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Country Coach Auction

Yahoo Message Number: 55127
Hello:

Got notice today that the United States Bankruptcy Court will start auctioning off Country Coach Property in a "Public Auction" on 02/04/2010 beginning at 9am

Kevin Waite (Former Country Coach Service Tech.) K&M Mobile R.V. Repair LLC
95430 Noraton Rd.

Junction City, OR. 97448
541-998-8132 (Home)
541-953-6162 (Cell)

(kvn.wt.7629@...)

Country Coach Auction

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56104
The following is a rather lengthy letter drafted by two coach owners...one an attorney and the other an engineer. I offer this as information only as to thier extensive research in obtaining records of coaches built over the last 3 decades by Country Coach. The information in the subject files contains minimal information and may not even be as complete as the manuals and information forders provided with each coach. Other records that were stored in computers are virtually non-retrievable due to obsolete programs and lack of specific computer knowledge. I hope this investigation answers those owners who wished to secure these production records.
Respectively, Ted Wright, CCI President L041

COUNTRY COACH WILL BE SOLD AT AUCTION February 4, 2010 Country Coach filed bankruptcy in the Spring of 2009, seeking to reorganize and continue (commonly referred to as a Chapter 11 Reorganization). This can be viewed as an effort by the owners, managers and creditors, under the direction of the Court, to restructure the company in such a way that it can pay off its debts in some fashion and operate profitable in time. Due, in large part to the economy, a plan of reorganization could not be put together. The Country Coach matter was then converted from a reorganization to a liquidation (commonly referred to as a Chapter 7, or Straight bankruptcy) and, as the name implies, all of the assets of the company are sold and the proceeds, after all expenses and fees, are allocated among the creditors. The Country Coach auction is set for February 4, 2010. Country Coach, as we have known it through the manufacture of our coaches and annual homecomings and rallies, will be no more.
During the reorganization proceedings, we as Country Coach owners, could only wait and hope that the company would restructure and continue in business. However, when the proceeding was converted to a Chapter 7 and all of the assets were going to be sold at auction, several coach owners began to express concern, principally along the lines of servicing, maintaining and repairing our sizeable investment. More specifically, it narrowed to the question of parts lists, vendor sources, Build Sheets on each and every coach etc, etc. Unlike automobiles, coach's do not all have the same parts, and are not built alike. The question was raised as to how can one obtain this very important information on ones coach for future service, maintenance and repair.
During the last few weeks, we began to look for answers. We turned to the Court records (which are voluminous). We entered into discussions with the Bankruptcy Court Trustee appointed to conduct the auction, Mr. Kenneth Eisler. We reviewed the public information on the sale which listed the assets, one of which was designated as Intellectual Property. Unlike the hard assets of Country Coach such as molds, carpentry tools, (even several coaches in various stages of being built), the Technical Manuals, Build Sheets, engineering drawings, parts lists, vendor lists; everything you might want to know about your coach, all fell as an asset of the company within the category of Intellectual Property. Interestingly, that includes the name "Country Coach" and the various trademarks any patents.
Focusing on this asset we endeavored to determine specifically what was included in the Intellectual Property asset that would be of greatest value to coach owners and in what format. Gary Obermeier, former Senior Vice President of Operations, and a 30 year employee of Country Coach was most helpful and accommodating in this regard. He identified 17 pallets containing boxes of paper all sealed in shrink wrap. Although voluminous he described these records as raw data, largely unorganized, certainly nothing that would provide anything of real value to a coach owner. It was his judgment that the kinds of data that would be both complete and organized were stored electronically. This data would include, for each coach, the drawings, parts numbers, vendor of parts etc. The impossible task was to secure the hardware and software and the knowledge of former CC employees who could still pull from this data. The program no longer exists for extracting the data except as is presently on site in the company's computer room.
It was only last week that we had a full understanding of the nature of information which we thought would be helpful to coach owners and most importantly, its format. Faced with this description of the Intellectual Property, the 17 pallets were deemed to be of no value. Turning to the electronic data base it should be noted that the Trustee, in his responsibility to sell assets, did not maintain a staff that might download electronically stored information. We would have had to hire several key former employees of the company for this work.
A few Prevost owners took it upon themselves to send a person to Eugene for an on-site look. Over the years Country Coach had manufactured maybe 300 buses while manufacturing thousands of fiberglass coaches. Thus the paper on pallets and the electronic data on Country Coach Prevost was minute compared to the Intellectual Property pertaining to fiberglass coaches. They identified some Technical Manuals and engaged a computer person to pull some of the electronic data. The Trustee can accept a pre auction bid for assets. He agreed to selling whatever data the Prevost owners wanted for $5,000 (subject to an upset bid at the auction). The Trustee extended the same offer to fiberglass owners as well. Gary Obermeier estimated that the Prevost data identified for purchase included maybe 10,000 drawings. Since each coach may have roughly 4000 drawings, multiplying this by 300 Prevost and you have some idea of how massive the data base is and how little 10,000 drawings represent in the universe of the data base. The same calculation, based on 30 years and several thousand fiberglass coaches, gives you some idea of how difficult it would have been to try and secure, organize and distribute the kinds of data each coach owner would like to have on his coach.
The forgoing represented our best efforts to see if, as part of the liquidation of Country Coach, we could acquire, for Country Coach owners, the kinds of data they would like to have on each of their coaches in anticipation of service, maintenance and repair in a future when, the Country Coach we had all relied upon, no longer existed. The Trustee, the Prevost people, certainly Gary Obermeier, all did everything they could to facilitate the evaluation and purchase of this asset for coach owners. Given the shortness of time take action and the inability to have any assurance that useful data could be obtained, preserved and made available for individual coach units, it was our judgment to let the asset go to auction.
It is our understanding that several potential bidders have expressed an interest in the Intellectual Property asset. They may be interested in acquiring the company name, the trademarks, any patents etc. Bidders may fully intend to amass the data which owners want and go to the expense and effort to organize it and make it available for purchase. We will know more after the February 4, 2010 sale on that score.
We would like to thank those noted herein plus those Country Coach Texans that assisted us with their ideas and strategy, they are Ted Wright, Nick Caruso, Sonny Broome, Jerry McMennamy, Ron Rang and Dave Miller ? President of Texas Custom Coach.
Regards,

