MFJ closing down manufacturing facilities effective May 17th 2024

I will miss the company, even though I've purchased relatively few things from them over the 30-some years I've had my license. What I've purchased, both new and used, was of adequate quality, especially for the price. Don't like them? Fine. We've all got our own opinions.
If all was well with the economy, I would bet a week's wage that Martin would have gladly carried on. Even on this very thread, I see a few threads where people wrote verifiable and undeniable facts, and some morons who then argue that facts should be on a political board and have no place here.
Seriously? They try to nullify facts with their opinion. What kind of ignorant does one have to be to not see that those facts all directly relate to the reasons businesses are choosing to shutter nowadays? And as such, that those facts directly relate to the subject of this thread?
I'd have to say that in the current climate where people believe facts are less than opinion, right is wrong, left is right, up is down, I don't blame Martin one bit for taking a step back - whether I liked his products or not. Withdrawing back towards one's family, especially when one is in the waning years of one's life is a great course of action in today's backwards world.
73, Martin. Have a great time!

 

Gigaparts turned them down.

 

I think to try and save face with your employees you would want to lead with selling the business and keeping it right where it is.

In reality that probably won't happen so now Martin is stuck holding a whole bunch of stuff that he's put a said value on that nobody is going want to take off of his hands if they can't do it where they want to do with it.

Option One: you liquidate and have an auction company come in and get pennies on the dollar for tooling and fixtures and let brands that you nurtured go right in the dumper becuase your pride got in the way which shows that all of these years you really didn't care about the hobby, it was all for the money.

Option Two: you realize that your employees are going to hate you no matter what and you swallow your pride and sell those brands and the tooling off to someone that has a genuine interest in keeping them going. You'll probably make more money than you would have during a liquidation sale and you'll allow someone else to sustain the brands that people have come to know and love such as HyGain, Ameritron, etc. You also can't worry that they will show you up from a quality standpoint becuase more than likely that's what will happen anyway. At least you can go out being known for wanting to see these brands continue on all while putting money in your pocket.

Curt
WU3U

 

We need the Vanderbilt family to buy the company with spare change they have laying around and move all manufacturing to Biltmore in North Carolina.

I'm working on convincing them to become hams. Hope it's not too late.

New facilities:


It has 65 fireplaces, which means ovens for flow soldering and surface mount lines can easily vent out existing chimneys, so no need to be building stuff.

 

Option Three: Turn it over to me.
I spoke with Mr. Jue today. I think it is possible to work something out. I know how to fix a lot of issues there. I also made and received a LOT of phone calls today.

I need operating capital to pull it off. I need to raise capital. I am thinking about a Kickstarter campaign. Maybe if you will contribute just $50 to the save MFJ fund I'll give you a coupon redeemable for $55 off a product in the next two years. You could contribute as much as you want. In a sense it is charity, and in a sense, it is safeguarding our ham radio infrastructure, because when something big like MFG folds there are going to be many other things folding too. We already talked like for example ARRL and where would various ham fests be without MFJ?

I've been looking at the quality problems everyone rips about. I pledge to you that I can and will fix said issues. I will not raise prices more than 5% to do so. We are talking like 10-20 bucks on mid-priced items.

I know we can do this. But we have to do it together. I do not have even close to the capitol we need. But if you will fund it I will right the ship and get her in steady waters.
Mike N8WFF

 

Mike,

If MFJ had worth, they would not be looking for buyers. Buyers would be looking for them.

Kraus/KC4ZGP

 

From my understanding is MFJ turned them down.....I will ask when I am in Xenia in a few weeks.

 

If it does not work out.....can you see if they would be willing to buy the ARRL instead?

And if your feeling really feisty...see if they will buy CQ too.

 

All I know is looking through a recent DXE catalog I just received, MFJ and its brands are a very small percentage of the brands in the catalog. Yes, there are some key pieces like Ameritron. But there are a lot of other brands selling gear that compete with MFJ lines of products. Yes, they might be a bit more expensive. But there are options and the sky is not falling with MFJ closing its doors.

 

Just got back from hiking Tower Arch...

OUCH! SORE!

Yep, will be at Dayton

 

I love the Kickstarter idea
I'm rooting for you!

 

So much for that myth...

 

Obviously Martin had no intent to see the company on the chopping block, nor to have that be a public discussion. OTOH, we do not know the market for gain antennas and tube amplifiers. We are at the sunspot max, and that means sales of same should be peaking.

But, ham radio has changed: we do not buy as many HF rig 'accessories' as before. We go to FT8 with our extant or low power rigs and wire antennas, and get thrills when our rig machine , digitally,works another machine. The conversion UP from HF digital to HF analog is not happening. The users of HF analog are old and many are selling, so the new competes with used.

Mike has a boutique niche at th high end of HF amps, which is a different story.

Mike has an interesting idea but I would bet it will take a consortium of buyers--not singlies-- to resurrect MFJ. Frankly, I hope it happens. Unfortunately I think the more likely scenario is that Martin will let off most of the employees and sell inventory 'out' for a year or so. Then liquidation of the remainder.

73
Chip W1YW

 

Thinking 100 investors, might raise the required capital, which is unknown at this time.
500 QRZ member @ 50.00 each is only 25k, maybe pay the light/tax bill couple months ?
Most everyone would like to say: yes I am a limited partner, if only .5%- or so.
Still too many unknown facts/details.
Most Kickstarters have their money returned if it fails ? correct ?

I applaud Mike for wanting to take the reins, after to speaking to Jue
perhaps he knows this could work.
Mike is prob already up to his neck in gators.

I do wish any/all good luck if they chose to take on this massive project.

If the co. showed a good profit, IPO or ? after 2-3 yrs. IDK

 

Just got my HRO catalog in the mail.

The next one is going to be mighty small.