Hodgdon aquires RCBS

[Will Henry]

I've been reloading since 1962 and there have been a lot of changes in that time. It's inevitable that owners retire or pass away, or that companies are sold. I'll confess to not being wild about the Hodgdon monopolization of the industry, but such is life. WH

 

[Shooter13]

I guess I don't care cause most of my dies say Redding. LOL

Mine are Harrells or Whidden!!

 

[Fuj]

Mine are Harrells or Whidden!!

Mine are mostly Lee's and Newlon since all get a custom work
over, after the fact for wild catting......About the only things from
RCBS, I own are all 6 presses, and 2 Uniflows. Never bought any
of their dies. For that matter, most of my pistol dies from back in
the day are all Lyman and still used currently on RCBS Juniors.
Quite a few standard rifle dies are CH.

 

[Riesel]

I don't really find Redding dies to be an inexpensive source for dies but dang, I do like their Full Length Bushing Dies.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Would you prefer Vista sold to a foreign country?

Is that the only two choices?

 

[Dimner]

Would you prefer Vista sold to a foreign country?

If I understand correctly, RCBS was part of the 'new' vista company that was not a part of the sale to Ukraine. The one called Revelyst and HQ in Montana.

Per news:

By the end of the year, Anoka-based Vista plans to split into two companies: an ammunition brand called the Kinetic Group and Revelyst. Revelyst will trade under the stock symbol GEAR and will likely be based in Montana. It will house brands such as Fox, Bell, Giro, Camelbak and Camp Chef

Here is an interesting article about the lead up to the sale:

Revelyst Announces Sale of RCBS

Revelyst, a segment of Vista Outdoor, announced the sale of RCBS, the company’s Oroville, California-based reloading brand, to Hodgdon Powder.

www.businesswire.com

 

[Brians356]

Those Hodgdon guys are an ambitious bunch.

Yeah. Why can't they be slackers, cussin' and spittin' around the campfire like so many of us here?
-

 

[Brians356]

This is true, but there are certain companies and manufacturers who are increasing at rates that are not helping their images with customers. We all decide how much our personal market of one will bear on price increases. I vote with my wallet. I no longer support Hodgdon or Alliant.

Which company's powder prices haven't gone up? Good to know Biden and Fauxcahontas are correct that inflation is just greedy corporate collusion, nothing to do with $trillions of government helicopter money or supply chain. We can just buy from the self-sacrificing companies that sell at a loss rather than screw the customer. So which companies are those? Pencil poised here ...
-

 

[Brians356]

If you made that kind of profits you would be too

What exactly was Hodgdon's profit in, say, 2023? Just to illustrate your point.
-

 

[Mcrider55]

I ran a biz for 26 years and I've NEVER run into a company that intentionally screws their customers. Without satisfied customers, and growth, every business will die. In very few cases, do you set your own price unless you are the sole entity to own and distribute it, hence a monopoly.

Your competition tells you what can sell for. Shrewd businesses control their costs of of the product all the way to the customer. This is competition in the capital marketplace. You really need a proven, specialized product to charge prices far outside what your competition does. An example is Lapua. They appear to be very successful and have a loyal following.

Their are people in business that are unethical. IMO, Wells Fargo could be the poster for all that is scummy. It appears to be something almost rewarded by leadership. Their are others, we can all think of them.

My economics professor told me back in the 70's of the "3/11 Rule". If you make someone happy, they will tell 3, piss them off and they will tell 11.

If people want to blame a company for rising prices, put the blame where it belongs, GOVERNMENT REGULATION.

This is why the case before SCOTUS, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce is so damned important. It will gut the power of non elected bureaucrats to set law and most regulations, something that's been in place for 5 decades and known as the Chevron deference. The ATF and EPA's regulatory powers would be gutted if this is overturned.

 

[DRK]

This is why the case before SCOTUS, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce is so damned important. It will gut the power of non elected bureaucrats to set law and most regulations, something that's been in place for 5 decades and known as the Chevron deference. The ATF and EPA's regulatory powers would be gutted if this is overturned.

