Page 1 of 13 1234511 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 373

Thread: Tom Kaye Retires from Paintball, AGD Under New Management

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    5,916

    Tom Kaye Retires from Paintball, AGD Under New Management

    To all my friends on AO and in Paintball,

    It has been no secret that AGD has been under financial stress for many years. With the recent downturn in the industry it no longer makes sense for me and my family to pursue a living from this great game. Effective today I will be retiring and moving on to other business ventures outside paintball.

    Dave Zupan who many of you know as my vice president, has bought out our inventory and will be taking over running the company. For most people AGD will still be in business as usual and you will still be able to call and order product. Please give him the same respect and feedback you have given me for so many years.

    It has been a privilege to watch an industry grow from a spark into a raging fire that covered the world. I am proud to have contributed in my small way. Most of all I was glad to know the people of paintball, especially my customers. AO has been my constant companion for years now and I never expected all the benefits, joys and sorrows that came from knowing you all.

    I will still continue to promote and participate in the Shatner event but its unlikely that I will be attending any other events during the year. I certainly didn’t think it would end like this but I am the last of a long gone group of paintball founders that are not around any more.

    I sincerely hope that paintball gets past its recent flurry of issues and comes together as the great game and industry we all know it can be. To all of the players I want you to remember that its YOU who control this game and this industry. Treat it wisely and vote with your dollars so your kids can play along side you some day.

    I will answer questions in this thread, please start another one for general comments and I will sticky it.

    Thank you all for being the greatest customers and friends that a guy could wish for!!

    Tom Kaye AGD
    Last edited by AGD; 12-08-2004 at 06:57 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    RI
    Posts
    3,354
    wow didnt see this coming

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Somerville, MA
    Posts
    1,743
    Woah! Good luck in your other ventures. Given the state of the industry today, I would retire too.

    I truely hope that this is not the beginning of the end for AGD. That would be a sad day indeed. Again, good luck, and godspeed!
    Red/Black Freeflow Lotus Racegun
    Red/Black Acid BPS Twister Cocker
    Bright Black Y-Grip/Warp ULE Mag
    Blue 99 Dark Angel w/Matching Accessories
    Matte Black Stock Class Sniper 2
    Feedback: https://www.automags.org/forums/showthread....&threadid=94972

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Riverside, CA
    Posts
    1,767
    So you are retiring from Paintball in gernal or just from the Buisness/Industry? And does this mean you will no longer be posting on AO?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    hot springs, arkansas
    Posts
    457
    i can't say that i blame you one bit. but it is sad that you have to do this i wish that this didnt happen but i do not blame you in any way shape or form.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Brooklyn NY
    Posts
    539
    sorry to hear you go tom, i wish ya the best of luck to you and your family wherever you may be going, and i will always continue to shoot your great gun!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Oh sure, you and your sat
    Posts
    305

    Unhappy



    You'll still play Shatner though.... Right

  8. #8
    can someone explain whats going on, why is he quiting????

  9. #9
    MindJob Guest
    We Shall Avenge You.............

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Newport News VA
    Posts
    3,832
    Sorry to see you go. You've done a great thing, with mags, and AGD, and AO, (and air tanks, and warp feeds, and barrel condoms and yadda yadda YA), and most importantly, the sport of paintball as a whole. Best of luck with your future endeavors, I hope you'll find happiness in whatever you choose to do.

    **edit** TOM KAYE, good friend of ours... honor us with one last chat party before you go for good?

    Also, will AO and irc.automags.org stick around?
    Last edited by BobTheCow63; 12-08-2004 at 06:31 PM.
    Calling all Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and other east coast AOers...

    AO Mid-Atlantic Meet (planning stages)

    Let us know what dates and locations work for you!!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Posts
    5,475
    Holy ****!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    If you havent already figured it out... Your not supposed to take me seriously
    Posts
    2,673
    Really sad to see you go , youve done an awsome thing for paintball, and paintballers everywhere. Your still gonna pop back once and a while at Shatnerball right?


    Congrats Dave, hope to see you on the forums!

    Well Miss You Tom!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Somerville, MA
    Posts
    1,743
    So is this officially the end of an era in paintball? It sure feels like it...

  14. #14
    Pursue your new job with the same enthusiasm and you'll be all set

    Probably was best that you left now before things could possibly get bad.

    Good luck!

    Paintball will always remember the contributions you gave to the sport.

  15. 12-08-2004, 06:26 PM

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Backpacking in the Sierras
    Posts
    1,150
    tom,
    i would like to thank you for an outstanding product and service that has lasted through all of these years. from my first mag in 1991 (#1496) to my x-rogue mag of today, thanks.

    sorry to see you go,
    cory
    Last edited by Eatem Alive; 12-22-2004 at 06:43 PM.

