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If anyone would put money into this thing again they are crazy. But, as many are famous of saying "there are a lot of stupid people who are looking to part with their money."
It'll be much more difficult this time around purely because of the state of the world and economy. I'll respectfully pass... Garland is a crook, and JV is naive to continue using him - shows the desperation.
Ugh.
They control how many shares they print. JV and Garland are both crooks and both somehow made money on this I'm sure... They get to live with themselves... If you double the amount of shares, you half the price - tis very simple. They never really did understand this.
I'll check on the Milwaukee store one of these days...
They'll end up ticking off the wrong person and this will all come home to roost, as will the recorded conference calls where they lied blatantly.
Jim printed stock into oblivion much like our fabled federal reserve... Are these guys really that stupid that they think they can print either shares or us dollars in oblivion without any consequences?!
IMO
Well haven't we all tried to figure this out the last year or so. Skunks, you always post 'pulsing' questions and are aggressive, but you don't seem to get to the bottom of things better than anyone else. I admire your tenacity. I once worked for a person in Boston that asked the same types of questions as you, and in the same tone. I often get a great chuckle when you post your rants because things are so close. Don't have a heart attack, it's just money and you seem like a good person!!
Good luck... if anyone hasn't figured out, JV is a slimeball and I hope his family is beginning to recognize how he's screwed everyone they know over. He should end up in jail and when he does we can have a 'former' shareholder party... What a stupid slimeball
IMO
I'm guessing 2 times.
Another pull, how many years will JV spend in Jail?
Truce
Either way we all lost money. If any of us were sold on JV's charisma and passion for pizza, we all were. Apologize for calling you a worm, as I don't know you.
Best of us.
He's sick, just ask Joan Vowler.
That's the excuse we get when we call the company looking for him. They are all slimeballs, and have stolen money from most of us on this board, very simple.
They get to live with themselves.
IMO
I agree Skunks, what the heck is the purpose of this???
Not that anyone will ever answer the phones there again. I would be amazed to see Joan's PR's come out personally, but we'll see. There are so many shady things going on it's difficult to fathom.
No one will speak to those that invested in this. I'm sure JV's arrogance tells him he did nothing wrong.
IMO
If you've been reading my posts for the last year you will know my feelings on this company and it's management, all the way from my very first post.
This being said, yep JV has taken a lot of people to the bank on this one, and many of us are upset. I think the 'stuff' has already hit the fan!!
Again, re-read my multiple posts and you'll know where I stand. If dropping a post referencing a year ago posts helps you with your anger, so be it.
All IMO
I think there will be massive legal ramifications for what JV has done here. The best thing he can do is come clean and tell all of his investors what he will do to fix this. His reputation among former employees, current franchisees, and suppliers is awful. He'll never raise money for anything again, because if he doesn't come clean - he'll go to prison for a while. Running a public company is not the same as a private company - one thing Garland didn't tell him as he 'advised' him. What goes around comes around... I hear a few Patriot season tickets are going to come free soon!
IMO
They won't unrestrict any shares from what I understand. Their excuses are that Tom Dugita is sick and stuck in bed. Clay doesn't answer calls. All of these guys are swindlers, and I'd like to know who's selling all the shares right now. I'll give you three guesses... The Vowlers, Garland, and probably suppliers that were likely paid in stock. Someone has free shares and are selling.
There's so much paper out there right now... It's really unbelievable... They don't understand that they're now playing with a public company. They blew through $5M and listened to the swindler Garland for advice. Someone had to have made money here. Looks like a lot of us just donated to the "Vowler/Harris Fund" in this little venture... Not to bring a religious twist to this but people get what they deserve... Hope they didn't each so much pizza through this little venture that their arteries are clogged. They owe an apology to their investors. Maybe many won't get anything back out of this, but a civil apology and admission of guilt would help. Arrogance makes everyone even more angry.
IMO
wood where in WI do you live? I get up there quite a bit
You hit it on the head skunk. How much money have the Vowlers and Garland pilfered from this while blocking everyone else from selling?
The volumes have been too high and driven the stock from $.05 to $.005
They'll have to answer to attorneys at some point, I'm sure. IMO
They've pretty much declared this dead with their silence, haven't they? Has anyone heard any nuggets of info? JV must not have any friends left.
IMO
So, at 4/10ths of one penny a share, does this mean the company has just thrown the towel in? Thank you UPZS for screwing a lot of people...!
No PR's in a long time, phones don't work at corporate, and if by chance you get through, no responses, and the conference calls have ended. JV is delivering pizzas.
It's amazing, it really is.
IMO
So it took all five to inspect a pizza store?! I hope they made a lot more progress than that if they were all together. Who is selling 2+ million shares all day...?
they've fallen silent, once again... Hope to hear something of an update and soon.