Stu Entz & Mike Carnes

Country Coach Auction

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56129
Thank you for the succinct report, Stu & Mike, Your efforts are very much appreciated!

Bill & Ann Davis
Chapel Hill, NC
95 Intrigue (10096)

Re: Country Coach Auction

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56144
Thankx Ted for the informative update on the intelluctual property at Country Coach. I had really hoped for
a better report on the organization of the coach specific information similar to what I've seen for the truck Mfg's.
But maybe some one will be able to purchase, retrive & present it for purchase at a price. Also my thanks to Stu & Mike

for their research.

Daryl Heiser

CC 10379

Country Coach Auction

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56205
It appears that Bob Lee has purchased the intellectual property for $160K and the large parts trailer that is loaded with parts. Don't have a value on that.

Re: Country Coach Auction...Lee's purchase intellectual properties

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56207
That is correct. Ron Lee was just on the local news confirming that they had bought the intellectual properties with the plan to eventually start building product again sometime in the future.

Former CC Employee and CC Coach Owner

Quote from: tedwright1934
> > It appears that Bob Lee has purchased the intellectual property for > $160K and the large parts trailer that is loaded with parts. Don't

have

Re: Country Coach Auction...Lee's purchase intellectual properties

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56210
Let me be one of the first to say I wish the Lees all the best for the future.
I hope that one day they once again have Country Coach back to why we all purchased a CC in the first place.

Bruce

2001 Intrigue #11278

Re: Country Coach Auction...Lee's purchase intellectual properties

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56212
Quote from: bayardxyz"

> Let me be one of the first to say I wish the Lees all the best for the future.
I hope that one day they once again have Country Coach back to why we all purchased a CC in the first place.

Bruce

2001 Intrigue #11278

Quote from: justryingtogethere"
>
>
>

> Here is a link to today's news cast Country Coach > >http://kezi.com/page/161529>
>
>
>
>

[quote author=justryingtogethere"
>]
> >
> >

> > That is correct. Ron Lee was just on the local news confirming that > > > they had bought the intellectual properties with the plan to > > eventually

> > start building product again sometime in the future.
> >

> > Former CC Employee and CC Coach Owner > > >
> >
> >

[quote author=tedwright1934" ted@
> >]
> > >

> > > It appears that Bob Lee has purchased the intellectual property for > > > > $160K and the large parts trailer that is loaded with parts. Don't > > > have

> > > a value on that.
> > >
> >
>
I will second that. I sort of figured they would buy at least part. When I saw the article in FMCA magazine a few days ago it seemed to me good timing considering the auction. But I am sure that the future of Country Coach will depend on many things going right. Lots of stuff could go wrong, but at the very least Bob Lee has started an outfit that will be willing to repair and remodel the CC line.
 

Re: Country Coach Auction...Lee's purchase intellectual properties

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56217
My two cents.

Purchase of the intellectual property by Bob & Co. is the best possible outcome for all of us. OMC will now be the dominant force for repairing and remodeling Country Coach motor homes of all vintages prior to 2010.

My guess for the future.

Now that the Country Coach name plate is in safe hands I do expect to see future products on the road. BUT a significantly different product mix. My bet is a move into the class C arena using other vendor chassis, and sub 35 feet lengths.

A move into fifth wheels would also be a possibility. (Note to Country Coach owners clubs, start working on a change to your membership requirements to permit inclusion of Country Coach class C and 5'ver owners).

Most important of all, I look forward to improved relationships between the manufacturer and the dealerships around the country now the Howard era is history.

Bob and his associates have had a year to plan for this day so it shouldn't be long before we learn what is in store for Country Coach (2011) Inc.

Ever an optimist,

David 31383



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