  17. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Baldwin, MI
    Posts
    1,732
    Those goofy air tanks, they'll never catch on!


    Have fun with the rest of your days.

    > QUIKFLASH.COM
    JOIN THE NINTENDO FUN CLUB TODAY MAC!

  18. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Plano, TX
    Posts
    868
    Holy crap

  19. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Chicagoland
    Posts
    923
    Tom, we will miss you.
    To be an AGD supporter, one cannot be an AGD bigot. -Nero

    Truth is a complex thing. One must govern by simplicity. -M. Mercier, special counsel to his Majesty for domestic matters. The Brotherhood of the Wolf

    "You can't outrun Death forever, but you can make the bastard work for it."


  20. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    1,337
    Thanks for letting us know and I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your life.

    N.A.T.O.




    Feel The Burn

    [AO Feedback]

    PBN Feedback


  21. #20
    wowwww. i thought that agd was getting more popular. i guess i didnt understand. well i hope that you succed in whatever you do from now on. good luck. ps:thanks for the great gun. its WAY BETTER than any of the others. GOOD LUCK.
    rt ule custom, boomstick, ult,apoc2k and x board revi, i want:j&j ceramic.

  22. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    IL
    Posts
    3,814

  23. #22
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Lake Geneva Wisconsin
    Posts
    4,324
    you said that you would answer questions in this thread. so here is one for you

    can we still expect to see you out at some feilds occasionally, and i mean this as will you just wake up one day and be like, im going paintball today? and will you still be a father figure here on AO?
    t33kyboy "So if a cat is dropped from 11 inches, it will most likely die."

  24. #23
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    1,283
    Oh Snap!
    RIP John Sherman 1952- 2004

    -Adam
    K To the E

  25. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Newport News VA
    Posts
    3,832
    Quote Originally Posted by trevorjk
    you said that you would answer questions in this thread. so here is one for you

    can we still expect to see you out at some feilds occasionally? and will you still be a father figure here on AO?
    I have a feeling he'll always be a father figure for AO, whether he wants to or not.

  26. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    IL
    Posts
    3,814
    MR. KAYE MR. KAYE MY SYDARM NO WORKY! *waves sydarm around*

  27. #26
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    5,916
    What will happen to AO?

    I need to find a way to make AO pay for itself. If it can do that it can stay around forever. I will be selling banner space as a first try but if that doesnt work it might have to go to some kind of membership fee. Stuff like AO has to get paid for somehow and Dave didn't take over all the bills I have to pay.

    Will I show up at events?

    Maybe, maybe not. You have to understand how hard it is to come back as an unknown. You all know me but in a couple months I will be invisible to 99% of the paintball world. Thats just the way it is.

    AGD

  28. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by AGD
    You continue to expect that things will be the same but in reality the old days of paintball are gone forever. The general paintball public hasn't put it all together yet. They dont understand that AKA is done making guns forever. That Odessey who brought you the best loader ever is now hovering at bankruptcy. WGP just gave up the whole upper end marrket in favor of a spider clone. Glen Palmer is going to retire to another country. Tippmann is now controlled by the functional equivalent of a superpower and the best Bob Long can do is come out with a new look every month.
    I suppose we should add Tom Kaye stepping down as President of Air Gun Designs to the list. Thanks for your contributions the the sport of paintball, you will be missed.

  29. #28
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Easthampton Ma.
    Posts
    775
    Tom,

    first off, thank you so much for eveything you have done for the sport.
    you and your company are the reasons I am in the paintball business .

    I wish things were different, I kind of felt this was coming after talking with you at IAO, I was hoping things would get better.

    I hope things change and someday we see you again, the sport needs more people like you not less.....


    respectfuly
    Alan
    Destructive Customs

  30. #29
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Lake Geneva Wisconsin
    Posts
    4,324
    Quote Originally Posted by AGD
    What will happen to AO?

    I need to find a way to make AO pay for itself. If it can do that it can stay around forever. I will be selling banner space as a first try but if that doesnt work it might have to go to some kind of membership fee. Stuff like AO has to get paid for somehow and Dave didn't take over all the bills I have to pay.


    AGD

    ever try a donation thing? id gladly give money for AO

  31. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Manchester, NH
    Posts
    23

    question

    Tom:

    As this may come to a huge surprise to me and 99.9% of the industry....

    May I ask how long you have been planing this move? Or was this something that you just one day woke up and said "Enough"?

    If it was me, I would see this as a decision that I would have to labor on for years.....


    Anyhow....
    God Speed, and good luck with your future ventures.


    Carter
    aka
    Painthappy
    Paintball Collection: http://www.mcarterbrown.com/collection3.0/

    Homepage: http://www.mcarterbrown.com

    VintageRex: http://www.vintagerex.com - The future of paintball's history!!!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •