# Irwin quick-grip xp600



## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Today, I was running errands and needed some items for Molly - our Boston Terrier. Molly represents a major "income stream" for PETsMART, as she is addicted to Greenies [dog treats] to the tune of about $35.00 per week. Anyway, there is a Home Depot next door and I needed to kill some time while a guy I would later meet with was out for lunch. Up and down the tool aisle at this Home Depot is fun, because it is one of the really big - full size stores and it stays well-stocked.

I was looking for some one-handed clamps and found IRWIN QUICK-GRIP, these are the Heavy Duty XP600 in 12" size. The label says it has 600 lb capacity. In the past, I've had slippage problems with similar lighter-duty clamps. I bought a pair @ $50.00. Do any of you have any comments about this particular (NEW?) type of clamp?

I tried to read where they were made, but it was so small that an ant would need to squat-down and squint to read it. Later, when I got home; with my magnifier - I was able to see "Made in China to IRWIN specifications". I guess now that I have them, I'll not take them back; but it will be interesting to see how they perform.

I like the fact that one-handed clamps do not twist like C or F style clamps, which can be critical in small-part glue-ups.

Thanks so much!
Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## richtink (Dec 5, 2012)

I have a dozen of these clamps and they performe very well.


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

I have 2 also and no problems yet, they clamp a little straighter than the older ones


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Don't have that kind of money for clamps, fixed income you know. So, I check out Big Lots periodically, and every once in awhile find one-hand quick clamps, made of metal, for usually $2 each. Work like a champ. It's not that I'm cheap, just that usually I am broke, or close to it.


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## allbarknobite (Sep 15, 2011)

*Molly rules*



OPG3 said:


> ...Molly represents a major "income stream" for PETsMART.
> ...a Home Depot next door


Hi Otis,

From your comment about your Molly supporting Petsmart, I reflected on my ongoing support of Rockler, MLCS, Lee Valley Tools, Lowes, and Home Depot. 

While I don't spend huge sums of money in any of those places, I apparently "stream" enough money their way to have a constant supply of their catalogs. 
I can use up my so-called discretionary income in a matter of minutes.

Tried using the cheap Harbor Freight clamps ($2), and most slip unless you use a file to rough up the bar. 

I am making a big effort in 2013 to avoid buying tools made in China, and seeking out higher quality tools made in the USA, Canada, and Japan. especially the "Veritas" line of tools at Lee Valley Tools.

Could use some of your rain here in California.
ttyl
Mark


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Richard and Warren, Thanks for your feedback! I don't often need that type of clamp in that size, but I had noticed that some of my older ones (of the same brand), yet light duty seem to often slip. One-handed is great, but slippage nullifies the benefit. I am looking forward to using these and learning first hand.

Theo, There is a Big Lots near me, but I have never been there looking for tool bargains! I will definitely stop-in and check it out. Thanks for that tip!

Mark, I know what you mean about the China Made Tools. It is rampant. I will quickly admit that the quality has improved over the years and some of those tools are "made to the specifications of..." but it still bugs the tar and nicotine out of me that any of that stuff could have been made equal or better in quality here as American Made. Thank you for that encouragement.

Actually, I am a non-smoker - so the "tar and nicotine" reference is just an expression.


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## Empirical Realist (Mar 4, 2011)

I have an assortment of the Irwin QuickGrips, but they're mostly SL300 ("300 lb" versions). The interface is great, but the SL300 are limited in their clamping force. I haven't broken one yet, but the bar does flex, especially on the 24" clamps. 

If I'm gluing something that requires a lot of clamping, I'll use the QuickGrips to get the pieces solidly in place, and follow up with a metal bar clamp or pipe clamp. But trying to get everything lined up with the heavy duty clamps is such a pain, I wouldn't want to do without the QuickGrip clamps, either. I don't know if the xp600 makes up for the clamping force, but I haven't been able to justify the cost yet.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Thanks Barry - I like the way pieces being glued seem to "stay where they're supposed to be" better with this style - or even spring clamps, than many other styles. These, are supposed to have a 600 pound clamping force, usually I am not looking for a tremendous abount of force in glue-ups, but often in stack-drilling multiple parts - clamp force does become important. Like some of my older "Quick-Grips", these also have the "spreader feature" via end-for-end part swaps. Glue starvation can become a problem when too much force is applied and I try hard to avoid this scenario.


