Earlier this year (May) the distressed paintball manufacturing company Smart Parts of Latrobe, PA, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Information filed with the bankruptcy application seem to indicate that the company had been in trouble since as early as October of 2009.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy allows the debtor (Smart Parts in this case) to attempt to shed some of their debt and re-organize the company in a manner acceptable to secured creditors (and which presumably allows the debtor company to once again become profitable).

Rumors on the paintball street have run rampant since the original petition for bankruptcy in May, with speculations naming virtually every other paintball company as a possible buyer, savior, acquirer or partner that many anonymous/unnamed sources have assured the paintball public would be the return of Smart Parts.

Today’s filing is a petition by the debtor (Smart Parts) to change their form of bankruptcy from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7.

Chapter 7 is liquidation.

Barring some major unforseen circumstances, a Chapter 7 filing means that Smart Parts will be selling off all of their assets – inventory, machinery, IP – everything – in order to settle their debts with their creditors.

Smart Parts may yet return (who knows what the Gardner brothers will do), but if so,  it will be under an entirely new name, with entirely new products.

A copy of the filing is included below.

IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
__________________________________________
)
IN RE: ) Chapter 11
)
SMART PARTS, INC. ) Case No. 10-23521-TPA
)
Debtor. ) Doc. No. _____
__________________________________________)
) Related to Doc. No. ____
SMART PARTS, INC. )
)
Movant, ) Hearing Date and Time:
)
v. )
) Response Deadline:
NO RESPONDENTS. )
__________________________________________)
ORDER CONVERTING CHAPTER 11 CASE TO A CASE UNDER CHAPTER 7
AND NOW, this ____ day of ____________, 2010, and upon consideration of the motion
(the “Motion”) of Smart Parts, Inc. (the “Debtor”) styled: Motion of the Debtor to Convert Its
Chapter 11 Case to a Case under Chapter 7, and it appearing that notice of the Motion has been
adequate and that the relief sought in the Motion is in the best interest of the Debtor, its estate
and creditors and that good and sufficient cause exists for granting the relief sought in the
Motion, it is hereby:
ORDERED, that the Motion is granted; and it is further
ORDERED, that this Chapter 11 case is hereby converted to a case under Chapter 7 of
Title 11 of the United States Code; and it is further
ORDERED, that the United States Trustee is directed to appoint a Chapter 7 trustee as
soon as possible; and it is further
Case 10-23521-TPA Doc 59-1 Filed 07/28/10 Entered 07/28/10 18:23:26 Desc
Proposed Order Page 1 of 2
{P0175119.1 }2
ORDERED that the clerk shall serve a copy of this Order on all creditors and parties
having requested notice.
UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

This morning we received this note from Steve Killgore:

Nelson Paintball sent along a duo of press releases that highlight some of the very important work they’re doing to support the US Military and our law enforcement agencies. For a glimpse into how paintball has continued to make positive contributions to our society, read on:

DETER-IT LESS LETHAL KINETIC ENERGY ROUNDS

Kingsford, MI May 29, 2010 Nelson Paintballs. Nelson Paintballs, the Inventor of the Paintball, has introduced Deter-it CRASHER Glass Breaking rounds for law enforcement and military agencies to complement its line of Deter-it Less Lethal kinetic energy rounds.

Nelson Deter-it CRASHER Projectiles are extremely dense injection-molded Nylon projectiles designed to break vehicular and structural glass upon impact during hostage and barricade incidents. Nelson Deter-it CRASHER Projectiles are extremely resilient, allowing reuse during training when used against even moderately hard targets and have an operating range of -60 to 150 Degrees Fahrenheit with an indefinite shelf life.

Rick Louys, President of Nelson Paintballs, said, “Nelson’s Deter-it projectiles are in use for less lethal applications by local, state, and federal agencies throughout North America. The addition of Deter-it CRASHER is one more step in rounding out our tactical product line. Nelson has a long history of solving problems that exist for its customers. We created the solution to tree marking needs for foresters, we created paintball technology, and now we are proud that we are providing solutions to tactical situations faced by military and law enforcement agencies the world over. “

Nelson is the original inventor of the paintball, and has been selling paintballs since 1960. Nelson offers a full line of recreational paintballs, other paintball equipment and accessories, clear training projectiles, red-colored fill training projectiles, Deter-it tactical projectiles, SOC Tactical Gear, and EOTAC Clothing.

