time you used your name to sell the product..... 'Bill Booth Technologies'.
if you have other investors who have come on board they too would see that your name is the way of the future of your business.

Bill Booth technologies. 'BBT'.


.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

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>>Why on earth would a business with such a strong name give it up for a new name?<<

Probably military contracts . . . that market (worldwide) is much bigger than the sport market and something all sport gear manufacturers would like to crack. Pioneer Parachutes, a name that was bigger than the RWS in their day, disappeared completely from the sport market.

The Relative Workshop brand means nothing to military procurement people who are used to dealing with contractors like the below and to whom the government dropped 269 billion on last year.

LOCKHEED MARTIN
THE BOEING COMPANY
RAYTHEON & HUGHES
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
TEXTRON INC
LITTON INDUSTRIES, INC

If just one small NATO country decides to start an airborne branch of their military that contract would be worth more than many year's worth of selling to individual skydivers. Also there's no more whining about colors, no more fun fabric, no more, "Gee, what's a Skyhook . . .? And most of all no more getting sued by civilians.

Besides, the 82nd Airborne isn't going to jump into the next war wearing Wonderhogs, lol . . .

NickD :)BASE 194

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Fair point, does not mean they need to change there name for this though. Look at sunpath in the uk with the military.

I think Bill likes the challenge of us skydiver whinning and challenging him with his products and skyhook or i doubt he would be doing it.

I doubt very much that sport skydiver would ever lose his product in the sport fields, that would be like taking his creativity from him.


.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

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Suggest: RWS, LLC

Just the initials, so you don't lose the branding.

IBM used to be...
EDS used to be...
AT&T used to be...
ABC used to be...
CBS used to be...
CNN used to be...

All of whom acquired other organizations or developed additional product/service offerings under the "initials" parent company.

If the name changes, the ripple effect of new/existing contracts, new waivers, re-registration as government vendor, new logo TM filings, re-filing of D&B for government contracts, loss of time as an entity related to government contracts, etc.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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All right...Give me a better one. You've got one week.



What are you trying to convey with your new name?
~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

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Three Rings, LLC



along those lines...

Three (or 3) Rings Solutions - TRS/3RS

Everybody knows who to thank for that little wonder B|

The military loves abbrev/acronymn, whatever you do, make sure you name it so the abbrev or acronymn looks good. BIGGUN and NickDG are right, procurement folks are an odd breed, and its certainly much easier to NOT re-invent the wheel when dealing with them (i.e. give them what they already know and like).

I agree though, you lose some of the rep and branding associated with RWS by making a significant change to United Parachute Tech. Maybe a name that incorporates some of the old will help you keep that momentum and recognition. Course, in the contracting world, people change their business cards like their underwear, and its' your name that really counts...

Alternatively, can't you just file a DBA or something? Have your corp UPT but then do the DBA for the sport business so it stays RWS? I used to work for a Corp selling IT equipment to the DoD and US Fed Gov, we had a DBA name separate from the actual Corp name. The DBA name was constructed specifically for the procurement process, it was "gov" centric. It went on all RFP/RFQ and it was tied to our D&B # and Cage Code. The Corp name, OTOH, was the two owner's last names, Inc. I don't think our customers ever really saw the other name, the only time I saw it was on the paycheck or internal garbage.

Good luck with whatever you choose!
Does whisky count as beer? - Homer
There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner
Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

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