Is it still GLoomis or Shimano article

[billy b]

From Tom Ashby at American Legacy (may be a good online source for GL stuff)

G. Loomis RUMORS and The TRUTH....................


Ever since G. Loomis rods became scarce and in short supply starting around October, 2008 the "rumor mill" has been rampant with all sorts of misinformation, most claiming to have come from "reliable" industry sources. Whatever could be imagined regarding Loomis seemed plausible and often possible as rod supplies became scarce and communication from Loomis even more scarce. Sort of the perfect storm for the rumor mills to build on.

Well, enough is enough. It's time to set the record straight and dispel all of the junk that is being disseminated on blogs, in tackle shops, and between others who pass on rumor as fact. Although we are in no way owned or controlled by G. Loomis, American Legacy Fishing is pretty close to G. Loomis since our very existence is tied to this brand. Hardly a day goes by where

we haven't had a discussion or exchanged emails regarding G. Loomis with folks at the G. Loomis Woodland, Washington factory or the parent company, Shimano. So take a few minutes to read this article so you will know the facts
rather than the fiction.


First and foremost, EVERY G. Loomis rod is still made and will continue to be made in Woodland, Washington. This is the ONLY place Loomis rods have been or are made.
The blanks for every rod are 100% USA made in this plant. No Loomis rod
has ever been made any place else. Nor has there ever been a G. Loomis rod made with blanks from anywhere except Woodland, Washington. More important, we have been assured that no Loomis rod will be made any place else.



Shimano did not just recently buy G. Loomis, but has owned this company for almost 13 years. As far as we know, Shimano has never dictated to G. Loomis what rods to make or how they were to be made. Moreover, the proprietary G. Loomis manufacturing technology has continually been improved over the years to address the evolving needs of fishermen. New rods that will be introduced this year are once again innovative and "all Loomis".


The G. Loomis warranty has always been honored and will continue to be as it always

has. Your G. Loomis rod and it's Limited Lifetime Warranty is as good today as it was when you bought the rod. When loomis was updating their manufacturing plant between

late 2008 and the middle of last year some rods sent in for warranty were indeed out of stock and warranty replacements were oftentimes backordered for several weeks if not months, but EVERY legitimate G. Loomis warranty claim was honored. The G. Loomis
warranty has not changed.


Effective December 1, 2009 the G. Loomis customer service department, marketing, accounting, and various other departments were moved to Shimano headquarters in Irvine, CA to better consolidate Shimano's North American operations that include G. Loomis, Power Pro Braided Line, and Shimano. This also allowed the Woodland, Washington plant to focus on design, innovation, and timely delivery. At the same time

the Shimano sales force took over field representation for the G. Loomis and Power Pro brands. Since this consolidation new equipment has been added in Woodland and overall quality has improved making G. Loomis an even better product than the standard bearer it has been in the past.


Loomis is reorganizing their entire marketing program and as such may not be present at some events that we or our customers think they should have a presence at. We believe his is a temporary situation and soon you will see Loomis at many fishning events and shows. Present lack of attendance by Loomis is due to this reorganization, nothing
else.


Neither G. Loomis nor Shimano have ever been in any financial distress. Shimano is a
very strong company with worldwide sales well over $2 billion annually. They are profitable and continue to innovate, encourage, and support product development in all of their companies including G. Loomis, Power Pro, Pearl Izumi, Shimano, etc.


As most of you know, we addressed the name "Loomis-Franklin" in an earlier newsletter. There is no connection whatsoever between G. Loomis and Loomis-Franklin, a product that is manufactured in Asia and distributed in parts of Asia, Europe,

and Australia.


Efective in 2010 G. Loomis has decided to NOT publish a paper catalog, but instead offer their catalog on a redesigned web site where customers will have the ability to download the complete catalog or whatever pages they deem appropriate.

Unfortunately this new web site is as yet not operable. We at American Legacy Fishing are disappointed about this, but are certain it will be up soon. Until then we are always available to assist with any questions or information you may need.

Finally, the association between G. Loomis and American Legacy Fishing Company is that of

independently owned G. loomis dealer and the manufacturer of the G. Loomis products, which is a division of Shimano North America. We, like all dealers, are bound by the policies set forth by G. Loomis/Shimano. We have no financial interest in G. Loomis/Shimano nor do they have any interest in American Legacy Fishing Company. We are both independent companies. That said, we enjoy a wonderful relationship with "the factory" and share a common interest in promoting the world's best fishing rods and accessories as well as the wonderful sport of fishing.

Hopefully this information will be as eagerly passed on as many of the rumors from the past. If you have any questions or concerns both American Legacy Fishing Company and G. Loomis/Shimano will be happy to address them.

[2jackedLUNGS]

nice article. ive heard that some loomis rods were made elsewhere before. glad to hear its not true. gloomis rules!

[AngryAgent]

What about the blanks and lack of storage space and not making enough money from blanks. I talked to 4 different Shimano reps at the FHS and all of them gave me a different story. People want G-Loomis but most want G-Loomis as blanks. These are some of the best blanks in the world and now they have been taken away for an array of reasons. Shimano told me themselves that they are not making enough money from selling the blanks and as of right now are not interested in entertaining bringing them back anytime soon. They also told me that they don't have enough storage space right now which I didn't quite understand. I will never buy a Loomis off the rack, they don't have the components that I want on them and they are not even spined. For $300.00 they must be spined or I'm not interested period. I hope that Loomis sales fall dramatically so that they will soon bring the blanks back and I know many others that feel the same way. Shimano you guys make a lot of great products but you have really dropped the ball on this one and are cutting off your nose to spite your face. Bad decision on your part...

[2jackedLUNGS]

ya i was pretty disappointed when they stopped selling blanks.