~~~

NELSON PAINTBALLS SPONSORS NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH ADVENTURE

Nelson Paintballs provided assistance to the Michigan National Guard by sponsoring the Guard’s annual paintball game recruiting event

Rick Louys, President of Nelson Paintballs, said, “It was truly our pleasure to assist the National Guard in their recruiting efforts, and at the same time, make it possible to expose potential new players to the game of paintball.”

Nelson provided paintballs, markers, accessories, and air supplies for the daylong tournament put on by National Guard members. Nelson had staff on hand providing technical assistance and answering questions about paintball from participants.

Nelson is the original inventor of the paintball, and has been selling paintballs since 1960. Nelson offers a full line of all-PEG-based recreational paintballs as well as other paintball equipment and accessories. Nelson’s products include Anarchy, Special Forces, NelSplat, Hotspot, and Hemorrhage brands, as well as clear training projectiles, red-colored fill training projectiles, tactical projectiles, and custom encapsulation projects. Paintball sizes sold include .68 caliber, .62 caliber, .43 caliber, .40 caliber, and 6 MM in multiple shell and fill colors.

For further information and sales inquiries, contact Nelson Paintball Sales at (800) 236-9278 or visit Nelson at www.nelsonpaintball.com.

Forget movies, tv shows and playing in the Olympics or the X-Games!  Want to know when paintball really makes it?

When paintball business owners are invited to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, that’s when!

Oddly enough, just such an event occurred a week ago Wednesday on April 28th, when Ben Johnson and Kirk Schrier of Running Wild Paintball, joined colleagues from the Biz Kid$ show (an Emmy Award winning financial program) behind the big bell!

You can see video of the event HERE (don’t expect anything as exciting as watching the NPPL live!)

More at School Library Journal

Kee Action Sports is a leading paintball manufacturer and distributor of paintball equipment, apparel and paintballs. Industry leading brands include Empire, JT, Invert, BT, RPS, and other highly regarded paintball brands/products. We are currently looking for a Product Marketing Manager to oversee paintball product lines. This role is responsible for developing and managing product lines from creation to development to production to post launch analysis.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and manage all product specifications including target market, line direction, design attributes and timelines
• Establish overall branding direction
• Provide and approve packaging direction and specifications
• Establish pricing and product recommendations for all channels of distribution
• Serves as point person for all cross functional departments as they relate to products
• Monitor and research competitive marketplace, trends and new market opportunities

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• 1-2 years experience in product management
• Advanced in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and manage projects with internal and external customers
• Strong, positive attitude and work ethic desired
• General understanding of paintball industry preferred

Send cover letter and resume to: jobs@keeactionsports.com

This is a long one – THREE awesome bits of news from Tippmann Sports!

Tippmann Challenge Series Expands Around the Globe
Popular paintball tournaments to feature product demos, promotional giveaways and free tech courses

FORT WAYNE, IN (March 31, 2010) – Tippmann Sports is excited to be expanding its popular Tippmann Challenge Series for 2010. As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting paintball players and fields around the globe, Tippmann is hosting eight Tippmann Challenge events in six countries this year, and hopes to expand the program into even more countries soon. These events promise to deliver a festival-like atmosphere where players can enjoy paintball, try the latest and greatest equipment at no cost, and also participate in free tech courses to learn how to maintain their Tippmann markers. For additional details, players are encouraged to visit tippmann.com, and then click into the recently updated “Fields and Events” section.

“In addition to being very fun and cost effective events for players worldwide, our Tippmann Challenge Series is also a great way to build awareness and generate excitement for the host fields,” said Ron Goldblatt, director of marketing for Tippmann Sports. “We’re going to be promoting each event heavily on the Web, which includes tippmann.com as well as our rapidly expanding social media network. We currently have more than 50,000 Facebook fans that will be able to watch videos from the Tippmann Challenges and also share comments and feedback with other players from around the globe.”

Brent Cunningham, director of international sales at Tippmann Sports, remarked “Players are the big winners at these events. Not only do they get to play excellent venues, but they also get to participate in several side events, such as pistol, pump and laser challenges. This year, players can even take an X7 Phenom out for a spin. Plus, at most Tippmann Challenge events, players will be able sit in on a free tech class that takes them through some basics about how to properly maintain their Tippmann marker.”

Tippmann Challenge events already planned for 2010 include the following:
· Canada – August 13 & 14; Mirabel Paintball, Mirabel, Quebec
· Canada – October 10; Tsawwassen Paintball Games, Tsawwassen, British Columbia
· Mexico – November 13 & 14; Location TBA
· South Africa – April 25; Bloekem Bos, Malmesbury (near Cape Town)
· United Kingdom – August 29 & 30; Holmbush Paintball, Sussex, England
· United States – May 2; Splatter Park, Mt. Gilead, Ohio
· United States – September 25 & 26; Hell Survivors, Pinckney, Michigan
The first Tippmann World Challenge was held at (and continues to run at) Hell Survivors in Pinckney, Michigan. During this event, owners of Tippmann markers are pitted against owners of all other markers. To be on the “Tippmann” team, a player must be using a Tippmann marker. All other markers are assigned to the “World” team. The first international Tippmann Challenge took place at Mirabel Paintball near Montreal in August of 2006. This event has since grown and, this year, more than 1,200 players are expected at the fifth annual Tippmann Challenge Mirabel.

Of course, the events within the Tippmann Challenge Series are just part of the more than 100 total events Tippmann will be sponsoring around the world this year. The company will also be well represented at more than 20 events in the United States in 2010 with its 40-foot trailer, which is always stocked full of Tippmann product as well as helpful and friendly advice for players at every level.

Tippmann Expands its Partnership with Backstage Artist Lounge
Company will offer its fans opportunities to win tickets to popular
rock shows and passes to local paintball fields

Tippmann will be backstage with many popular rock bands in 2010, including Shinedown, Alice In Chains, Black Stone Cherry, 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven, Lifehouse, Godsmack, Kid Rock, and others. The company will also help its fans take part in the excitement through a variety of social media promotions, where those interested can enter to win concert tickets, gear, and other cool merchandise signed by the featured performers. Anyone hoping to register for the upcoming giveaways needs to become a fan of Tippmann on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter, or visit the new “Tippmann Rocks” page at tippmann. Current fans are also encouraged to tell their friends about the giveaways as a way to increase awareness outside of traditional paintball channels.

These new promotions stem from Tippmann’s involvement with the Backstage Artist Lounge, a unique program that provides rockers with sample product and related information during major concert festivals. 2010 tour dates for the Backstage Artist Lounge include Rock On The Range, Pointfest, Buzzfest, VH1 Best Cruise Ever, Rockfest, Jingle Ball, Kid Rock’s Chillin’ The Most Cruise, Rock On The Range Canada, Epicenter and South By Southwest. This year, Tippmann will be the exclusive paintball company granted backstage access to the artists performing at these popular and well-attended events.

“We believe that tapping into the broad-reaching appeal of these rock stars is a great way to help grow the game of paintball and also introduce Tippmann and its products to a whole new audience,” said Ron Goldblatt, director of marketing for Tippmann Sports. “For 2010, we’re also promoting paintball fields near the concerts by giving local players a chance to win tickets for the show and weekend passes to the field.”

To become a fan of Tippmann on Facebook and connect with the more than 50,000 intelligent, attractive and successful people who are currently following the company, simply click here: http://www.facebook.com/Tippmann

“We’ve enjoyed our partnership with Backstage Artist Lounge,” Goldblatt added. “It’s always fun to highlight some of the bands that play paintball and use Tippmann markers. Be sure to stay tuned for some great photos of your favorite rocker holding an X7 or TPX pistol. We’re definitely excited about the 2010 concert season.”

TRAUMAHEAD SPORTZ is BRINGING PAINTBALL BACK to prime time TV!!!

