Mark's Off Road Warehouse Fire Thread (6 Viewers)

[HENDOG]

Progress happens!

 

[patride71]

Mark, I just saw this. I have been a property insurance adjuster for 17 years. I specialize in commercial insurance and handle large losses, such as your fire claim. Let me know if I can be of any help regarding what the insurance adjuster/company throws at you, policy language etc. As long as it is not the company I work for as that could be an issue/conflict of interest. I totally understand the process and also understand you protecting your mother's interest. My dad is the same age as your mom...

 

[mruff]

Terrible situation

 

[65swb45]

Just posted an ad for the fire sale in classifieds yesterday.

 

[65swb45]

Well, I am cautiously optimistic that I have found my mother a buyer for the warehouse, as-is. The settlement with the insurance company drags on, but i've got my fingers crossed that we may acheive full closure on this sad episode.

I spent another karmic morning at the warehouse yesterday. I towed my vintage camping trailer down there for the sale next Saturday, and went about the process of moving the door lock on one of the two barricaded doors to an undamaged part of the door. After I pulled the inner and outer knobs off, I realized the F.D. Had sawed thru half of the latch.

After a moment I remembered that I had my old best friend, who had come to help me right after the fire, stripped the hardware off of two of the doors we had to throw away. After a couple of minutes of digging, I found the bucket with the hardware.

This reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek. Kirk was transported against his will to a planet where he had to participate in a fight to the finish with a lizard being. Kirk eventually realized that he had at his disposal all the raw elements to construct a rudimentary cannon, and proceeded to incapacitate the creature with the cannon. Likewise, in my life, over and over again, it seems like if I scrounge around a bit, I find that I already have whatever I need to get the job done.

 

[65swb45]

The fire sale was a moderate success. I am still going to end up throwing a lot of stuff away. We starting demo-ing the customer waiting area at the shop to get in more pallet rack shelving. The place is gonna be getting messier until we can move the office into the house up front. Fortunately, counter traffic isn't what it was in the old days. I sold one of my jewels out of the display case today. Most of them will just go into wraps until I can set up the display in the new office. Plans for remodeling are growing, and I got a good tip on an AC system from @SW20 last week.

Very tired, averaging 5hours of sleep.

 

[65swb45]

For the first time in 26 years I do not have a counter. Therefore, counter sales are now on hold until we complete our move into the new front offices.

 

[SW20]

For the first time in 26 years I do not have a counter. Therefore, counter sales are now on hold until we complete our move into the new front offices.

Mark, every time I go to your shop, it keeps looking different inside. You have been moving and shifting a ton of parts.

 

[65swb45]

This is what it looked like Thursday:

There was a display on the side of the pallet rack as well.

 

[65swb45]

By Friday COB, the display case was dismantled:

 

[65swb45]

The front counter yesterday:

 

[65swb45]

Pulled the counter out at 7:30 this morning and hauled it in the 45 over to the warehouse to go in the dumpster with the rest of my past.

 

[65swb45]

That light-colored patch in the middle that was under the front counter. Well there's a HUGE flashback. In 1989, I spent 3 months on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor of this oily ex-machine shop with muriatic acid before I painted the entire floor of the shop in concrete paint...with a paintbrush. Needless to say, the paint bonded.

 

[Pacer]

Mark, we've met breefely/recently in the dustbowl/camp ground at Rausch Creek, maybe shared some bourbon with the VA crew....?
I'd like to express my condolences for your troubles here, and I do.
But, I gotta say, as I watch you process this "stuff", your life's work in boxes, I find myself thinking; it's got to be good and cathartic to sort through and dispose of the things which have accumulated over time.
Bringing work closer to home as things slow down, is good.
Good on you for landing on your feet and making the best of this crappy situation!
Cheers,
-Aaron

 

[65swb45]

Thank you for your kind words @Pacer . You are definitely right about the reassessment thing. I accumulated a lot of parts during a much earlier time when I had a very different vision for my business, and it is definitely a good thing to trim things back and focus on what is working the best for me in today's economy.