This is a very wise man. SCOTUS needs to bench slap ATF & the other alphabet agencies. This has gone on long enough.

 

[grovey]

There goes the neighborhood

 

[M-61]

Yeah. Why can't they be slackers, cussin' and spittin' around the campfire like so many of us here?
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Speak for yourself, or do some more cut and paste. Take a spelling course while you’re at it.

 

[LHSmith]

First order of new business--- move the operation out of Commi-fornia now-if not sooner.

 

[Bob in WI]

View attachment 1551548

Great..more stuff that will be sparsely available...or half of what used to be..

 

[urbanrifleman]

I ran a biz for 26 years and I've NEVER run into a company that intentionally screws their customers. Without satisfied customers, and growth, every business will die. In very few cases, do you set your own price unless you are the sole entity to own and distribute it, hence a monopoly.

Your competition tells you what can sell for. Shrewd businesses control their costs of of the product all the way to the customer. This is competition in the capital marketplace. You really need a proven, specialized product to charge prices far outside what your competition does. An example is Lapua. They appear to be very successful and have a loyal following.

Their are people in business that are unethical. IMO, Wells Fargo could be the poster for all that is scummy. It appears to be something almost rewarded by leadership. Their are others, we can all think of them.

My economics professor told me back in the 70's of the "3/11 Rule". If you make someone happy, they will tell 3, piss them off and they will tell 11.

If people want to blame a company for rising prices, put the blame where it belongs, GOVERNMENT REGULATION.

This is why the case before SCOTUS, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce is so damned important. It will gut the power of non elected bureaucrats to set law and most regulations, something that's been in place for 5 decades and known as the Chevron deference. The ATF and EPA's regulatory powers would be gutted if this is overturned.

None of that applies if you have a monopoly.

A monopoly can gouge it's customers and they are forced to continue buying, because they have no choice.

A monopoly is not FREE MARKET anything, so free market principles will no longer apply.

This country is awash in monopolies. It is almost the new standard of "capitalism". Which is a misued word anyway. Bankers are "capitalists", not merchants.

 

[Mcrider55]

None of that applies if you have a monopoly.

A monopoly can gouge it's customers and they are forced to continue buying, because they have no choice.

A monopoly is not FREE MARKET anything, so free market principles will no longer apply.

This country is awash in monopolies. It is almost the new standard of "capitalism". Which is a misued word anyway. Bankers are "capitalists", not merchants.

I agree completely. There are certain items available from multiple vendors. Then you have something like gasoline, which costs the same at damn near every station near you. Big oil says they don't price fix, but if that's the case, where are the gas wars of years gone by?

The sale of Vista to the Czech group really bothers me because of the massive market domination the will have, and that they aren't an American company.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I agree completely. There are certain items available from multiple vendors. Then you have something like gasoline, which costs the same at damn near every station near you. Big oil says they don't price fix, but if that's the case, where are the gas wars of years gone by?

The sale of Vista to the Czech group really bothers me because of the massive market domination the will have, and that they aren't an American company.

Vista is controlled by BlackRock /Vanguard. They are not an American company either.

But no one seems to care.

 

[Doug Casner]

Hodgdons has the powder,they want get the rest. I thought I was buying something they didnt own with Ramshot . Shit they own them too. Doug

 

[Mcrider55]

Vista is controlled by BlackRock /Vanguard. They are not an American company either.

But no one seems to care.

AS an investor, they absolutely have some influence on the direction, but to what extent? Especially on product development, manufacturing, and distribution/pricing? They control what, 16% of total stock?

Black Rock is above all else, is about wanting to maximize profit on their investments. Their involvement/promotion of ESG/BLM and other left wing ideology is beginning to hurt them. The last quarterly financial conference call by Larry Fink touched on that. Multiple states have pulled their pension fun money from them already.

The real problem really begins when an entity is able to control the direction of the company and has no internal opposition.

Kind of like the Republican and Democrat parties....