Thanks to the continued support of Tippmann Sports, Fox Paintball, and PbNation we will be showing paintball to the largest audience we have ever reached. 32 million homes in America, Canada, and Mexico . Our Paintball show will be available on both Dish Networks ( ch 230 ) and DIRECT TV ( ch. 344 ) in the basic program packages. FRIDAY NIGHTS @ 10:30 PM EASTERN. Combine that with our new Web TV channels and you have more potential new players seeing paintball entertainment than ever before.
The TRAUMAHEAD SPORTZ show brings you all things paintball from tournament to scenario, newbie to Pro. With new gear reviews, tips from the pros, and event coverage of the best Paintball events.
Our first show stars first timers,rec-ballers, and newbies getting their game on thru the chicago winter and at Fox Paintballs opening day. “I cant recall ever dedicating a show to rec ballers only, but its how we all start.” said show Producer Jeff Gallatin. The next episode is from the super team series and looks at the winningest team in tournament paintball…Team Aftershock. From there we jump back into woodsball with coverage of last years Invasion of Normandy and the UWL.
Look for other announcements as we negotiate with other forward thinking industry leaders about becoming sponsors of the show thats going to kick start paintball.

About Tippmann:
For more than 20 years, Tippmann Sports has been dedicated to quality manufacturing and the pursuit of cutting-edge technology and design. The company serves the paintball industry from its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Tippmann Sports’ complete line of paintball markers and related accessories can be found at paintball stores and fields as well as mass retail and sporting goods outlets throughout the world.

March 5, 2010 – Underground Productz and Valken Sports are proud to announce that they have reached an exclusive agreement with Valken to distribute their brand of paintball products into the Canadian market place.

Paul Counsell, Underground’s Vice President said, “Valken is poised to set new standards within the paintball community and as one of Canada’s largest independent distributors, Underground Productz is looking towards a strong future along with Valken”. “We are truly excited about our new partnership with Valken; with their product lineup, we have become a one-stop-shop for all of our Canadian customers”, added Dale Jorgensen, Underground Productz’ Chief Operating Officer.

Valken President and CEO, Gino Postorivo, stated: “We are extremely impressed with Underground Productz’ marketing efforts, distribution capability and excellent rapport within the Canadian paintball community”. “We look forward to getting those customers the most heavily requested and highest quality gear in their hands, as soon as possible”, added Postorivo.

Underground Productz is a full-service, one-stop-shop paintball outlet, centrally located between Detroit MI, Buffalo NY and Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit undergroundproductz.Valken Sports is the exclusive distributor of V-Tac, Redemption, Crusade, Fate, Exile, Worthington and Sly branded paintball products. See Valkenpaintball for more details or call (866) 812-2760 to locate a Valken dealer near you.

S-Thunder Limited (www.s-thunder.com) is pleased to announce that its product line of paintball markers, airsoft landmines, airsoft grenades and CO2 accessories are now available in the United Kingdom and United States at the following,

USA Distributor:
Evike.com Inc.
136 S. San Gabriel Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91176
United States
email – sales@evike.com
website – www.evike.com

S-Thunder is proud to include Evike.com in its growing distribution network offering S-Thunder’s complete product line of airsoft grenades, landmines and paintball markers in the United States. Evike.com has a strong and increasing presence in the North American marketplace and S-Thunder is proud to associate themselves with Evike.com.

United Kingdom Distributor:
Airsoft World Ltd.
Unit 3-5, Lochgelly Ind. Est.
Auchterderran Road,
Lochgelly, Fife KY5 9H2
Scotland, UK
email – info@airsoftworld.net
website – www.airsoftworld.net

Yu-Hon Li, Director – Business Development makes special note that “with Airsoft World’s recent awarding of the exclusive distribution rights to KWA’s line of high-end airsoft guns throughout the United Kingdom and due to the fact Airsoft World will be actively marketing themselves, the KWA line and its many other product lines to dealers in the UK and throughout Europe, S-Thunder are sure to gain a side benefit from Airsoft World’s efforts in broadening its exposure and service to new and current dealers. Furthermore, we feel S-Thunder is a complimentary ‘professional line’ to KWA’s whereby Airsoft World will offer a highly beneficial one-stop-shop of high quality airsoft guns, landmines and grenades to dealers in the United Kingdom and beyond its borders..”.