IMO
Good post OG. As dire as things appear, there is still a small flicker of hope. JV needs someone to parent him and perhaps that's Bob Fidler.
Keep up the good communication... When it comes from folks on the front line it carries a lot of weight and helps offset some of the negativity on the board (mine included).
IMO
You and me both. The problem is, for the valuation of a company to go up, the company needs to:
a) actually grow organically
b) communicate with the public what they are doing
c) run a successful, not-cash draining business
As I see it, they are pretty much failing at all three of these, or they haven't or forgot to tell us. It's fairly simple. The stock price is a reflection of valuation, and valuation can be based on a host of variables, namely revenue, profit, and various other metrics.
When you print shares into oblivion, the price goes down. What a concept...!! I remember Garland's face when I grilled him in 12/2005 about printing shares, and he told me the market would value the company at 100X earnings, and all of this other salesman BS. He knows little other than how to swindle companies, pump up a stock, and retreat never to be heard from again.
All IMO
The product is certainly good. Next time I'm in MKE I'll check the oconomowoc store out as well. The one downtown, while small, is generally busy.
The food is to be complimented, it's just the business operations that we question here a lot, and dilution. Nothing personal. JV is a pleasant guy to have a beer with, I'm sure of it.
IMO
Typical, living the big shot lifestyle before you can afford it... Meanwhile he's hurt hundreds...
He's probably in Vegas gambling.
If Fidler had any sense he would take over the reigns and tell JV to phase himself out of this business. He's had enough time.
IMO
OG-
Great post!!
Man Skunks, you really need to relax, it's just a sporting event!! Nobody's 'dissing' the greater New England area and your sporting teams. You take things quite seriously even a fun subject like football! :)
As for Belichick, people get what they deserve. It's one thing to be confident, but... <fill in your own blanks here!>
On a side note OG, what are you hearing about UPZS? Has the company just fallen silent? I sent some folks to the MKE store this weekend and they said it was very busy... Is JV just bunkering down or what?!
IMO
I know you can't be serious with this post Skunks... You're reaching if you are!! He looked just fine and so did Gisele.
All of my New England friends said his foot was in a boot becuase it hurt from kicking everyone's a$$ all season, so I guess up there it's a matter of perception!
No doubt they are a great team with exceptional talent, but they let the Giants beat them in front of 160 million...
I figured you'd like that Skunks :)
Great season, no doubt... I honestly couldn't care less but I'm happy at least JV can't celebrate that tonight as his company falls silent and his loyal investors lose everything. He's probably at the game knowing him.
As for the Patriots, they just couldn't quite win the important game... ;)
Yeah take that Jim... You can quit BSing about the frigging Patriots. I love it.
I would hold out for the settlement on the class action suit against GH and JV! There are some big $$ players behind this that'll make sure those guys are a) broke, or b) behind bars; after all is said and done! i'm not one of them, but I'm guessing they are out there.
Just kidding, I wish I knew what I could tell you... Unfortunately there are lots of ppl in the same boat as you, and it sort of is what it is...
Good luck to you either way... You aren't alone, and hopefully everyone just lets this serve as a lesson in investing in tiny companies, public OR private!!!
All IMO
It's very hard to transact with UPZS from what i've heard... We are now at 1/2 a penny, so basically the company is bankrupt.
You can be a shareholder and have sincere disdain for the way JV ran this into the ground and ignored people's warnings about Fountain Capital and others. When you print shares to no end, you dilute your loyal stakeholders and drive the price ultimately to what the valuation is worth.
sort of like what the US federal reserve is doing with the US Dollar, and has been for some time. Thankfully my two largest positions the last 7 years have been oil and gold. Do i own UPZS shares, yep, and i'm down some money... But, that's why you make multiple investments, some work out some don't. All of this is my opinion.
My last opinion is that JV may be in some serious trouble and that's why he is being so quiet. no press releases, no conference calls, and allegations that he's delivering pizzas. He simply DOESN'T care about the friends and family he pulled into this. If it turns out he's selling shares without reporting it - that's illegal even on a pink sheet.
IMO
I think Jim is smart enough to realize that this thing needs help, but I think he finds himself helpless. He's now governed by the laws of being a public-company, and doesn't have sufficient funds to expand the way he would like. On top of that, he's lost good people, and his main advisor is a joke.
He ought to hire a business manager to step in and fix this, it is what is needed. Entrepreneurs tend to get in over their heads, but the successful ones have good talent around them.
As for him delivering pizza's, that's a grouse misuse of time and for those that think it's good he wants to be in the trenches - I say he had around 10 years of owning his own restaurant and delivering pizzas - if he still has the desire to do that step down from running a public company funded by friends and family to the tune of $3-4M.
