Request from RG techie [RE-wrenches]

[Doug Pratt]

Smitty wrote:

> I'm not sure about this, but I think it is not just RG at issue here. To
> my knowledge, an outfit called Gaiam was in the process of, or, already
> has procured RG. Gaiam has already bought Jade Mountain. JM, now Gaiam,
> has been a customer of mine (solar thermal), and it has been, shall I
> say, at times a strenuous relationship. I would be curious to get Doug's
> take on this new behemoth retailer.
>
> Since I am new to the list, and am much more of a thermal wrench, I will
> leave this to the rest of you, but would like the skinny on Gaiam. Now,
> have to get out to the Solar Power Tower at Sandia Labs. We're melting
> Buicks today.
>
> BS Steve and John deserve each other, ya think?

Steve Troy (of Jade Mtn.) and John Schaeffer were the original partners that
started Real Goods in 1978. They split up in one of the ugliest, nastiest,
partnership feuds I've ever heard about in about 1984. I wasn't working for
RG then, but Ukiah here's a small town. Now Gaiam, the purveyor of new-age
harmony and bliss, has bought both their companies. This is just too good!
There have been rumors of a ceremonial hug happening, but I think it's going
to be up to the photo wizards in the Graphics dept to put together a "hug."

  Is all of this going to be a good thing for RG or Jade Mtn.?  Beats me!
What I do know is that John's got his golden parachute, and he's probably
retiring in a couple years. THAT is a good thing!

  Should you wrenches worry about the 900 lb gorilla of catalog marketing?
I don't think so.  As several folks have noted already, RG prices are
usually easy enough to get under, and the biz is increasingly expanding into
more upscale markets who want a pro to put it all together for them. The
do-it-yourself backwoodser is a smaller and smaller market segment. I
actually see more work for small regional wrenches in the future, and less
for catalog retailers.
-Doug

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