S-Thunder is in discussions with several organizations worldwide and expects to announce product availability in the coming months in markets including,

- Germany
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Spain
- Ireland
- Taiwan
- Russia

Visit www.s-thunder.com for more information or www.youtube.com/sthundertv for product demonstration videos.

COMPANY BACKGROUND
S-Thunder offers high quality & durable paintball and airsoft products. Our product line is designed, engineered and manufactured at S-Thunder’s manufacturing facility in Hong Kong and the manufacturing savings are passed to our customers.

S-Thunder was formed by a group of industrial designers, engineers, manufacturers and marketers who are also war game hobbyists. During their years as players, they also became skilled in modifying and enhancing the performance and accuracy of war games airsoft equipment and accessories that included paintball markers, airsoft and Airsoft Electric Guns (AEG).

S-Thunder started as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for high end airsoft guns. After extensive experience in manufacturing airsoft guns for well known brands, S-Thunder’s engineering team came upon the realization that most war game equipment utilizes engineering and designs that are considered evolutionary years ago, but are no longer state of the art by today’s engineering standards and innovations.With this knowledge, S-Thunder developed all new designs, engineering and manufacturing methods that are now patent pending and will be applied to a new line of war game equipment. Before S-Thunder’s product line launch, some products have already been purchased and rebranded by other airsoft brands and some of these products have been sold to end users such as the military and police forces. All S-Thunder products are simple in design, easy to maintain out performs most products currently available in the market.

Any questions, inquiries or requests can be addressed to the following,
- Mr Ferdinand Koo, Director, Sales & Marketing, email: fkoo@s-thunder.com
- Mr Yu-Hon Li. Director, Business Development, email: yhli@s-thunder.com

Thank you for your consideration.

The S-Thunder TEAM
info@s-thunder.com
www.s-thunder.com

“One of the best shows I’ve ever attended…” Joe West, J&J Barrels.

According to initial reports just coming in from the Paintball Extravaganza, the exhibitors were very pleased with the results.

Traffic was low – but sales were high, with vendors signing new accounts and reportedly being “very happy” with the results. In addition to Joe West, Dan Colby of Guerrilla Air and Gino Postorivo of Valken also expressed positive feelings about the latest Extravaganza.

Sly introduced a “wicked cool” goggle system, Valken an entire line of woodsball cammo and LAPCO showed off a new Gray Ghost, among the many showings at the show.

The PBNation room party was well-attended and a fun time for all.

We’ll have pictures of the new gear, and particularly of the personalities at the show, as soon as our reporters manage to make their way out of snow-bound Atlanta.

(Well, we all knew it was coming, didn’t we?)

Sewell, NJ, February 8th, 2010 KEE Action Sports LLC. KEE Action Sports is pleased to announce that it has acquired the assets of JT Sports.

Effective immediately, KEE will be manufacturing and selling the entire line of JT Sports, Brass Eagle, and ViewLoader paintball products.
George Eurick, President and CEO of KEE said, “We are proud and excited to add the JT Sports, Brass Eagle, and ViewLoader brands, all of which have a very rich history in paintball. Their product heritage, product innovation, and long history in paintball provide some very meaningful additions to KEE’s product portfolio.”

For JT product ordering or questions regarding orders, current and new customers should contact their Sale Representative or call KEE at 1-800-724-6822 for any additional information.

KEE Action Sports LLC is the worldwide leader in the manufacturing and distribution of paintball sporting goods and the exclusive source for RPS®, Empire®, Invert™, Invert™ MINI™, BT Paintball™, HALO®, EVIL®, Pure Energy®, ViewLoader®, Brass Eagle®, and JT Sports® brand products.

New Hampshire in February–a cold, tough time for paintball players. Fields are closed, C02 doesn’t work very well, and weekends are spent away from friends and competition for other adventures which incorporate snow and ice. Sad paintball players everywhere are experiencing the same misfortunes (and if you aren’t, don’t rub it in). So FlagPull Clothing Co. has decided to give you an eager look at spring with the launch of our 2010 Spring line-up!