Your "things slow down" comment is actually kind of funny. Those that have gotten to know me know that, far from a victim of circumstance, I deliberately slowed my business down to its current state long before the warehouse fire. It is a good part of what makes me enjoy my work so much. In fact, at the pace I currently run Mark's Off Road, I really have nothing to retire from. I plan to remain in the Cruiser game for a long time. I've met a hell of a lot of good folks along the way, and know there are more to come.

I've been showing my wife and my son the 'default' inventory placement that led to my current storage 'system.' During the initial years, I was so busy growing the business that I just put things on shelves to get them out of the way. And they stayed there. And stayed. I have axle parts scattered across the four corners of the shop. Steering parts likewise. Cooling system, ditto. You get the picture. Demolishing my office to bring in more pallet racks, along with once-a-week help from my son is just the motivation I need to finally bring some real organization to my shop. The rack I posted picks of a few days ago is progressing nicely, and I will have an updated pic on it soon enough.

I keep moving forward.

 

[65swb45]

Almost done with the new, organized suspension section

 

[BigMike]

Mark,

Just saw this. Wow what an ordeal. Glad no one was hurt and glad to see positive things come from disaster. When you wrote how you've been collecting for 30+ yrs you know I thought about my father and I actually can imagine the sort of relics you have that are now damaged or lost. I have unimaginable sorrow for things like this. Marlin's father was a serious packrat and Marlin a half-serious one, if that is to be believed. It must be hereditary in the Czajkowski family because I also struggle letting things go. I know none can keep everything, but of all the ways to lose, ...a fire. I feel for you Mark. I really hope the rebuilding process goes well. You know we are family so please call or message anytime if we can be of help to you and yours.

I couldn't reply without at least sharing one picture of you (April 2015)

It amazes me to see how supportive the wives of foundational Toyota 4WD companies are. Wives such as Kay, Christine aka Mrs Crawler, and yours who I don't think I've ever met. The younger generation could learn much from such great examples.

I am glad RUFTOY3 wasn't inside or otherwise near the flames.

Regarding your damaged guitar, you don't know this but on Saturday of last year's Rubithon I was exhausted and took an afternap nap in my tent, put to sleep by the soothing tunes and melodies of one Mark Algazy playing his guitar one camp site over. Thank you Mark

People like you remind me of my father, people who go far out of their way demanding nothing in return. You guys do this so naturally and the examples you set mean so much to those who you come in contact with such as myself. Take care Mark and keep your head up. You and your business are true gems in this unpredictable world.

Regards,
BigMike

 

[65swb45]

Thank you for your kind words Mike. I still remember our first trip together over the Dusy in 1989. What a fine young man you have become. Your dad is rightfully proud.

Well, I handed over the keys to the warehouse to the new owner an hour ago. I'm still pinching myself that I managed to sell my mother's building in the condition it is in for what we got.

I am holding a few things for friends in one unit thru year's end, and a few more for myself for a couple of months beyond that. It is the strangest possible feeling to be a holdover tenant in a building you once owned. Adding to the karma of the last 24 hours, I went to clean out one of the oldest, most impacted corners of my own shop last night. I had my son pull boxes out of there that I have not looked inside for 25 years (packrat). Underneath the loose pieces of paper and debris I found this:

 

[65swb45]

Even more humbling than turning over the keys to my dad's warehouse was finding the business card of the man who ran a business out of the building where I run mine now. I met him at the auction in 1989 when he closed his shop, one of thousands whose fortunes collapsed when Lockheed left Burbank. He walked into the auction rolling an oxygen bottle behind him and watched his life's work disappear under a gavel.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

I did not cry for him 27 years ago. But I am crying for both of us now. I held up long enough to do what I needed to do for my mother. Time to let it out.

 

[65swb45]

Well, I'm moving forward on multiple fronts, slowly but surely. I've reorganized about 10% of the shop. It has been a lot of effort. I'm really looking forward to Round2, front and rear axle sections.

It crossed my mind to wonder what the load beam capacity is, cause third members are dense/heavy. At 2k/shelf, that's about 30 thirds. I did a cursory count of what is tucked into the four corners of the shop and found 51 on hand! There are more in storage. No comment.

The new security gates finally arrived last Thursday. My son came down this morning to help set the posts that will anchor the walk-in gate and hold the rolling gate when it's closed.

And I'm still working on rebuilding parts and shipping a few boxes of parts a day.

Life is full.