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CPI gone under? Post New Topic | Post Reply

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jack napora
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 07:35 PM
CPI gone under?
are the rumours true??
i heard they are not answering their phones. and customers are pissed...
Linerman
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 09:27 PM
I think it may be true. I was starting to wonder why in the past few days their internet store wasn't working and the numbers seem to be no good.
quentin
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:19 PM
Not a rumor, it is true. Been on the phones talking to some former employees and they got a short notice. Just shows that if you try to expand too fast in too many places, don't treat your employees right and start treating loyal clients like dirt then you will go under.

I had complained to them for months about expanding too fast, being tired to being shuffled between centers when trying to order parts to people who had no idea who I was got pretty irritating.
SPRAYFOAM GODDESS
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:20 PM
It is true that they have closed all their doors, left employees jobless with NO notification, customer omg!
quentin
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:23 PM
LOL, man this thread is moving fast! Goddess is great and so is George Spanos with Spray Foam Distributors of NE Inc.

603.348.8880

These two are going to be getting my parts business!
SprayFoamSupply.com
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:29 PM
Thanks Quentin,

I imagine this thread will see alot of action over the coming weeks. Robin, can't you get all of this free PR! Good thing we have been increasing our inventory! I am sure that they will not be missed. I do feel for some of their employees and families.

George Spanos
President
Spray Foam Distributors of NE
603.348.8880
jack napora
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:45 PM
hahahahaahhaahahahahahha!
well good..
that's what you get for being foam and parts ******s.....!

congrats to all the US dealers who put a price tag on service and knowledge. hope your businesses grow.... especially (George, Chris and Al)

To all those canadians who just lost their rig deposits... give uncle jack a call...there is a reason why their rigs were 30g's cheaper..they never get built.
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:47 PM
CALL JT AT SPRAY FOAM NATION. HE USED TO WORK AT CPI, HE WILL GET U WHATEVER U NEED. GREAT GUY TO WORK WITH - THEY DO EVERYTHING THAT CPI DID 347-982-4228
Dean Nash
Posted: Mar 23, 2010 10:58 PM
IME is here to support those displaced as well. Especially those in the southeast. Best of luck to all.

877-342-3413
SPRAYFOAM GODDESS
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 08:10 AM
NO KIDDING - a buddy of mine took at job as a technician out of the Louisiana location, and just moved his whole household about 3 weeks ago.
Bart DeRosso
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 10:08 AM
Source of Supply in Polyurethanes is here to support those in need of Graco, Glasscraft equipment as well as chemicals,spray rigs and service due to the unfortunate position that has happened to one of the largest suppliers in our industry. Call 800-598-9826 or our web site sosfoams.com
jack napora
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 10:59 AM
yeah probably...

young, ridiculously good-looking guy??? that's me!!! hehe

Graco Training is always a party.

What a great exit plan by CPI though...sell a whole bunch at cost, and screw GRACO for the tab.... someone was thinking..., watch them re-emerge as a GAMA dealer, with a whole bunch of cash...hehehe
SPRAYFOAM GODDESS
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 12:03 PM
Yeah - not training tho it was the distributor meeting, the party at the Irish Pub - downtown Minneapolis with Pat Daniels??
john thompson
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 03:39 PM
I worked there until Mid November.I'll tell you what I told everyone when I left. I quit for a reason. The writing was on the wall.I don't so much think that the expansion killed them as much as the blatent mismanagement of money, and the fact that the level of industry experience by upper management was damn near non existent.
To many chiefs not enough warriors.
For those customers who know me and were adversley affected, I am truly sorry.
I put my heart and soul into everything I did for them (as did many who devoted too much time, and you know who you are) right up to teaching foam school and then working until 8:30 or 9:00 the night before I handed in my resignation and was promptly escorted out the building. Thank you Jack Demita.
Hey Jack, you're number 1.
Johntom13
JR Burnett
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 05:27 PM
good riddance to them, if any of you ex cpi customers need parts, equipment, technical support, or foam..we are here to fillthe void...call AIRS @ 706-816-5539, or 678-342-0666 and ask for JR
john thompson
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 06:40 PM
JT
John Thompson
Spray Foam Nation
Great Lakes Division
34601 Mills Road Unit A
North Ridgeville OH 44039

(877)939-2800
quentin
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 07:43 PM
Maybe someone should let them know to take down the ads for CPi. Pretty funny to see those nice fancy ads all over the site for them though.
SPRAYFOAM GODDESS
Posted: Mar 24, 2010 09:11 PM
Johntom13 - I am sorry to hear that, I am sorry for all the customers that I heard from over the last few days that put deposits down on equipment, as well as the employees, I know how hard people with a passion work. Its terrible for all the employees and customers.

I feel bad now that I am capitalizing on this, for you guys the old employees. I was offered a job 3 weeks ago by them, I am glad I listened to myself when I said its too good to be true!
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 06:25 AM
(dodgin manditory healthcare???the sky is fallin,,,bwaack,,,rofl)
William Gibson
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 07:22 AM
We are happy with the service we receive at CHRISTIAN FABRICATION in Central New York. They supply top of the line rigs and all Graco Parts and Equipment. Top notch personal people.

www.christianfab.com or (315) 822-0095.
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 10:10 AM
It's no fun going out of business. Especially if you built it from the ground up.