We have created FlagPull Clothing Co. to meet the needs of you, the passionate paintball aficionado. The t-shirt line has been launched at www.flagpull.net and features six designs in three different colors that can outfit you both on and off the field. It is our sole desire to offer you products that you are comfortable wearing to ‘casual day’ at the office and the local watering hole in addition to your local field. We’re like you; we want to wear our jerseys round the clock too and now we all can!

The initial launch of the line features a variety of flavors: Nostalgic, Competitive, Classy, Simple, and Supportive. Among the mix is a special competition we are tracking in conjunction with the launch of our site and line. Over the course of the next two months we will track and report your support for two of the most iconic markers ever produced….The Autococker V. The Automag…

Who will win the battle for most popular and beloved marker of all time…

See the site by clicking the graphic above or typing www.flagpull.net

ABC News is reporting that Brass Eagle (JT/Jarden) will be closing its paintball manufacturing facility in Neosho, Missouri in mid-February.

They also report that the paintball products distribution operation co-located with the paintball manufacturing facility will remain in operation at that facility.

Approximately 80 jobs will be lost with the closure.

For the full story, visit ABC News

Kingsford, MI  October 28, 2009 Nelson Paintballs. Nelson Paintballs, the Inventor of the Paintballl and originator of the .50 caliber paintball, is pleased to welcome the newest initiative to expand .50 caliber paintball play

Rick Louys, President of Nelson Paintballs said, “We were the originator of .50 caliber paintballs. We have been selling them since 1998 and have set the standard for .50 caliber quality with our manufacturing expertise. With our long and strong track record, we have long since overcome the hurdles to quality manufacturing that others will face. Seeing an increase in interest in our long-standing product is something we welcome.”

Louys stated, “We know that there has been buzz recently in the marketplace regarding the .50 caliber paintball. The industry and players should know that Nelson has been manufacturing and selling these balls for over 10 years, largely as private label products, and welcomes the evolution of the sport. In addition to .50 caliber paintballs, we have been manufacturing .68 caliber,  .62 caliber, .50 caliber, .43 caliber, .40 caliber, and 6 MM paintballs for years and continue to offer all of these products from our climate-controlled distribution centers in MI, OR, and AL, as well as through our strong network of dealers and distributors in North America and Europe.

Nelson is the original inventor of the paintball, and has been selling paintballs since 1960. Nelson offers a full line of all-PEG-based recreational paintballs as well as other paintball equipment and accessories. Nelson’s products include Anarchy, Special Forces, NelSplat, Hotspot, and Hemorrhage brands, as well as clear training projectiles, red-colored fill training projectiles, tactical projectiles, and custom encapsulation projects. Paintball sizes sold include .68 caliber, .62 caliber, .43 caliber, .40 caliber, and 6 MM in multiple shell and fill colors.

For further information and sales inquiries, contact Nelson Paintball Sales at (800) 236-9278 or visit Nelson here.

www.PBInventory.com starts operations today.

The site offers a MAP-free place for stores and other dealers to list, sell and swap their excess inventory.

PBInventory is a start-up right now with few items listed;  however, they’re offering a free trial membership (to qualified dealers) in order to help get the ball rolling.

The ability to move excess inventory and/or swap it out without taking a mjaor loss is a concept with a big potential in our current economic times.

PBInventory advertises that it has at least one major advantage over Ebay:  because sales are dealer-to-dealer, minimum advertised pricing is not an issue.

Sign up requires verification via a business license and regular membership costs $20 per year:  auction fees are a flat $5 for transactions up to $500 and $10 for sales over $500.  Transaction fees are only assessed when items sell.

Just one small comment:  the ‘viewable by the public’ front page shows “current auctions” with item name, quantity and minimum bid price.  I’d strongly suggest moving that display to the inside (restricted) pages of the site or removing the minimum bid price.

Dealers – this site could be your ticket to turning dead inventory into product you can sell, so check it out and think about taking advantage of the FREE trial membership. WWW.PBINVENTORY.COM

Despite rumors to the contrary, Pennsylvania based Smart Parts, Inc, remains open for business.