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## hilbilly (Dec 30, 2011)

Re: Made in China. Craftsman hand tool are almost all made in China now "to Sears specifications". Be interesting to know if the life time guarantee return rate has increased.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Stan (Hilbilly), I am not doubting you, but where can I *verify* that about Craftsman Hand Tools being made in China? If that assertion proves true I will be disappointed greatly.
Otis


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Stan (and others who are interested), I now feel that I've done my homework enough to see that you are 100% correct! Many of the hand tools and some power tools that we've all used for many years are now outsourced to China-based manufacturers. It is sad but true. I think a lot of this gets done due to a degradation of integrity and morals, honesty and loyalty. Good moral values go a long way to make people have better interpersonal values and relationships with others.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where our laziness causes a moral relaxation, followed by a personal decline with our dealings with others. My parents did an excellent job of teaching me right from wrong and Joy and I taught these same values to our children, who are now teaching this to their children. Everyone encounters temptations and many are gently "funneled" into sketchy situations a little bit at a time (this is called incrementalism). I will be 60 in August and I've observed that most interpersonnal wrongdoings are backed-up by some form of *greed*.

It is for reasons of "greed prevention" that I much prefer to deal with people face-to-face until I know them really well. Have you ever noticed how a person will cut-you-off in traffic, but that same person will be polite to you (and stay in-line) at a salad bar? It's proximity in some cases. If my neighbor is playing their stereo loud enough for the entire subdivision to listen to, if I yell at them it will make them mad - but if I politely walk across the street and ask them to reduce their volume, they will politely do so. Proximity. It is also about what you say and _how_ you say it: Let's say that you and your spouse have just walked into a public place and your spouse whispers to you, "Dear - you have coffee breath" - you should be inclined to thank them and go for a piece of gum or a breath mint. Now (and conversely) let's say you enter a public place and your spouse waits until you are 100 feet apart (30 meters for Harry) and there are 25 people between the two of you, and says, "Dear - you have coffee breath". The first will be appreciated, but the latter will make you mad.

This example crudely illustrates the value of proximity. When a boss has problems with personnel in the same building, it is often difficult to deal with; but when that same boss has problems with someone distant, it becomes easy to be more demanding. My company tried to outsource concrete forms being injection-molded in China. It turned-out to be a disaster! The same personnel who speak fluent English (my language) when I am placing a huge order worth lots of money suddenly doesn't understand English when we realize material specs were not adhered to. 

Coincidence? I think not, I call it convenient memory. If it were an honest mistake, why wouldn't these "mistakes" occasionally work in my favor? Companies who do business with manufacturers with "convenient memories" suffer, and about 99% of the time, their customers suffer as a result. Sure, I tried having an American employee live in China and be there to oversee the operation, but in my case; quality decreased to feed his dishonest and hungry wallet! He was on the take. He lost his job and our customers suffered, while we suffered! What good was that to anyone?

We do not know what drives domestic manufacturing to outsourcing, but is not all about money! When my product was being made in China, it was triggered by our Tennessee (TN) manufacturer being unable to meet domestic demand. Our domestic injection-molder said he could not significantly increase volume for another 6 months. We had 33- large projects (Costco Stores) going at the same time in the Pacific North West and many other equally demanding projects. Shanghai-made products were promised to be available in 2 months. Freight charges were going through the roof and were often delayed. We were promised by the "Chinese connection" that all of these problems would disappear. Well, in reality; we waited longer to have product in the Pacific North West than we would have waited on our (very dependable) Tennessee manufacturer! By the time we had learned this, we had a huge amount of cash tied-up in China. Empty promises and convenient memories are all we got. 

