Do-it-yourself home improvement projects have increased in popularity over the last few years, predominately due to the inflated price of contractual work -- even for the most simple of assignments. This unbudgeted rise in contractual services seizes a close relationship with the current pitiable economy where the rises of goods, such as the price of materials and project related tools, have skyrocketed. Many Americans, such as I; have taken matters into their own hands, opting to get a little dirty and tackle small projects head on coupling education and diligent knowledge with abundant patience. If you are an avid with an itch to do-it-yourself it is likely that you know the name Harbor Freight Tools well…
As a pacific based retailer, Harbor Freight Tools began as a mere dream in a small garage; forty years ago by an honorable man, Allan Smidt. This privately-held discount tool retailer proceeded throughout the decades with the core values to create simplicity for working men and women; allowing for the obtainment of top quality tools at a price up to 70% less than brands in competition. Offering a lifetime guarantee for hand tools, Harbor Freight quickly became a man’s dream store; offering tens of millions satisfied American consumers with the very best. Mr. Allan Smidt was heavily known for his respective loyalty for both consumer and employee. Treating others with deserved dignity, those who worked under his command were welcomed as part of a family based business; having no worry in regards to job security many corporate employees went on to stamp their time cards for over thirty-years, happily.
On May 17, 2010 this respectable 81-year-old man who seen his passion from a meager dream to a successful industry leading business stood to be escorted mercilessly out of his own building by an executive and in a stout voice told “don’t come back!!” -- such unmerited treatment inhumane and forgetful of the blood, sweat, tears, and immense personal passion he poured into his own business that now employed such “executive”. How could this be, a founder of the company fired by a much lower level ‘new hire’? Bound with stern morels Mr. Smidt took his only son under a loving wing and into the business so to educate him on the passion for the name Harbor Freight, now a lawsuit filed July 14, 2010 gives the nation a look into the inner workings of a private holding.
Founder Smidt alleges that his young son, who was only eight (8) when the company was founded on a moral and ethical foundation, used his relationship to manipulate his father and dear 76-year-old mother into handing over the reins to him; in a contract that stated the company would continue to be ran as a father and son team with the promise that “nothing would change” -- Mr. Smidt would maintain final say in all major corporate decisions, according to his son, mirroring the prior loving father/son business executive practice. Subsequent to such, a young Smidt has ran his father’s elite company into shambles and according to the filed suit “enriched himself in Harbor Freight’s corporate detriment”. The company was handed to an adored son in 1999 and in a mere eleven years it appears the not only history has been rewrote but the son has unlawfully rewrote the contract made with his reputable father; not only contributing to his fowl termination but failing to pay the father who gave him everything an agreed upon contractual sum of an annual $2.5 million -- currently behind on two payments he has made an excuse that the company just isn’t in proper financial shape to keep his contract valid, tossing out all respect to what his father means.
Oddly enough, Harbor Freight continues to grow with a fresh new website; that often malfunctions more than it’s actually up. However, junior has shown no “financial” problem recently purchasing the finest home in Beverly Hills; former Kenny Rogers estate; at a price of nearly $50 million -- personally I have stepped foot in this house,
twice, while the home was listed through Forbes the upper scale of it's lavish and paramount beauty cannot be put into words. The mansion boasts thirteen bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, 25,000 square feet, two pools, two guest homes on the Georgian-style manor with two additional tennis courts, screening film room, and custom build wine cellars (2) that comes decked to impress anyone walking into its lavish doors. Apparently, junior has more “whine then cheese” as this newly filed parental lawsuit suggests he “looted funds” from the trusted company for the purchase and other outrageous unjustified purchases such as a $100 million framed art print and upper ritzy Manhattan apartment for just $20 million and change. Such print has been alleged, through new media, to be that of "The Five Elvis's" by Andy Warhol.
Researching such charge it appears that junior is in for a felony as both parents have filed for breach of trust, undue influence, negligent misrepresentation, elder abuse, misappropriation of assets, and vitally for fraud. There is no other public information in regards to this case available and only a single statement that reads “family disagreements are never pleasant, but this lawsuit is incredibly sad” going on to say no negative effect to successful business would it influence or the future of Harbor Freight Tools.
Harbor Freight Tools currently employees 1,000 Camarillo California employees and nationwide a total of 7,400; with what looks like new positions being added daily. Yet the new-age social media related attention to this leading discount tool retailer has been far from pleasant -- especially from an insider perspective on job related site JobVent.
How Does Junior’s Leadership Score:
27 show a liking to the "new" way
157 reflect a overpowering dislike to the "new" way
Pay Averages: -2.06
Work/Life Balance: -2.52
Respect: -3.32
Career Growth: -3.25
Benefits: -0.38
Location: -0.33
Job Security: -2.88
Co-Worker Competence: -1.44
Work Enviroment: -3.21
Total Average: -19.39
*Information property of JobVent.com
*Note: Scores are all in the negative (less than zero) range
*Note: All comments and scores are direct from those with affiliations, according to JobVent; those employed and those who have been previously employed.
As a pacific based retailer, Harbor Freight Tools began as a mere dream in a small garage; forty years ago by an honorable man, Allan Smidt. This privately-held discount tool retailer proceeded throughout the decades with the core values to create simplicity for working men and women; allowing for the obtainment of top quality tools at a price up to 70% less than brands in competition. Offering a lifetime guarantee for hand tools, Harbor Freight quickly became a man’s dream store; offering tens of millions satisfied American consumers with the very best. Mr. Allan Smidt was heavily known for his respective loyalty for both consumer and employee. Treating others with deserved dignity, those who worked under his command were welcomed as part of a family based business; having no worry in regards to job security many corporate employees went on to stamp their time cards for over thirty-years, happily.
