Mr. Ron Clark This is Me

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1. 1. Top News

   www.poolspanews.com/2002/031/0 - [Cached]

   Published on: 3/8/2002   Last Visited: 5/21/2003

   In February, Ron Clark, former owner and president of Sundance Spas, and Judith Gordon-Zaslowsky, CEO/owner of Len Gordon, joined forces to form Allied Innovations, LLC.
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   Clark, the primary investor, will serve as the new firm's CEO, with Gordon-Zaslowsky as president and part-owner.
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   Spa Builders, of which Clark is also primary investor and CEO, produces spa packs, too. Allied Innovations will continue to market the Brett Aqualine products.
   
   "That's an opportunity for Spa Builders to do what they do well and cost-effectively," Clark said, "where our expertise is really not in manufacturing electronic controls."
   
   Clark said the company purchased the Len Gordon and Brett Aqualine brands to complement Spa Builders' existing lines. "If you look at the companies in a combined way, they end up with a more complete offering for their groups of customers. It broadens our distribution channels...and our product offering. So I see the two organizations working closely together, but focused in different niches."
   
   After the new company settles in, Clark expects it to acquire similar existing technologies down the road. "My intention is to grow the organization through additional acquisitions and mergers if we can find some that are suitable," he said. "We'll keep our eyes open for products and/or organizations that we think would be a good fit."
   
   The firm also owns a plastic-molding company, LGC Plastics, but Clark said it would initially focus on controls and switching technology.

2. 2. Interior Design News, Marketplace, Mergers, Acquisitions, Awards, Developments, Projects, Announcements

   www.dezignare.net/whatshot/Sep - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/1/2003   Last Visited: 11/10/2003

   Riverside Superior Court Commissioner Joan F. Ettinger recently found that Sundance had presented enough evidence in support of the fraud and rescission claims, particularly as to deposition testimony by former Jacuzzi Executive Vice President Paul Hermann who negotiated the acquisition on behalf of Jacuzzi, that a reasonable jury might find in the former owner's, Clark Manufacturing, favor on those claims as well as on punitive damages also sought by Clark and which the Court is allowing to be presented to a jury.
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   At the time of the acquisition both Jacuzzi and Clark agreed the best estimate of the total future liability for such warranty claims was $1.7 million and the audit firm of Ernst and Young validated that estimate as part of the pre acquisition due diligence. Since the acquisition, however, Jacuzzi claims it has paid at least $9.5 million to cover warranty related costs on products sold by Clark prior to the acquisition. Clark contends that Jacuzzi used a provision in the purchase agreement to allowing Jacuzzi to charge Clark for costs in excess of the estimate as a slush fund to buy good will with the Sundance dealer network many of whom had had prior unhappy dealings with Jacuzzi which had a reputation for not supporting independent dealers. Clark contends that Jacuzzi used a provision in the purchase agreement to allowing Jacuzzi to charge Clark for costs in excess of the estimate as a slush fund to buy good will with the Sundance dealer network many of whom had had prior unhappy dealings with Jacuzzi which had a reputation for not supporting independent dealers.
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   Clark also alleges that Jacuzzi secretly withheld notifying Clark of its actual charges for two years and after that continued to hide the fact Jacuzzi was not properly obtaining and crediting Clark for millions of dollars in vendor credits and consumer 'buy up' payments for new spas, as well as improperly charging Clark for millions of dollars of good will expenditures which Clark traditionally excluded from warranty expense calculations.
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   Clark also alleges that Jacuzzi secretly withheld notifying Clark of its actual charges for two years and after that continued to hide the fact Jacuzzi was not properly obtaining and crediting Clark for millions of dollars in vendor credits and consumer 'buy up' payments for new spas, as well as improperly charging Clark for millions of dollars of good will expenditures which Clark traditionally excluded from warranty expense calculations.
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   According to Ron Clark, president of Clark Manufacturing, Inc., and co-founder of Sundance Spas, "We are going forward with the trial of this case seeking either rescission of the original transaction, a claim which the judge has specifically allowed us to go forward on, or alternatively the return of all past and future profits unjustly earned by Jacuzzi as a result of their misleading us about the terms of the sale and their intention to use the purchase agreement as a slush fund to buy good will from a distrustful dealer base.
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   Clark has also filed a claim against the accounting firm of Ernst & Young which has been Jacuzzi Brands long term audit firm.
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   Mr. Clark currently has other business interests in Riverside, where Sundance used to employ over 400 people, including an expanding electronics controls company employing approximately 100 people and an 84 acre industrial park in Corona, California in Riverside County.

3. 3. News & Awards

   www.sierranevadaspas.com/news% - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/25/2006   Last Visited: 1/2/2008

   Jacuzzi and Sundance Spas will continue to be operated as separate companies after the acquisition with Ron Clark, founder of Sundance Spas leading his organization and Roy A. Jacuzzi CEO leading Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath.