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Old 06-21-2019, 12:04 PM
Jacob 'Berg Jacob 'Berg is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Torrot NA - Mark Berg View Post
Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to let all of you know if you haven't heard already of an article released in Spain about the "closure" of the GasGas company. This story is filled with incorrect statements and half truths, it doesn't appear the USA is only country that likes fake news or news altered for an objective. There is a MAJOR restructuring going on in Spain that should have been accomplished well over 8 months ago, but with the politics between the two major shareholders, it hasn't gone quickly or smoothly. Black Toro Capital (60% investors) are looking for investors to purchase the Contreras shares in GasGas so they may split the two companies apart and during the intermediate future, they have had to do a temporary layoff. There are three investment candidates right now, and one has had 4 meetings already with a 5th meeting coming, so things are looking positive.

In Spain, if you want to restructure or eliminate/terminate employees it is NOT very easy at all. Each employee must be given a severance of 1 month plus for every year they have been employed with a company. When trying to reduce employee/overhead of at least 35 employee?s that are mostly from the Torrot side, but on the same payroll as GasGas, this is not an easy task, nor is it inexpensive. The other real option is to do a temporary layoff as they call it ?put to the fridge?. This way the government must step in and pay unemployment but it isn't anywhere close to the employee salaries, and the effect would hope to be that the employee goes looking for other work. You can now see why that story is so one sided and from the union leaders trying to make a social media outcry.

In the meantime, Black Toro Capital is continuing the needed restructure and to undo all of what the previous management had done. In the last three years, the old management went from 70 employees to 135 employees. Created a GasGas Sales office in Barcelona away from factory in Girona. Created a Torrot Sales office in Madrid. Created a Torrot Flagship store in Madrid. Hired a 3rd party warehouse for parts distribution in between Madrid and Barcelona. Started construction on a new factory for Torrot in Cadiz, Spain. Along with purchasing or acquiring SEVERAL other entities. All of these costly overheads that bring no return of investment are closing and all is going back to Girona. Thankfully! GasGas will become just GasGas again!

The aftermarket support team will still be operational the entire time, as are some of the other major support teams needed for everyday operation, which the story left out of course. Also, there is limited production still going on based on Torrot Muvi (scooter) orders and some limited production of 2020 trials in July. Product release is still set for the end of July, with our order period being in August.

There WILL BE an official press release from GasGas next week to combat this article release from the unions.

I have known of this "fridge" layoff for over 2 months (as I said, things work slow in Spain) and it is finally looking like it will take effect July 1st . This is much needed to slow down operating costs and lower staffed employees. We have been working hard here in the USA in order to do our part, and sadly some layoff's are coming here as well that none of us want. Many companies go through this including Arctic Cat, Harley Davidson and others.

We will continue to support all that have purchased a GasGas and love the brand here in North America. We have built a very good new business here in North America and are disappointed in the setbacks, but will survive and will grow again.

Thank you again for your continued support, and our door is always open!
I appreciate the update and clarification on what is happening in Spain with the brand. I know this means a lot to those of us who love the Gas Gas brand and we are fortunate to have someone that will take the time to respond to the media reports and speculations. Thank you Mark!
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