Speaking from experience of course!
john thompson
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 11:29 AM
The problem is CPI was not "built from the ground up" by J.D.
Granted he helped the growth, but I feel Dirk started it by surrounding himself with people like Scott and coming back to Ohio didn't hurt either.
I'm not saying that this makes closing shop any easier, but Dirk and 2 other people started the dream that turned into a financial nightmare.
LORNA REYES
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 02:01 PM
as one of the many great, and hardworking former employees that was affected by this...let me know if anyone is looking to hire in the southwest.

I agree - too many chiefs!
Jerry Crawford
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 02:58 PM
MCC has over twenty years of GlasCraft and spray foam/coatings experience. Give us a call for systems, service, parts, training or repairs! 317-209-1111 MCC Equipment & Service Center
John Shockney
Posted: Mar 27, 2010 12:42 PM
I’ll say Rob over at MCC has helped me out with tec. advice and parts for my A-5000.
Great to work with him!!!

And I can stop in when I’m in Indy.

I’ll also say that I heard CPI was in trouble over 6 months ago when they were selling drum pumps and equipment for below wholesale cost.

I heard they were on COD with some of their foam suppliers, I wonder how badly they burned Bay Systems since they took their parts dept. over.

Thanks
John
Airpro
quentin
Posted: Mar 28, 2010 09:31 PM
I just feel sorry for all the people who worked there and customers that got screwed over by the management when they did this.
SprayFoamSupply.com
Posted: Mar 29, 2010 08:44 AM
I feel bad for the customers who have lost deposits and ordered their equipment because they had sold a few jobs. I spoke to a couple over the weekend who are out their deposits. Bad situation for all. As a supplier, we match the quote that they had, but that doesn't help with their lost deposit. CPI was selling on such a small margin, it is not like you can knock some extra $$ off to give more help. Just goes to show you that you need more than a flashy website and marketing to run a business. The #1 thing in any business is knowing how to manage your wallet.

George Spanos
President
Spray Foam Distributors of NE Inc
603.348.8880
Luke Kujacznski
Posted: Mar 29, 2010 04:39 PM
This is really bad and I feel for all of those customers who were affected.

If it helps to any workers that were let go...
I am adding crew leaders and sales associates if any of those displaced workers are in or around Michigan.

Luke
269.629.5690
Bob Silverman
Posted: Mar 30, 2010 02:50 PM
I have been in the spray foam business for about 10 years. I have been reading this forum for over a year and am not great with computers, so never bothered to sign up. Finally decided to sign up! I had bought a few things from cpi over the years and what started as a niche company selling a specialty product line, turned into a walmart. They wanted to be the biggest and had all kinds of great marketing, but in the end all they wanted to do was sell, sell, sell. This industry needs more than that. I have seen a few of their "trained contractors" work, and have not been impressed. Little E20's with cheap gas generators in undersized trailers. In my opinion, they did more damage to the industry than good. They flooded the market with applicators and drove the price down for guys who put their time in. I am sure foamdude would agree with me.

After reading this thread, it appears that I am not the only one who has been reading the posts for a long time. Look at all of the suppliers that are offering their help to sell you things. Why have you not offered your help before? There have been lots of questions on equipment and application, but if I search your names, you have never offered any help. Do you really want to help? Not trying to stir up trouble, but there are too many salespeople in our industy and there isn't enough "help". Robin, George and others who have helped, thanks.

Bob
Posted: Mar 30, 2010 09:46 PM
LTL, I ran into one of their "trained contractors" about a year ago. His training consisted of a video that came with their new fancy rig w/ lots of bells and whistles. He won the bid and he was in there for less than my material costs. I walked through the jobsite and could still see the sheathing through the foam. (just like the picture on their website) They put that job 3 months behind.

I understand that "salesmen" are just doing their job when they call, but when I say "no thank you" just leave me alone.
quentin
Posted: Mar 31, 2010 05:02 PM
I got lucky and the actual training they had in house when I purchased had JT training me. I never claim to be the best but I do my best to make sure the job is done right and the customer is happy. Cost me a few times while learning to bid right and the rest but better that than a bad reputation later on.
Posted: Mar 31, 2010 07:48 PM
I attended a roofing class with Chris West in New Orleans and definately came away knowing more than what I went in to.

I hope they didn't beat WDG out of to much. They really seemed to be good guys, WDG that is
Posted: Apr 01, 2010 05:54 AM
quentin,,give your self some credit man,,
you lurked around here for almost 2 years while
you were figureing out how to finance and start your business,,
you devoured all the information you could with a ravenous appetite...frequently piping in with your questions and comments (used to make me nuts..lol)...
you had a better idea of how to go about this crap than most of the newbees out there whom got their rig off of ebay or from one of the foam-super-stores...
good luck
peace
dude
quentin
Posted: Apr 01, 2010 09:14 AM
Oh heck, I am sure I STILL drive people nuts here but as GI Joe says, "Knowledge is power and now you know!" LOL

And yup, still learn somethign with each and every job we do. One reason I love the work is the constant challenges and learning. Also why I am sick of doing IT junk stuck in basements with no windows instead of working with my hands.

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