MOTM

Hi all,

Since Paul S. just posted an update, I thought I might do the same.

Today I started work on the new Stooge website.  The new website 
will include an e-store with a shopping cart to make ordering 
easier.  

You will be able to visit the site by either going to 
www.stoogeindustries.com or www.synthsystems.com.  Please note there 
is nothing there yet.  In addition you will be able to order by fax 
anytime or by phone during our regular business hours.  The new 
website will have lots of pictures and info.

We presently have in stock all of the bracket products with the 
exception of the 3 hole short brackets.  We have a new metal vendor 
who is making up several hundred of these and should have them soon.

We also have some flat rail stock, but not a lot.  We will be 
ordering more of those soon.

We are completely out of endcaps.  We will be making more of these 
when we do the next panel run.

We are going to stock a number of stooge cables.  You will be able 
to order custom sizes and colors as in the past, but you may have to 
wait several months until we have enough orders to meet certain 
pricing breaks.  Or you will be able to order from stock.  We still 
have to make the decision as to which sizes and colors we will keep 
on hand.  The idea is that if you are willing to take stock cables 
you won't have to wait to get them.

That brings us to panels.  We will be doing a panel run sometime 
soon.  We ask you to be patient.  As we have posted before, we 
intend to find a better way of doing this.  At this point it looks 
like we will build two dies and punch all 1U and 2U panels out in 
house.  That does not mean that all 1U and 2U panels will come with 
all the holes punched out.  What it means is that we will have the 
option of doing that as long as the layout of the panel falls within 
certain standards.  Otherwise we will still offer a drilling or 
milling service.  Please note that we cannot stock blank panels with 
the holes punched.  But we will stock blank unmarked panels to speed 
up the process. 

Panels will still be available with the Synth Tech standard Polan 
finish.  We may also offer anodized panels.  That has yet to be 
decided.

We are going to run tests to see if we can make 100% Synth Tech 
compatible panels using a laser engraver and some kind of wiping 
process to fill the letters.  If this works out we will be able to 
offer 100% SynthTech compatible panels at a lower price than 
previously possible and with much faster turnaround.  If it doesn't 
work out we will still offer SynthTech compatible panels but the 
price will remain relatively high because we will still have to use 
silkscreening.

We also do intend to offer some sort of custom panel service for 
those who are willing to try something different.  We will keep you 
posted on what the options will be as we further develop this idea.  

Several of you have asked about SKB backs.  We have not yet decided 
whether to continue with this as a stooge product.  We need to 
certify our new metal vendor in terms of quality and reliability.  
If that happens we will examine the issue of SKB products.

Dave and I have a lot of ideas for expanding the stooge product 
line.  We will start looking further ahead once we are no longer 
looking back.

We are still trying to tie up some loose ends from the passing of 
our friend Larry.  For those people who were having Larry do custom 
work, please be assured that Dave and I will see to your 
satisfaction at the earliest possible time.  

Finally, I want to say a little about doing order fulfillment for 
Paul S.

It has been a little over a year since my company started doing this 
and we are still working some bugs out.  We still run out of parts 
occasionally, and as I think everyone knows we especially have 
problems getting sheet metal work in a timely fashion.  Paul and I 
are pretty much in daily communication.  We are still improving how 
we do this.  In the last few months we have been able to ship over 
95% of the module kits we handle from stock.  We hope to improve on 
that in 2006.

I want to thank Paul for giving me the opportunity to help.  It has 
given me a great deal of personal satisfaction to be able to 
contribute.

I also want to thank Dave Bradley and Jim and Marcus Hendry for the 
opportunity to get more involved in the DIY community and for 
allowing me to become a stooge.

And lastly thank you for your continuing patience.  I promise it 
will be worth it.

Paul Haneberg