He obviously decided he didn't need the money and/or maybe was not inclined for others to make money off his designs/efforts from over the years.

What may not make sense to us, did for him, is the best takeaway at his point.

One thing to consider, If he sells the business and the buyer turns out to be less ambiguous, or has a different perspective on how to treat people, anything the new owner does gets laid on the first guy's reputation and his name gets drug into the dirt, and the guy that bought the business probably get by with little trouble. Understand, I'm not in the least saying anyone that has attempted to buy the business would do such a thing, but as a former business owner, that sort of thing is always a chance you take if you sell to someone else. I closed my business without even considering selling it. I built my business, and anyone else would most likely run it differently then I did, good or bad. By closing it, I know no one is going to tarnish my name, should things go astray. If someone wants to start from scratch, then what they build will be about them.

So many think producing the parts Schumacher produced is so easy, it shouldn't take very long before someone fills the gap, and the previous owner still has his good name intact that was built on his reputation. The new guy (S?) can build their own reputation to stand on. Instead of investing money in the Schumacher name the new people can invest in designs, material, equipment, advertising, and man power to produce the new kits. Gene

I have sold a well respected business, it was re sold a second time, both new owners were rather inept and more, and my professional reputation was only enhanced by their shortcomings, as the differences were stark. Maybe I was lucky or they were not slick enough to somehow place some blame on me.

I worked for a business that was sold to a new owner and that guy ruined it and bankrupted himself within a year or so. I quit before it fell apart. If the new owner doesn't have people skills it won't matter how nice the product is. Word will get out and it'll tank eventually

This motor mount business make sense for someone who already has the tools and ability to take it on and add it to whatever they are already selling. If a non-car guy buys it just looking to get his investment back and nothing else then good luck.

Kudos to you.

AndyF would be one of the very few people that I know of in the Mopar community able to do this and you would KNOW it's a correct, quality, power coated product.

I think trans Dapt has probably taken some of his A body business.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Trans-Dapt/969/4697/10002/-1
https://www.jegs.com/i/Trans-Dapt/969/4695/10002/-1

Holley and others have taken some of his Gen 3 business.

Don't know if it is true, but have read rumors he may have been associated with Imperial services in Frankenmuth...if true
that may have been related to delivery issues as they aren't know for being a lightning speed
high volume kind of a supplier.

I had gotten the impression that Schumacher bought the rights to produce Imperial Service's products, or was the exclusive distributor. Imperial had no influence over any other aspect of the business.

The loss of the Imperial Services products really hurts the Pre-1965 Mopar crowd...but there are other options if you seek them out.

Sounds correct. I had the rubber trans conversion mount to bolt a later 727 in an early B body that I got from Schumacher and, as I recall, it had the Imperial Services logo on it.

However, I believe the Schumacher offerings already met those quality goals, and the owner decided evidently not to continue, for reasons unknown, and I'm sure profitability played a part, so Andy will have to accept the same financial compromise, or increase his pricing on the same items, or reduce his manufacturing costs some way like going offshore, increasing efficiency by increasing sold product, or streamlining manufacturing, etc, or some combination. Meaning a replacement source would be fantastic for the hobby, but expecting things to remain the same, will be a stretch.

I'm sure there are sets of these mounts around that we can send to AndyF to make a pattern from. I have a set of gen 3 hemi spool mounts and a set of 340/360 spool mounts I can loan him if it's something he may want to do.

I know several people who shut down when they quit their business instead of selling. For all of them it wasn't about the money they didn't want to see their business run into the ground.

Part of the reason when consulting with new business ventures I ALWAYS suggested that that owners NEVER have their name within the DBA company/coporate name/logo.

Make the association much easier to distance after a sale.

And NEVER EVER EVER EVER personally finance the sale of a business to new owner... EVER!!!! It's a recipe for heartache. Seen too many that see a fraction of the financed amount actually paid. Most go default and lose everything.

THIS!!!! Most who want a business have nothing, if you back them you will both have nothing, might as well knock it in the head on your own.

What you describe is "bad dealing making" IMO, its possible if the deal is properly structured, a default by the buyer can be advantageous to the seller. I speak from experience.
So if you can't cut a self protective deal, follow the "never,ever......." advice.
Nothing in business is without risk.

It really depends on the business...if internet based it is a lot easier to take it back and get it running again. A brick and mortar business, that produces product, has quality standards, and a reputation, is near impossible to rebuild after a sale and failure, you can remake, or reinvent it, but it will never go back to what you had. It also takes $$$$$, the reason you sold it in the first place. Then you get to deal with the customers bitching because of what happened, you can have the same guy making the same product and the customer will say, it is not the same, you changed something.

Some of us arent making Mopar parts to get rich [me raising hand]

And I agree Schmacher did a quality part.

The thing about Mopars is the volumes are SO small that its cost effect for a small company to make 5 of these at a time AND charge a bit of a premium.

Are his products patented. That could be opening a can of worms.

Getting a patent is costly.
Enforcing a patent is almost cost prohibitive.
For a small business they are mainly for ego and a deterrence to the less informed.
So in my eyes, no real can of worms, and Andy for example with his legal background, likely already knows the loopholes.

You sound like your business ethics are of the highest order!

Sarcasm off.