[Paul Gillespie]

Right Now HB may not happen as in years before, This was posted by Dave Smith yesterday on the Factory Five Forums. A smaller less formal event may happen, stay tuned.

Guys,

I don’t post often, but after some long and serious consideration I think we cannot host the annual HB cruise-in this year. Please allow me to explain.

Short answer: We are slammed and I want to focus my team energies closer to home this year while we work diligently on the projects we have to complete.

Long answer: Last year Dave H (here from the forum) and many customers came together to host this event. It was fun and I came out for the day to help and Factory Five kicked in some money (not a ton) but we were so busy back at home with a really full plate of projects that a week on the road with the big rig and our team doing the show the way we had for years was just not possible.

This year is even worse (better depending on how you look at it) with respect to new products and projects. The Hot Rod Truck and new Gen 3 Coupe are doing well and the investment I’ve made in surfacing and VR/3D design is going to net some impressive new models. We bought Rats glass hot rods and their 8 (!) models are being evaluated on our chassis right now and there is pressure to supply existing product to existing Rats Glass customers. We are bringing on board an all-new materials/MRP/Operating system that will better manage inventory (back orders) and also provide the full range of Operating System modules we need like an integrated sales order desk/web site catalog and improved sales history and tracking, linked inventory, updated and streamlined and integrated accounting and general ledger functions. This is a massive year-long project. We are already working on cars for SEMA and our partnership with Ford has never been stronger. Our partnerships with other companies is also presenting us with new opportunities to make our cars better, faster, and stronger. Lastly, I have (typical reach exceed grasp guy) green lighted several exciting new products to be launched in 2020 on our 25th Anniversary. I desperately want to save our powder on HB this year and celebrate with a proper party next year as it will be 25 years since I left 1505 Olive Street in Huntington Beach with my wife and baby daughter to start Factory Five. We are already planning 25th year anniversary products and events and HB is the crown jewel. Sally has already secured April 25th for 2020 and we are hoping to make it a two-day event with a Saturday night awards dinner nearby (we did a small event back in 2000 after Knotts Berry Farm show at the HB Hilton).

If you guys want to do a local cruise or keep the faith I would seriously consider coming out just to have fun for the day, but as it stands, I am swinging for the fences on some very ambitious projects that will make sure Factory Five celebrates 25 years at HB in style and that the company is here 25 years from now. I am sorry to have had to make this decision and I also don’t feel that it is fair to ask Dave or you all to take up the slack. I WILL ask for help next year, but it will be helping me raise a glass to celebrate 25 years of writing this amazing story, building this amazing community with you all, and building an iconic American motor sports company.