broken ring and funny world

Kong products remaining in stock include carabiner corner traps (ss & plastic), ss screw links and a few dbl handled ascenders in clearance.

In response to the "giant Sherrill corporate machine" topic again, this is one of those records (perceptions) that occasionally needs setting straight.

List of corporations (ref Google);

Bandit Industries 340 employees
Adobe 9,117
Bank of America 16,000
Google 20,200
Southwest Airlines 34,000

SherrillTree 47 ...soon to be 48

Our roots were first as a Bandit dealer with arborist supplies to serve our Nc clients. After years of personally visiting tree services i was able to hire a good and honest sales guy. Mark Boozer is still with me after 20+ years (now Silky rep).
Although I don't field orders anymore, as you might find with select competitors, I am still the go-to guy for most questions in the company. I plan, outline and write every catalog as i've done from the start. I art direct helpful tips and marketing campaigns. I meet with managers and employees daily and feel passionately about sponsoring training for tree workers. I'm there setting up trade shows and developing new products, etc. etc.
If anyone's looking for a conspiracy theory in this day and time it's that we and a few formidable competitors invest in all of this heavy lifting while some newcomers invest in none of it, chisel a few bucks off select items and package themselves as the greatest thing since Discount Joes. If anyone appreciates an industry-active supplier, and doesn't want to see arborist tools degrade to the simplest form of price and picture in the new digital era, then be careful where you send your business.

Cheers all.
 
Well said Tobe.

It's no secret that Tobe is a close personal friend of mine. I won't apologize for that or for saying what I am about to say. The reason he is a personal friend is that he is a good and genuine person that is very professional yet personable.

I have known Tobe for years. I have never known him to make any quick decisions regarding anything of importance and never based solely on money. This is a character trait that does not reveal itself in many people in this day and age.

SherrillTree has always done "the right thing" when we are involved. Years and years of support to safety and training events, money invested in sharing useful tips, countless hours spent scouring the world for new gear that we might put to good use and so on. That is why we should all support SherrillTree when we get a chance to.

That said, Tobe and SherrillTreee are not alone here. This industry is packed full of fantastic people and companies who care about what we do and how they can help us in the process. I am not going to list names because it will take all day. If I get the chance to speak my mind on their behalf in the future I will. I will just stick to is situation right now.

[ QUOTE ]


If you no longer promote or sell kong I swear I'll kiss you on the lips



[/ QUOTE ]
That's freaking me out a bit Marc.
tongue.gif
 
This thread ended, 2-28-2011.

People on treebuzz today are already making posts about promoting kong products.

I was proud when we seemed to pull together and tell a company that we were no longer going to use their products.

Less than three years later, some seem to forget.

What changed?

If it was your own brother or your Dad that fell and could have died because of a broken Kong ring. (really, think about your brother or Dad) and then they lived, but ended up in the hospital..... Then your family member asked just for the help with the medical bills only....

then the company {Kong} stated basically that, " it was used in competition and not for it's intended use and we ain't paying shhit". (dramatization summary)

Would you be buying Kong products today?
 
I didn’t know. Thanks for bringing it to the fore David. No more Kong for me.

One of the most exciting things about the Internet is it’s potential for use for social justice, in a world where too many can afford none.
 
I don't use any Kong products at all, especially not since this happened. For me it's more about the way they shafted this dude than anything. I wonder though, which gear manufacturer has had the most failures in this industry?
 
I won't ever knowingly give them my hard earned money for anything. I kinda scratched my head when reading the recent kong threads.

Kong made me question every Italian climbing product manufacturer. I didn't want to but I bought a CT steel ring for my saddle cause no one carries the ISC steel rings, and I don't do aluminum.
 
Any ABR Dealer has access to the ISC Steel Rings. They are made in Wales and stamped with a 70 kN ratng.
 
I wouldnt use a Kong product for personal safety, and I hate to say it...but I love my modified Futura hand ascender. Taking the cam lock off it gives it a whole new meaning. If someone else made that, I wouldnt buy anything from Kong.
 
Well, I guess we are all brothers then and we DO care about how a big company treats us. Nice to see the reaction and to see KONG is not "forgiven" already.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Shouldn't we be putting the same light on weaver ? The solution for their screw up is that we should replace bridges every six months.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know much about the weaver thing. You talking about the cougar saddle I guess?

I try to replace my bridge on my Dragonfly every year, seems like a good idea. I buy several bridges at once, so I have them on hand instead of needing to order them. We replace hand saw blades often for $35-45 (I swear they don't last like they used to and I conspire that it is on purpose), so we shouldn't mind a bridge I would think.
 
Reading up on this story and the events but I have a question and hope I didn't just miss the answer but what happened to the ring after the fall? Who has it now? Where did it go? Was it checked by a metallurgist? Was it cracked? Was it the wrong mix if material? Was it cast or welded? Defect in manufacture? If so what defect? And other questions I don't know to ask?
 
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