On May 17, 2010 this respectable 81-year-old man who seen his passion from a meager dream to a successful industry leading business stood to be escorted mercilessly out of his own building by an executive and in a stout voice told “don’t come back!!” -- such unmerited treatment inhumane and forgetful of the blood, sweat, tears, and immense personal passion he poured into his own business that now employed such “executive”. How could this be, a founder of the company fired by a much lower level ‘new hire’? Bound with stern morels Mr. Smidt took his only son under a loving wing and into the business so to educate him on the passion for the name Harbor Freight, now a lawsuit filed July 14, 2010 gives the nation a look into the inner workings of a private holding.
Founder Smidt alleges that his young son, who was only eight (8) when the company was founded on a moral and ethical foundation, used his relationship to manipulate his father and dear 76-year-old mother into handing over the reins to him; in a contract that stated the company would continue to be ran as a father and son team with the promise that “nothing would change” -- Mr. Smidt would maintain final say in all major corporate decisions, according to his son, mirroring the prior loving father/son business executive practice. Subsequent to such, a young Smidt has ran his father’s elite company into shambles and according to the filed suit “enriched himself in Harbor Freight’s corporate detriment”. The company was handed to an adored son in 1999 and in a mere eleven years it appears the not only history has been rewrote but the son has unlawfully rewrote the contract made with his reputable father; not only contributing to his fowl termination but failing to pay the father who gave him everything an agreed upon contractual sum of an annual $2.5 million -- currently behind on two payments he has made an excuse that the company just isn’t in proper financial shape to keep his contract valid, tossing out all respect to what his father means.
Oddly enough, Harbor Freight continues to grow with a fresh new website; that often malfunctions more than it’s actually up. However, junior has shown no “financial” problem recently purchasing the finest home in Beverly Hills; former Kenny Rogers estate; at a price of nearly $50 million -- personally I have stepped foot in this house,
twice, while the home was listed through Forbes the upper scale of it's lavish and paramount beauty cannot be put into words. The mansion boasts thirteen bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, 25,000 square feet, two pools, two guest homes on the Georgian-style manor with two additional tennis courts, screening film room, and custom build wine cellars (2) that comes decked to impress anyone walking into its lavish doors. Apparently, junior has more “whine then cheese” as this newly filed parental lawsuit suggests he “looted funds” from the trusted company for the purchase and other outrageous unjustified purchases such as a $100 million framed art print and upper ritzy Manhattan apartment for just $20 million and change. Such print has been alleged, through new media, to be that of "The Five Elvis's" by Andy Warhol.
Researching such charge it appears that junior is in for a felony as both parents have filed for breach of trust, undue influence, negligent misrepresentation, elder abuse, misappropriation of assets, and vitally for fraud. There is no other public information in regards to this case available and only a single statement that reads “family disagreements are never pleasant, but this lawsuit is incredibly sad” going on to say no negative effect to successful business would it influence or the future of Harbor Freight Tools.
Harbor Freight Tools currently employees 1,000 Camarillo California employees and nationwide a total of 7,400; with what looks like new positions being added daily. Yet the new-age social media related attention to this leading discount tool retailer has been far from pleasant -- especially from an insider perspective on job related site JobVent.
How Does Junior’s Leadership Score:
27 show a liking to the "new" way
157 reflect a overpowering dislike to the "new" way
Pay Averages: -2.06
Work/Life Balance: -2.52
Respect: -3.32
Career Growth: -3.25
Benefits: -0.38
Location: -0.33
Job Security: -2.88
Co-Worker Competence: -1.44
Work Enviroment: -3.21
Total Average: -19.39
*Information property of JobVent.com
*Note: Scores are all in the negative (less than zero) range
*Note: All comments and scores are direct from those with affiliations, according to JobVent; those employed and those who have been previously employed.
How does a lawsuit "damage" corporate businesses with outstanding products
…to be determined…
Note: Information obtained from public record documents, news print, and researched interviews; name of defendant and other company executives named by recent article have been withheld respectively. Credit Harbor Freight Lawsuit (PDF)
…to be determined…
Note: Information obtained from public record documents, news print, and researched interviews; name of defendant and other company executives named by recent article have been withheld respectively. Credit Harbor Freight Lawsuit (PDF)
3 Super Special ♥ Notes:
Sounds like a couple of hundred seniors with placards outside the Mission Oaks, Camarillo corporate office would go down well !!
John --
I'm sorry Sir, I'm not sure what you mean by "a couple hundred seniors would go down well"... I believe that enough have "gone down" in a pitiful way, losing both job and dignity (according to public record) in unjustified firings (thus, they wouldn't be outside of corporate offices). Which is very sad and very reflective.
I think this is a very sad situation, at any rate the relationship between father and son should be solid. In this case, from the public information I gathered my journalistic reporting from, I think it's detrimental to behave with such disrespect.
I buy quite often from this elite company and to hear that behind closed doors such dysfunction was going on is a shock. I wish them the best and hope that father and son can work this out respectfully and with honor. I have always been respected for my terminal illness by the retailing branch.
Instead of the seniors going down this is appearing to be more so executives. On any note I am attempting to ascertain the other side, for fair and balanced reporting and would be zealous if I could; we are being told they denied to release a media interview (releasing a single statement).
My prayers are with the family and with the business and I hope such can be settled with the dignity the Harbor Freight name deserves to be held with.
God Bless,
Best Wishes
Hollywood Chic
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