I do understand why some manufacturers outsource, and it's not all about the money. In many areas, labor is controlled in such a way that business owners are not as free as they may appear from outsiders. I am neutral about labor unions in general, there are distinct advantages and there are sometimes disadvantages. Each situation is unique, but what many businesses are fed-up with is when the "tail is wagging the dog". Most American business owners do not intend to give their workers "the boot", but big groups in labor organizations can sometimes cause huge problems to the upper management. American businesses are very tied-down with rules and regulations and many of them are simply trying to stay afloat by whatever means necessary.

Some outsourcers are fortunate enough to work with honest quality minded Chinese manufacturers, other are not. We manufacture about 25- patented products and each product line has its respective inventor / team leader, etc. We have outsourced to several Chinese companies, we have been fortunate enough to have some that worked-out very well, but we have learned to approach it very carefully!

And...what did I tell you about greed? It happens world-wide!


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

OPG3 said:


> Stan (Hilbilly), I am not doubting you, but where can I *verify* that about Craftsman Hand Tools being made in China? If that assertion proves true I will be disappointed greatly.
> Otis


Otis, I hate to say it, buts its true. As a retired long time employee, it makes me kind of sad. Went by my local store today(not for this, by the way!) and verified the most if not all are now made in China. Really doesn't mean the quality isn't there, though. Many Chinese factories give you as good of quality as your QC folks demand. If you don't have your own QC in the factory, who knows what you'll get. Unfortunately, as a customer, its hard to tell the quality of a wrench by looking at it!


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

Think we've gotten waaaay off topic, but from wiki....

_"Roughly ten years ago, most Bosch power tools were made in Germany, Switzerland or the USA. Most Bosch power tools are now either made or assembled in one of four countries:

Malaysia (e.g., corded sanders and cordless tools)
Mexico (e.g., routers)
Taiwan (e.g., table saws and sliding compound mitre saws)
China (e.g., reciprocating saws and hand-held grinders)


A few Bosch power tools are still made in Europe. Some Bosch SDS rotary hammer drills (e.g., RH328VC) and at least one Bosch angle grinder (1810PS) are still made in Germany. The Bosch 1590 and 1591 jig saws are still made in Switzerland._"

Sorry Bosch fans. Don,t know how current that data is and I know that at one time the 1617's were made(read assembled, probably) in the USA.

Guess, we really are becoming a global economy.


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

OPG3 said:


> Richard and Warren, Thanks for your feedback! I don't often need that type of clamp in that size, but I had noticed that some of my older ones (of the same brand), yet light duty seem to often slip. One-handed is great, but slippage nullifies the benefit. I am looking forward to using these and learning first hand.
> 
> Theo, There is a Big Lots near me, but I have never been there looking for tool bargains! I will definitely stop-in and check it out. Thanks for that tip!
> 
> ...


Hi Otis, the amazing thing is they probably could be manufactured even cheaper here in the USA!!! 'R' panel building construction metal is now 5 times the cost it was before the machines were shipped to China, go figure......


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

OPG3 said:


> Stan (Hilbilly), I am not doubting you, but where can I *verify* that about Craftsman Hand Tools being made in China? If that assertion proves true I will be disappointed greatly.
> Otis


Hi Otis, most Craftsman hand tools were made by MAC tools in Ohio up to 15 years ago. MAC longer manufactures the Craftsman line of ratchets and sockets. I used to buy ratchets for $2 and sockets for $.50 at a flea market in Ohio when they were made there. I have not bought any new Craftsman hand tools in a while to see if they still say 'Made in USA'.


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## del schisler (Feb 2, 2006)

i have had to do that to a couple of mine, the pin on one end has to come out , just punch it out, now the blue plastic that has the name will pry off and you can see the 2 metal piece's, now slide the bar out and just turn the 2 pieces around and put back togother, it will work fine now


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## adot45 (Feb 6, 2013)

The March issue #217 of WOOD magazine has an in depth article on several "one hand" clamps. Of the seven brands they tested, none were made (assembled) in the USA. Bessey, Bora, Craftsman, DeWalt, Irwin, Jorgensen, Lee Valley were the brands they tested. Not all were from China.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

*My Historical Response, Part 1*



> Think we've gotten waaaay off topic, but from wiki....


