 |
 For
over 30 years DAK Industries 1 was the most exciting, informative
place to find electronic breakthroughs to enhance our productivity
and our leisure time activities. So, what could possibly have
gone wrong? Read on. |
Here's
the scoop
Dear Past DAKonian,
In
1966, when DAK One was about 2 years old I was running it from
my dorm room at UCLA. I had so many customers visiting me that
the dorm manager asked me to leave. I thought that was
bad.
But, it turned out to be a real opportunity. I'll tell you why
and how we can all benefit in a minute.
If you remember my 64 page catalogs - - I used to write to you
that I had the greatest job in the world. And, from the fact
that I was even mailing you my catalog, I was probably a lot
like you. I was sort of the ultimate electronics freak.
Plus, I liked to be ahead of the crowd. That's why my
job was so neat. I got to play with the newest electronic innovations,
usually even before they hit the market. Doesn't that sound
like the 'job' you'd like to have too?
Anyway,
over the next 30 years, we did play with all the newest and
greatest innovations. 250,000 of us added equalizers to make
our stereo systems explode with awesome life, over 100,000 of
us added subwoofers to inject thunderous rich bass to our sound
and well over 150,000 of us connected on-line with what I called
the 1200-baud Smart Duck Modem.
Over 450,000 of us took the radar challenge and showed that
a Maxon Radar Detector I found in Korea could take on the biggest
name in publicly held radar detector companies.
And
more than 75,000 of us got our introduction to computers with
BSR's 386 and 486 computers. Plus, over 350,000 of us benefited
from the productivity gains we got from CD ROM drives and scanners,
years before the general public could catch up with us.
I'd guess that the 900,000 of us who automated our breadmaking
were some of the best fed, contented people anywhere in the
country. And, air ionizers purified the air for over 150,000
of us.
During this time there were over 400 fellow employees at DAK
1. Each played an important role in the DAKonian experience.
We had a whole team of engineers who made sure the products
were technological marvels.
Over 100 of us worked in customer service and technical support.
And we even had a team of technical writers who created step-by-step
user manuals for the products we offered. (The manufacturers
never do seem to get it right.)
Anyway, I primarily concentrated on 1) Finding products.
I traveled to the Far East over 50 times to find just the right
products at the right price. 2) For most of the years,
I created all the ads you read and I even took all the pictures
you saw.
I lived, ate and breathed electronics. In fact, for 7 years
near the beginning, before I got married, I even lived in the
factory. And 3) I established the banking relationship.
Oh well.
Then, in 1994, after 30 years, I had to leave again. You know,
my wife once gave me a T-shirt with a picture of a beaten-up
knight on his horse, his lance broken with the caption, "Sometimes
the Dragon Wins".
Well
the truth is, in 1994 I lost DAK 1. And it closed. I really
can't blame anyone but myself. I was behind the banking relationship.
It was the beginning of the Asian Meltdown. As far as I can
see, my bank decided to retrench and we lost our credit line.
I had never been able to find an American bank that liked the
high volume/low margin business I had built.
And,
it wasn't even profits. Thanks to your massive buying support
I am proud to say that we were indeed profitable year after
year. (Plus my accounting department had been looking for a
new bank for years. They had wanted an American bank in the
worst possible way. I fought them off. My fault.)
Only
the Asian banks loved the high volume that we achieved through
factory direct low prices that helped their exporting clients
too. And oh yes, we did move a ton of products. Unfortunately
for me, "the times they were a changing".
But
there's an opportunity here too. I got to spend 4 years with
my wife traveling, SCUBA diving, learning about the Internet
and studying the pure 'basic science' of emerging technologies,
something that in the 30 odd years I ran DAK 1, usually spending
90 hours a week I'd never had enough time to do.
But as
much as I loved the time off, I got bored. I wanted back. I
missed the products. I really did love my job. And most of all
I missed you.
So when the Bank
accepted my offer to buy back the DAK name, I jumped right back in with both feet.
And like the Phoenix, now I've risen from the ashes with the all new webcentric
DAK2000.com.
I promise to bring
you even more neat new products at even better prices than I ever could do with
DAK 1. It's going to be great.
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Sincerely,
DAK INDUSTRIES 2000.com. INC.
Drew Alan Kaplan
President
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| What
are your benefits? Why would you want me back? Well, you'll find the best things
you liked about DAK 1, merged with the new technology available to DAK 2000. So,
we'll be familiar yet new, but most of all informative. But, as they say, the
proof is in the pudding. So check out the benefits of becoming an eDAKonian below,
and decide for yourself. |
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