Loyalhanna, PA – Sept 03, 2009 – “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” This famous quote often attributed to Mark Twain is also applicable to Smart Parts, Inc. The manufacturer and distributor of paintball products, now in its 20th year of operation remains in business, despite Internet rumors to the contrary.

Due to recent paintball industry contraction, widely believed to be linked to current economic conditions, Smart Parts downsized, laying off a number of employees on September 2nd. This staffing change has resulted in fast-flowing and incorrect rumors.

“It was painful to do,” said company Vice-President Adam Gardner. “We are a family owned and operated business as well as a major employer in our community. Unfortunately current market conditions have forced this staff reduction upon us. The rumors that we have closed, gone into or are planning on going into bankruptcy, are completely false.”

Smart Parts remains open for business, taking orders and shipping product as usual.

Smart Parts, Inc., is a leading developer and manufacturer of equipment and accessories for the sport of paintball. For more information, visit www.SmartParts.com.

Kee Action Sports Gains World-Wide Distribution rights for the Vanguard Creed Marker by Guns LTD.

Sewell, NJ, August 18th, 2009 KEE Action Sports LLC. KEE Action Sports is pleased to announce an exclusive world-wide distribution agreement with Guns LTD to distribute the Vanguard Creed marker.

Jason Bagshaw, Managing Director of Guns LTD, said “We are very pleased to have an exclusive world-wide distribution agreement with KEE. Our quality high end markers fit nicely into KEE’s vast product portfolio and we look forward to working with the KEE team.”

George Eurick, President and CEO of KEE Action Sports, said, “Gun LTD’s innovation and creativity have resulted in the Vanguard Creed – a stellar high end marker that will surely exceed the expectations of the discriminating player. Our entire team here at KEE has been very impressed with the performance and craftsmanship of the marker and we are anxious to get the product into the marketplace”

For sales information and inquiries, please call KEE Action Sports at 856-464-1068. For European sales information and inquiries, please call KEE Action Sports at +44 1206 756241.

KEE Action Sports LLC is the worldwide leader in the manufacturing and distribution of paintball sporting goods and the exclusive source for RPS®, Empire®, Invert™, Invert™  MINI™, BT Paintball™, HALO®, EVIL®, and Pure Energy® brand products.

Sewell, NJ, June 3, 2009 KEE Action Sports LLC. KEE Action Sports has added two paintball veterans to its US Sales team.

Rudy Eckhardt joins KEE having been with Kingman for the past 4 years. With 19 years of experience in paintball, Rudy’s well rounded experience includes retails sales, manufacturer sales, and over 10 years as a player.

Also joining the KEE team, Noe Silva, has over 20 years in the industry. Noe’s background includes being a paintball store owner, manufacturer sales, and competing as a player his entire career.

“We are very pleased that Rudy and Noe have joined our team. Their experience with all faucets of the marketplace is a welcomed addition to our already stellar Sales Team. As we continue to expand and grow the market, I am excited to be working with such a quality group of Sales People,” said KEE’s VP of US Sales, Johnny Postorivo.

KEE Action Sports LLC is the worldwide leader in the manufacturing and distribution of paintball sporting goods and the exclusive source for RPS®, Empire®, Invert™, Invert™  MINI™, BT Paintball™, HALO®, EVIL®, and Pure Energy® brand products.

Sewell, NJ, May 20, 2009 KEE Action Sports LLC. KEE Action Sports is pleased to announce an agreement with the Kingman Group, Inc. to sell and distribute Spyder Paintball Markers and Accessories. Effective immediately, KEE will begin to distribute Spyder Paintball products in the US and Canadian core paintball markets, excluding the International and the Mass Retail channels. Continue Reading

This was talked – and warned about – over a year ago.  Seems like the German politicos are crassly using the recent school shooting to shoe-horn in the anti-shooting games legislation they’ve been working on for years n0w.

The justification?  Paintball encourages violence and desensitizes people to violence.