Duane, *It's okay!*- I am the original poster (OP) no pun intended with my initials!



> Many Chinese factories give you as good of quality as your QC folks demand. If you don't have your own QC in the factory, who knows what you'll get. Unfortunately, as a customer, its hard to tell the quality of a wrench by looking at it!


Duane, *Another very good point*, as I mentioned; it gets-down to _*moral issues*_. I think a lot of people that end up "cheating" or "looking the other way" don't start-off with devious plans made, but rather; I think they are sometimes "eased into it". We can all think of examples of this in our own personal lives and work histories. Others think of it as "a means to an end" and truly do not mind doing _*whatever*_ they think is necessary to "climb the corporate ladder". Quite likely we have all observed situations with coworers where "when the cat is away - the mice will play".

I will share with all of you a situation that happened to me personally... It was a *painful lesson* to EVERYONE involved! This will be historically accurate, but not brief. 

In 1978, I was a salesman for a company in Atlanta that sold Concrete Masonry Units (we called them concrete block). I was 25 years old and had one daughter. My wife stayed at home, but my income was sufficient for us to be a one-income family. It was not easy, but Joy and I had decided that when we had children SHE would stay home and raise them. (We stayed with that plan until our youngest was in HS). The boss came to me and asked for my suggestion on who to LET GO (as in layoff), because the economy at the time would only allow him to afford the expenses of 4- sales reps versus the 5- that he had. I was number 2 in sales and my job was not in jeopardy. All 4- of the other sales reps were 56 years of age or older. I told the boss I needed to think "long and hard" in order to answer his question. Next Monday, I went privately to my boss and told him to LET ME GO! He was astonished and assured me that my job was not going to be lost, after all; I was the future "senior man" in sales after the others had retired. I explained that the other guys would have a very difficult time finding new employment because of their ages and that I at 30 years younger was aggressive and expected no problem in finding new work. I spent a couple of weeks in what 3- of the sales reps thought to be my 2- week notice and introduced each of them to my customers in such a way that they could transition smoothly to retain those customers for the company. Generous commissions were their "windfall", so they were all eager to meet my customers! Only the number 1- salesman and the boss knew what was really happening. I had saved someone from being layed-off and quite likely becoming unemployed, yet preserved my business for the company.

The owner of the company (Kirk) was the youngest of 4- brothers and 3- of them were owners of separate businesses in the masonry related industry. The next-to-the-youngest brother (Jim) owned a company that sold mortar, sand, concrete accessories and waterproofing products. During the time I was selling concrete block for Kirk, I was also selling masonry materials for Jim. Jim also paid me generous commissions. Kirk and Jim loved the fact that my sales efforts benefitted from the additional product line offerings. One of the products that we sold was "Owens-Corning's Block-Bond". I understood Block-Bond very well and soon got involved in demonstrative sales - which greatly increased sales for Kirk and Jim's companies. Later I had also gotten involved in demonstrative sales for waterproofing products and this also went well - so well, in fact; that I would be busy building foundations and/or waterproofing on all Saturdays that weather permitted. When I had made my announcement of the "voluntary lay-off", I also went to Jim's business (just 3- miles away) and announced it to him.

Jim asked what I would be doing and I told him that the demonstrative sales sides of the business had "mushroomed" into quite a workload - enough to very quickly become a full-time business. My intention was to borrow my Dad's old beat-up worktruck and buy products necessary to go into business building residential foundations (footings, walls, basement slabs & waterproofing) or simply waterproofing new construction basements built by others. Jim made an offer that was better than I could have ever dreamed! He said, "What would you say if I go and buy you a new truck and open a credit account in your name?" Needless to say, I replied "Yes - that would be much appreciated!". Within an hour, I had a new truck and a credit account in my name! Wow! I was literally unemployed for about one hour! God had blessed me beyond my imagination!

