Smart Parts has long been one of the leading paintball companies and it surprised many when it originally started with "corporate restructuring" earlier this year. Now, though, it appears they have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. For those of you unfamiliar with bankruptcy, Chapter 11 is when a company tries to refinance and modify their debts and Chapter 7 is when a company is going to liquidate all of its assets. With this announcement, all of Smart Parts tools, equipment, patents and property will be auctioned or sold off.
This means we will never see the old Smart Parts again. That doesn't mean, though, we won't see a similar Smart Parts-type company in the future. Another company could buy the assets of Smart Parts and use its patents and intellectual property to make the same or similar equipment. Or, the founders of Smart Parts could form a different paintball company and create new equipment. We'll just have to wait and see.
Comments
Kinda Sad. Like losing an old friend… They invented the first electro-pnematic marker, among other things…
Not sure if they invented it but they patented it.
Thats what killed the emag and the ades right?
I love my SP-1 and there are enough 3rd party bolts and regs to keep it going. I bet KEE will buy most of there patents.
Highly unlikely they INVENTED the first electropneumatic, but they were certainly able to patent and thereby, sue the rest of the industry by claiming their patent was being infringed upon. Pushed paintball into a very dark time. Beyond that though, their Ions brought budget friendly, decent quality, high ROF paintball guns to the market and changed it forever. Never liked their legal practice, but certainly admired their markers.
They were a cornerstone in the paintball industry for a long time. Not sure what happened but anything is possible in paintball.
@ scautomag I don’t think the dark time of paintball was smart parts protecting it’s patent, what were they supposed to let every company come in copy their idea and profit? going after people for patent infringement is not bad legal practice.
As Marc said it is like losing a friend I remember the good ol days of automag vs shocker, air america tanks and regs Rp scherer and Zap paintballs, memories, and smart parts barrels they sponsored my team, helped out the school I work for so for me it’s like saying good bye to family. They will be missed
I am the proud owner of an Ion… And now I guess I’ll have to stay that way. There is no way I’m going to be selling my Ion now that they don’t make them anymore… I loved Smart Parts… It’s just too bad….
I FEEL SAD , SMART PART WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!! WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW I CANT GET THE EPIPHANY ….
……………….( SIGH) I HOPE IT COMES BACK SOON