Just like video games encourage violence, just like marijuana is a ‘gateway’ drug, just like abstinence-only sex education will keep teens from having sex and just like sticking your head in the sand will make the big, bad predator not see you because you can’t see him…

Blatant politicizing.  Blatant fear-mongering.  Blatant ‘we can’t do anything about the real problem so we’ll punish the scapegoat’ reasoning from the government.

Seems to me that about the only way to keep everyone safe from anything that might harm them is to mandate mandatory abortions of the entire human race from this point on:  if no one gets born, then no one can get hurt – and it would certainly save a lot of green on the health care front.

Hey – at least that solution would work – even if it is as stupid and nonsensical as banning laser tag because some nutball went ballistic with a real weapon…

The BBC has more.

PSP is excited to be going into our fourth year with Enterprise. Our relationship has continued to grow with this outside industry sponsor over the last several years. We are fortunate enough to have their backing and want to show them we appreciate it. Now more than ever, we ask for your help in supporting this great relationship. Each time you rent through Enterprise, you’re helping to say thanks and proving that tournament paintball players appreciate and support those who support us.

Enterprise is making it especially easy too by offering discounted rates for anyone booking a rental car through the PSP website and using our special code NA32PSP. In addition to event discounts, Enterprise is also extending this deal to all PSP supporters year-round across the nation. You can get great deals any time of the year; for events, for practice, and even while on vacation! So next time you need to book a rental car for an upcoming trip, make sure to visit Enterprise and help us support a sponsor that supports paintball.

With 6,800 offices in operation and well over 600,000 rental vehicles available, Enterprise is the largest rental car company in North America. This means you can now find fantastic deals on rental cars around the country at every PSP event, from the East Coast to the Midwest to the World Cup in Florida and anywhere in between that your travels may take you.

Enterprise has also been repeatedly named the leader in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power & Associates. This offers peace of mind knowing that between juggling plane flights, gear, and a whole team full of people, at least getting your rental car won’t be a hassle.

We’ve just received news that the paintball video specialists One4OneTV is for sale.

All of the assets, including multiple websites, YouTube Channel, Dailymotion Channel, 60 copyrighted videos, online movie rights to two films and more is all for sale to the highest bidder.

To place your bid (one shot, confidential, no negotiating), follow these industructions:

1- Contact us at the following email address : video[at]one4one.tv (subject : one4one network)

2- Please leave us your full name and company, as well as your complete contact information

3- Let us know why you are interested in placing a bid, and ask us questions

4- We will get back to you with answers and more detailed information (stats….)

5- Make us a proposal in USD ($)

and send it all to Video@one4onetv.com

Place One4One Network in the subject line

Wait to see if you’ve won.

Bidding starts and closes on the following dates:

- 03/20/2009 : Start Bidding

- 05/04/2009 : End Bidding

Thomas Giruc’s HALO-based scenario game kicks off tomorrow at the Warpaint International paintball facility.  The event has been created to benefit HANS – the Help Autism Now Society.

Thomas was inspired to host the event by his friend Jason Lee, who’s younger brother is autistic and who’s parents run the HANS organization.

(image from StatesmanJournal – Thomas Giruc at Warpaint facility)

Thomas plays and helps out at Dan Bonebrake’s Warpaint field facility; Dan – a long time presence in the sport – remarked that it is gratifying to see what Thomas is doing with his love for the game;  while most other players Thomas’s age are begging for paintball guns, Thomas is organizing games for charity.

The event has caught the eye of at least one local newspaper – the StatesmanJournal, which offers some more in-depth cover of the up-coming event.

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When 68Caliber established the ‘Family Paintball’ logo and concept, THIS is exactly the kind of thing we had in mind.  We applaud Thomas for his efforts in demonstrating that paintball can be used to raise awareness of all kinds of charitable causes, we applaud Dan Bonebrake of Warpaint International for getting behind it and supporting Thomas’ efforts, we applaud HANS for their efforts and willingness to embrace paintball and we applaud the StatesmanJournal for covering the event in a responsible manner.

Even if you will not be attending the game, 68Caliber is positive that either Warpaint or HANS will be more than willing to accept donations for their cause if you wish to make one.