Something has come-up that I need to tend to, so I will provide Part 2 - ASAP. Part 2 will include the *painful lesson* that I earlier referenced


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

*My Historical Response, Part 2*



> Part 2 will include the *painful lesson* that I earlier referenced


As promised, here's part two... (my employees get full-time pay for part-time work and because of me being sick today, nobody is here today).

*Watertight Foundations* was the name I settled-on for my newly started business. Everything went quite well until I did a large group of repair waterproofing projects for the same customer (the original builder) who never paid me one cent - ever! I was out $28,000 - which is quite a bit when you consider that I had paid for all of the materials and my payroll (18- people, including me), so I was "out" quite a bit. None of my employees went unpaid, nor did any of my suppliers go unpaid - so it was really painful to me, personally. The original builder "split" with his business partner, and suddenly went "belly-up" and left the Atlanta area. I later learned he had left many others "holding the bag".

Four & one-half years later, our family was struggling financially, and we were struggling to pay our bills. We were just taking it "one-day-at-a-time". On one of my projects, a man that I did not recognize walked-up on one of my projects and asked if he may "observe" my methods - as he had been hearing "good things from my customers" (about the quality of my work). I was cordial, and on the third day - he introduced himself as Larry Reeves - a co-owner of Reeves & Wagner - a very large company of foundation personnel (over 200 employees). I knew the reputation of the company and quite honestly they were great people with a poor QUALITY track record. They were great folks, but had some LAZY waterproofing employees, and for that reason; had poor success in the field of waterproofing. Within a month, I sold my business to Reeves & Wagner (quite profitably) and had a signed agreement that all of my then 6- employees had a job there if they so chose. I had also signed a non-competition agreement and signed-on for a six-month guarantee for ME to work there. I did not want to leave anyone unemployed. My title was Waterproofing QC Manager. Unfortunately, several of my (new) coworkers did not like "the new guys moving-in on their territory", so our (me and my 2-guys') general acceptance was very poor. :angry:

For some reason, me and my two-guys who went-over to the new company were scattered-out throughout the large business - rarely to even see each other. The oldest R&W Waterproofing guy was their 6- year (long-term) employee and his name was Ron (we will call him Ron - because that is his name and I have no reason to be kind to him). Ron and I rode-around in a truck and mostly gave estimates on repair jobs. Ron asked me to report to him "pitfalls" of each job for him to use in his compilation of a proposal to do the work. Unknowing to me, Ron was inflating his quotes to amounts considerably greater than what I suggested - and we were never getting the jobs! Another thing that I found strange was that most mornings, Ron and I would load his truck with an assortment of waterproofing supplies that he insisted we would need during the day. Each day, at some point in time; we would go to a house in Dallas, Georgia (about 30 minutes away from our office) and unload said load of materials into the carport of that house. I quizzed Ron about WHY? we were dropping-off materials at a house that did not even have a basement? He said that it was simply a dropping-off point for our coworkers to pick-up from and he did not know the homeowners - but that they were a "good friend" of a coworking team leader. It sounded sketchy to me, but I just went along and did as I was asked to do. Some weeks, we would make 5- drop-offs to this location. Other weeks, we made as few as 2- drop-offs. One day, while unloading Ron's truck - a youngster popped-out of the side door which connected the carport to the home's kitchen. The kid walked over to Ron and said, "Hey Daddy - give me a hug". Well, needless to say; Ron and I had a lot to talk about on our rest-of-the-day drive. Ron promised me that he _didn't know that child _and he just "hugged the kid to get him to leave us alone". This began my days of doubt - which never ended. Still not wanting to jump to conclusions, I made mental notes of the address and materials delivered.

