QB Factory is gone....

Phil · #1 02-04-2009, 01:48 PM

[ed. Factory not really gone (go to this link for info). dr]

First, I'm not trying to start ANY rumor. I am just trying to share what I know becuase this isn't widely known.

I ordered a QB fuse from Vans in early December and according to the website their expected QB ship time was estimated to be a max of three months. Disappointing, but that's just part of the rules. No problem.

My scheduled date has now been pushed into April. Again - not the greatest of news.

Just last week, a buddy of mine ordered his QB fuse. He got an unusually long lead time too. He was told the QB factory was being "relocated" and that's why the lead times are extended.

I thought I'd do a little more digging into the rumor and I visited the factory website hoping to get an update on the move.

www.bonanzametalcrafters.com

Bonanza Metalcrafter's site is gone.

So now you can see the root of my concern.

I just called Vans and got the update. Bonanza Metalcrafters is no longer in business. They closed their doors in Nov and terminated all of their employees.

Apparently their management is opening another company in a different location. Currently they're in the process of re-tooling their facility and trying to hire some new employees. (God, I hope they know how to use a rivet gun and buck rivets correctly!)

Needless to say, I'm very concerned.

It looks like I'm going to get one of the first QB fuses off the newly tooled line. And I'm going to get one of the first fuses a new employee has ever seen/assembled/riveted.

If you're thinking of getting a QB in the next couple of months. You should probably wait. You're going to have to wait anyway and might as well let these guys get some rivets under their belt first.

Just FYI......

Phil

rocketbob · #2 02-04-2009, 02:31 PM

I know a couple of years ago they tried working with hpa, who made F1's for Mark Frederick. For whatever reason that didn't work out, but I remember the rumors being they were looking for a second source.

What I don't understand is with the degree of prefab now in the kits why can't they find some economically depressed town and set up a facility here in the US? Of course it would be more expensive, but by how much...?

Transporter · #3 02-04-2009, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketbob

I know a couple of years ago they tried working with hpa, who made F1's for Mark Frederick. For whatever reason that didn't work out, but I remember the rumors being they were looking for a second source.

What I don't understand is with the degree of prefab now in the kits why can't they find some economically depressed town and set up a facility here in the US? Of course it would be more expensive, but by how much...?

Like maybe Kerrville, TX, Vero Beach, FL or Independence, KS? They already know how to buck rivets...
Mike

andrew phillips · #4 02-04-2009, 02:51 PM

When you get Americans to work for $1 - $2 /hr then they will relocate to a US city. Unfortunately there is no substitute for third world cheap labor. In my industry (Wood products manufacturing) the Chinese pay their employees for one month less than what my guys earn in one day. Luckily they don't make custom stuff so my customers still have to deal with me :-)

rwhittier · #5 02-04-2009, 03:15 PM

Before retiring I spent a lot of time in the Philippines and had a number of employees based there (also many other countries). All Filipino employees made a small fraction of their US counterparts. In a small mfg company wages would be somewhere between $100 to $200 per month more likely in the middle of that. And the burden rate was also low (benefits mainly).

Its sad really, no way the US mfg sector can compete on price. See this link if you want to be shocked at wages... http://www.worldsalaries.org/philippines.shtml

Rough numbers, expect up to a 10X increase in the labor content (not insignificant on a airplane) costs - offset by reduced freight of course. Then add back in some likely "incentive" (tax almost certainly - but also low cost utilities, land, facilities, etc...) to locate there that you could not get in most US locations. Environmental compliance would certainly cost more. I also would like to see it here, but it would not be a trivial increase.

Glad I got my QB a while ago... and while I understand the process and numbers above, don't shoot the messenger - I hate the way it works out for american workers and wish we could change it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketbob

What I don't understand is with the degree of prefab now in the kits why can't they find some economically depressed town and set up a facility here in the US? Of course it would be more expensive, but by how much...?

Sam Buchanan · #6 02-04-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil

If you're thinking of getting a QB in the next couple of months. You should probably wait. You're going to have to wait anyway and might as well let these guys get some rivets under their belt first.

Just FYI......

Phil

The standard kits are so highly refined these days I have to wonder about the necessity of the QB kits' existence............

Keep in mind the airframe (standard kit) is only about 1/2 of the total project time investment.

Don Jones · #7 02-04-2009, 05:27 PM

A friend ordered his wing kit and a QB Fuse in mid December. Partain delivered both last week. He was originally told 3 months for the QB Fuse then Vans called him up and said they were going to ship both of them together? That was the 2nd week of January. They must have had a cancellation or something and had one in stock.

mcjon77 · #8 02-04-2009, 05:29 PM

The number of homebuilt suppliers that do offshore construction and where they go is quite interesting.

The Bearhawks kit construction facility is in Mexico.
Pulsar has moved to El Salvador
Before Murphy virtually closed up, their quickbuild shop was in El Salvador as well.
Doesn't Steve Saint have a setup with an indian tribe in Equador where they take slow build RV-10s and bring them to the quickbuild status?

Maybe this would be a nice retirement oportunity for some enterprising RVer. Move to some tropical paradise (with low wages). Open up a quickbuild factory, and spend the rest of your years helping people get closer to creating their dream planes.

dedgemon · #9 02-04-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan

The standard kits are so highly refined these days I have to wonder about the necessity of the QB kits' existence............

Keep in mind the airframe (standard kit) is only about 1/2 of the total project time investment.

Sam's right. I've found that I can build a standard kit airframe in about the same time as the lead time for the QB. Maybe less. Total calendar time on my '8 was about 10 months for tail, wings, and fuse.

(Nope, I'm not retired. I do typically put in 1-2 hours a day and maybe 8 on the weekend. And yes I still have some time to fly)

Ironflight · #10 02-04-2009, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcjon77

Maybe this would be a nice retirement oportunity for some enterprising RVer. Move to some tropical paradise (with low wages). Open up a quickbuild factory, and spend the rest of your years helping people get closer to creating their dream planes.

I was under the impression that is what Bonanza Metal Crafters basically was....