Author Topic: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg  (Read 8768 times)

Offline MRC

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Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« on: February 17, 2015, 09:47:41 AM »
Arne Boberg and his wife Melody are parting ways I have heard.  Both were very active in the management of their company.

Arne has been missing on the Forum and other Company Communications that he was active in prior to this event.  A new COO has been hired to help manage the company.  See below:




Press Release                                        Contact: Mark Dante
       651-756-7669

Boberg Arms Corporation Announces Appointment of New
Chief Operating Officer

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn.—January 15, 2015— Boberg Arms Corporation (B.A.C.) Vice President Melody Boberg today announced from B.A.C. global headquarters in Minnesota the appointment of Dave Shusterich as their Chief Operating Officer.  Dave comes to BAC with over 25 years experience in leading and operating various small to medium sized product companies.

“We are pleased to have Dave on our team,” said Melody Boberg.  “His skills compliment our already strong team, and will assist us in serving our distributors, dealers, and most importantly, our end use customers!”



The roll out of the XR45s has been a bit rough for Boberg and Arne has not really been there to get things straightened out that I have seen.

My XR45s has been a major disappointment to me.

Offline backupr9

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2015, 04:31:53 PM »
Sorry to hear this.  I very much enjoy my XR9 and XR9L at the range, but carry neither, at least for now.
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Endur Fortis

Offline MRC

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2015, 05:30:38 PM »
Sorry to hear this.  I very much enjoy my XR9 and XR9L at the range, but carry neither, at least for now.

I have a XR9s and a XR9L also and they are very good pistols.  I carried the shorty for about a year but the Solo beat it in my  "Field Trials". 

The Solo is still in my pocket today.  Shot three magazines through it this afternoon and it is still 100% reliable.

The ergonomics of the XR45s are terrible for someone with hands my size.  Once I worked through the magazine problems, I though I would like it but I never could get used to the extremely long trigger pull  length, long trigger pull and long reset. 

I am really liking a XDs 45 I have picked up.  I am through with DAO hammer fired pistols I think.

Offline DDGator

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2015, 09:28:29 AM »

I had been hearing about his personal issues for a while, but didn't want to say anything.  This seems like the first public indication that there are some problems.  I wish them the best.  Problems like this can be devastating in a small business.

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Offline MRC

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2015, 09:39:10 AM »

I had been hearing about his personal issues for a while, but didn't want to say anything.  This seems like the first public indication that there are some problems.  I wish them the best.  Problems like this can be devastating in a small business.

Was Arne at the SHOT Show Duane?

I had been wondering where he disappeared to and when I saw that Boberg was going to be at the SHOT Show and he was not promoting it I starting looking around.  When I checked his Facebook and saw the pictures, I knew something was very wrong.

Offline DDGator

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2015, 10:04:57 AM »

I am not sure.  I was on a really tight schedule at SHOT this year (1 day) and don't recall even seeing their booth.

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Offline Notch

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Start ups cant be run like start ups forever.
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2015, 02:57:01 PM »
hi folks...

what is going on at BAC is that we are transforming from a start up business to a well laid out corporation where four or five people are not doing a half a dozen jobs at once.

the addition of our new and very talented C.O.O. is a sign of a growing business, not a sign of decay... mom and pops may not have one, but we are excited to take this step FORWARD.

as our sole designer and engineer, as well as a person that still helps maintain a straight course at the helm, it did not make sense for arne to come out to shot with us and be off the computer for a week just to visit. since we are able to properly represent the company and what we do and make without him there, it seamed like a little fiscal responsibility should be exercised rather than shutting down the shop for seven days.

it is more than easy to understand that the head engineer in a company IS NOT the ideal person to be admining the web sight as this responsibility can easily consume many hours a day. if'n i run across questions i cant answer, arne is of course pulled in.

while the .45 has gone through some learning problems, so has every pistol out there, it is the nature of manufacturing.

and of course, it goes without saying (i would hope) that issues any of us have outside the office, stays outside the office, just like any other organization out there strives to run!

we are not going anywhere but up and are still building pistols with superior ballistics and accuracy to ANYTHING in their size class.

hope this helps!

mark

(arne is also no longer helping empty the trash cans at the shop, hopefully THIS will not raise any alarms too!)

« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 03:04:32 PM by Notch »

Offline MRC

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2015, 09:09:45 AM »
Mark

I wish the best for Arne, Melody, and their company.  I have 5 of your pistols to prove it.  I have talked to Arne and even purchased a HK P7 from him.  I have great admiration for him and his Engineering abilities.

My reason for asking about Arne at the SHOT was it is the one most important marketing tool in the firearms business.  I know you laid out the reasons for his absence, but I question that reasoning.

Who better to represent the Company than the Founder and the Designer of probably the most innovative firearm to come out since the Glock.

I have talked to Arne and watched his videos and have seen his excitement over his design.  As a distributor or a Gun Writer or even an end user, he is the guy I would want to see at SHOT.  You are not just showing your products, you are marketing improvements in them and what is coming out next.

Who better to do that than your only Designer and Chief Engineer?

JMO

Offline MRC

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Offline DDGator

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2015, 09:22:21 AM »
People have asked me from time to time why Karl or Eric never posted on the forum to defend themselves or otherwise announce the company's official positions on things.  This may be an example of why that can be ill advised.  P.R. in the post-Internet age can be difficult to manage.

Mark's characterization of bringing in a COO as management support for Arnie -- "our sole designer and engineer, as well as a person that still helps maintain a straight course at the helm" -- seem incongruent with Arne's own statement that he is no longer even a "full time employee" of the company. 

Arnie's carefully worded description of his role seems fairly minimal.  A shareholder has no control over the company.  Someone who "supports" and "troubleshoots" sounds like a "don't call us, we'll call you" kind of arrangement, not a sole designer and engineer.

The facts appear to be that Melody Boberg is a Vice-President issuing press releases, and Arne has a minimal role at this point.  I don't care to speculate too much about why that happened, but we all understand the dynamics of separation/divorce.

None of this necessarily means the company is in any trouble, but it certainly seems to represent a sea change in its operations.  And... one that the company is understandably trying to downplay.

All that being said, I hope this is a positive change, and that the company flourishes.   When any gun company does well, it benefits all of us.




« Last Edit: February 20, 2015, 09:46:35 AM by DDGator »
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Offline BlueC2

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2015, 09:27:07 AM »
When everyone's non-conpetes expire I would love to see Karl Eric and Arnie join forces on a new project. Sucks to have three of the most innovative pistol designers sitting on the sidelines.
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Offline BlueC2

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2015, 09:43:54 AM »
When everyone's non-conpetes expire I would love to see Karl Eric and Arnie join forces on a new project. Sucks to have three of the most innovative pistol designers sitting on the sidelines.

Rohrberg Firearms... I think it has a nice ring to it.
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Offline MRC

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Re: Changes (Trouble?) at Boberg
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2015, 10:56:38 AM »
I am an Engineer and Arne really amazed me with his skills.

He built the prototype XR45s by hand.  He even made the magazines with little more than a vise.  The gun ran the very first magazine full without a hitch.  If you have looked at the pistols, they are quite a piece of machinery.  This even shocked Arne.

My 45's from him run fine, the trigger pull length is just way to long for me.