WOW! I was "in between a rock and a hard place" and thought long and hard about the best way to deal with this situation - it was not easy! I needed the job, but my solid upbringing and moral values would not let me continue on this path. One day, I saw Cliff Wagner (the co-owner who handled waterproofing) and told him I needed to speak with him privately about a very serious matter. He said, "Let's do it now" as there was nobody else within a few hundred feet. I told him that I felt I needed to confess something to him and apologize. I explained that we were not getting business from the customers that we were providing proposals to (Ron was secretly using his own separately hired personnel to go behind us with a cheaper price and get the work - in this way the customers were not seeing him again) and that I had good evidence that Ron's "side work" was using R&W bought and paid-for materials!

Cliff WENT NUTS! He would not accept this news. He went-on to say that Ron had been a stellar employee for over 6- years and that he REFUSED TO LISTEN to my report! I was astonished that Cliff refused to even investigate my assertion. I was not trying to get someone in trouble, but rather (I thought) helping my employer! I said to Cliff, do you think I am lying?. Cliff said, "I am not calling you a liar - I just DO NOT believe it!" I said, When my 6- months is done, I will find other employment. Cliff said, "You're being a trouble-maker and you may leave anytime you wish - I think TODAY would not be too soon!" I packed-up my belongings and left.

I never heard again from Reeves & Wagner for ***11- more years ***. *I knew in my heart, I had done the right thing*, but it left me in quite a "pickle" as I was again unemployed. Three days after my departure, an engineering business contacted me and asked if I knew of anyone who would be willing to do structural engineering detailing work for a 4-5 year long timespan - using all metric systems of measure - for a company based in Sweden. I said, "As a matter of fact I DO KNOW SOMEONE - ME". Again, my period of unemployment was quite brief - I never even went one week without a paycheck!

*** 11- years after my separation from R&W *** while still working for that same engineering business (I worked there for a total of 19.5 years) my phone rang. Guess who it was? please continue to part 3.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

*My Historical Response, Part 3*



> Guess who it was?


It was Cliff Wagner! We said our "How are you doings?" and "How is your family?" and "How is business?". Cliff then said, "Otis - something happened last week and it made me think of you, and our separation of your employment." I asked, "How so, Cliff?" Cliff replied, "Do you remember ole Ron, Otis". "Yes - unfortunately Cliff I do not have fond memories - but should I not speak "ill of the dead"? Cliff said, "Oh no, Ron is not dead - but he probably wishes he was". Reflexively I countered, "How do you mean, Cliff". Cliff went on to ask how much of the details of the separation that I could recall? I told him, "I remember it like it was yesterday".

Cliff went-on to tell me that a few weeks after I was gone he had bumped-into some people who know me very well - and had for most of my life. He relayed what had happened between us and asked for their take on the event. Those people convinced him that if I made such an allegation - it would prove to be true. Cliff installed a warehouse camera - with "time-stamping" and began to track Ron's activities. He said that "doubt was beginning to appear, but Ron _was such a nice guy_ that he couldn't believe it - and that there must have been a logical explanation".

At some point, the camera had become disabled and was never put back-into-use. Quite some time (over 10 years later), Cliff had left his "reading glasses" on his desk at work and asked his daughter and her boyfriend to retrieve them for him. It was a short drive and the couple had dinner-plans, so they were glad to oblige Cliff with his request. The daughter knew the security code and arrived late at night. The alarm was already disabled and the boyfriend could see someone was in the building, so they called the police. Guess who was in there at night - loading his truck with waterproofing materials and tools? *Ron and a couple of "his" employees*. Cliff _immediately_ launched an investigation and it ended-up with Ron being imprisoned "for a very long time". Cliff's investigation uncovered facts that over about 15-16 years "ole Ron" had ripped them off to the tune of over $800,000.00!

Cliff's call was to APOLOGIZE to me for all of the embarassment that the separation had caused me and my family. I explained that my term of unemployment only lasted three days and that things were going very nicely for me and my family of 5!

I went-on to stay with the engineering company for 8.5 more years. During that time I saw a need for a construction product and over a long period of time, I maintained carefully guarded secrecy (as is mandatory with the USPTO) and went on to be granted my first US Patent! My first financial partner died 9 years into product development. He and I (mostly him) had collectively invested $750,000 into product development which proved to be a quite difficult task. After his death, I felt like I had poured my life savings into a dead-end effort, but guess what? Within a month, a new financial partner CAME TO ME because of "sad story" word of mouth and threw me a financial "life-raft". He and I (again mostly the partner) went on to spend another $1,740,000.00 on product development and getting the product to market. Things went FANTASTIC for 9 years!, but I am sad to announce that my partner got involved in some shady deals and telling me that he couldn't "pull-it-off" without my help. That day did not go well. This time it was me going CRAZY! My relationship with him went South immediately - and I am now doing my own thing! Life has its obstacles - for all of us - but it is how we REACT to those obstacles that defines us. 

It took a while (about 5 weeks) for my transition out of there and during that time the general sales manager said to me in the presence of the owner - "Otis - you want to know what your PROBLEM is? "Sure - please tell me - because I am all ears" I replied. He said to me, "*Otis - your problem is that you cannot separate your Christian Beliefs from how you operate this business*". He went on to say that he was going to reduce my 60- sales employees from a 10% commission to a 2.5% rate! Well, my employees were given the news and many of them quickly found other jobs and the ones that are still left - still make 10%. You want to know why? Because I am no longer there to train new people the science and economy and sales approaches to successfully work for the company. I left a very lucrative position, MY INCOME TAXES were a very nice 6- figure number, but not any more.

That general sales manager was 100% correct - *I cannot separate my Christian Beliefs from how I operate a business* *AND NOW AT 59.5 YEARS OLD, I HAVE NO PLANS TO CHANGE!*

Please note: This is not a "parable" - This really happened to me and none of the names were changed, because it is all verifiable fact. It is often "more convenient to go with the flow", but I feel my most valuable asset is my reputation. My motives are honest and I have nothing to hide. Do I screw-up things? Absolutely! Do I ever cheat people? Never - my Dad would come out of his grave and WHIP MY BUTT! I am thankful everyday for the (it seemed tough at the time) lessons my parents taught me.


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

Otis, Thanks for sharing! Good for you, keep hanging onto those values! Makes me glad to have met you here on the forum. Those are values I share. Unfortunately, they are rare in business these days!


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Thank you, Duane. Those are some kind words. I try to observe how people conduct themselves prior to sending friend requests and one thing I've observed you doing on several occasions is reminding people to not violate Copyright Laws. I admire this in you more than many may ever understand. A lot of people look at me and say: Look at all of the money you've made - you're living on "easy street". Where were they when I worked 78 hours per week on my full-time job, and then 100 hours per week after my patent was granted? My [former] partner has no choice but to pay me royalties, but I do not go to the office for anything (I have been labelled a "trouble-maker"). My checks come in the mail (quarterly per signed contract) and I still oversee the sales efforts - but I only have a small handful of personnel, but the best ones are still with me. I have worked with this small select group now for several years, but do not have any intention to grow the business as my [former] partner is continuously "dropping the ball" and running out of product inventory. Our level of confidence is greatly diminished. What he is doing is what my parents called, "Cutting off your nose to spite your face". I walked-away from a huge investment and highly profitable business which has slowly dwindled to a mere fraction of what it was up until 2008. My employees now make more than me, but I am okay with that. They have observed what committment means to me. They are "cut from the same cloth" and I still help them in anyway possible.

Now, in my prototype business my workload is extremely variable - which is why I still have a half dozen men who get full-time pay for part-time work. I'm not saying this to impress anyone - but each of them know that my heart is "in the right place". By doing this, I have access to some amazing people and they are 100% loyal to my efforts.

I still feel "very blessed". I know that some day an opportune chance will avail itself and when that time comes, "I will jump on it like a duck on a June bug"!

Thanks again for your kind comments!

OPG3 (currently in a "holding pattern")


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