IMO
It's not this boards responsibility to run the company, but we are free to analyze it and ask questions as much as we want. If JV's undies get in a bundle b/c people are questionin the way he's running OUR business, then he isn't communicating what he's doing clearly enough. He's rather arrogant so who knows what he's thinking right now.
All I do know is I've heard stories of him getting retirees to put their money into this thing, and not small sums. That has all but vanished. So. I hope he isn't really dumping shares onto the open market without communicating it or I'm sure he'll make more than a few people upset. Especially if he won't return documented correspondence for unrestricting of the shares.
The crazy thing is I think people would hold on if the Vowler's would communicate what they were doing, but THEY have caused the shareholders to be concerned, we are not all just crazy idiots. If there are any idiots involved here, it probably isn't a lot of the folks on this board.
I wonder if Tom Dugita has been able to get out of bed yet. That was about the funniest thing I've ever heard - how conveneint... What about Bill? He doesn't answer emails or calls either. I guess he must be ill in bed as well.
IMO
can they afford the press release for the WI opening? They sure have gone brutally silent. And what's this, Tom Dugita has been "sick in bed" for weeks according to folks at the HQ. I hate to say it but it sounds like they are all just liars - I hope I'm wrong. Give us a frigging update it's almost February 2008!
IMO
Yes, we've been saying for over a year that the plan is obvioulsy to reverse split the shares, nothing new here... Screw Russia, let's get competitive in the US!
IMO
Hey Midwest,
I honestly don't know, it's all speculation. Apparently some on this board state that he has sold around 8M shares for a half million dollars. If so, my speculation is that it is being used for personal reasons. They aren't company shares.
Who knows what they are pulling nowadays on this company, they have fallen silent, and are impossible to get ahold of.
The whole situation is currnetly very unfortunate, and JV should come out of his shell and speak to those that made this company possible and raised money for him. unreal the disrespect this company has for its 'friends.' They just don't understand that folks are understanding when others are honest, but they get really angry with lies and unkept promises.
All IMO
We experienced a lot of backlash for it. Now JV is clearly selling shares himself, as is GH, in a programmed matter to get their cash out of it. There are few bids underneath the shares and they clearly will make those who bought private shares wait the full 2 years before selling. No real press releases of any substance in the last month or two, shows no progress.
The unfortunate thing is, regardless, that many of us still own shares because we invested in the Vowler's on this venture, and they couldn't give 2 craps about any of us now. Life isn't fair I suppose... They've really hurt a lot of good, honest, people with this little project of their's. I revert to my original messages a year or so ago.
I'm still hoping for some type of good progress, just don't know where it will come from. If JV is really delivering pizza's, what does that mean in the long-term? All IMO
It's plain childish if that is going on. Perhaps it is one of the call ctr folks? Who would have your # is a good question...
Interesting and a shame.
IMO
Unbelievable waste of time is what it is. He didn't need to raise $3-5M to deliver pizzas, I assure you. If it's indeed true it's absolutely ridiculous and a slap in the face of all who entrusted him with funds.
IMO
10-4 to that!! What a wild ride we're in for the elections, no doubt about that!
If anyone hears anything further from the hearing, please post. I'm hopeful JV got some rest and is ready to blow out a bunch of stores here in Q1. They need to get the cash flow up to snuff so we don't need to worry about selling stock. I'd like a shareholders meeting soon.
IMO
RK - You and I share an appreciation for Ron Paul!!
JV is no dummy, he just appears to me to be stubborn. Surround yourself with smart people and the rest will take care of itself. Try to do it all yourself and you are destined to mediocrity or failure
IMO
Amen to that PA. You have definitely been a sound voice on this board, as have many. RK has the right to his opinion, as we all do. Do I think he is overly bullish, yes, but it's nice to have 2 perspectives. Everyone on this board agrees, I think, that is somoene is on the payroll you pay them. If someone doesn't perform then you fire them and pay them until their last day. It's unreal that this is still being debated!
Do they have the cash to pay them, their suppliers, etc?
Why haven't they released any further financials?
Where is the public contract with Garland Harris, how many shares does he own? If more than 5% he needs to file a report to the SEC since this IS a public company.
Why did a slew of executives leave? Were they not being paid? Where is the press release and why are they not being replaced?
Why is the company NOT returning emails, calls, or any other correspondence with the very shareholders that made this possible. It's just pure arrogance if you ask me.
This company is just pure and utter nonsense, and they've needed a new CEO for a very long time. Someone who doesn't have the last name Vowler. I also want records of insider stock purchases. These guys don't know what they are messing with in operating a company in this fashion. But, who knows, maybe the vowlers will cash out with $5M and live happily ever after b/c they have artificially bumped the stock up so high. Who knows.
They've hurt so many families this holiday season, I really feel bad for everyone that they 'sold' on this little venture.
Happy New Year and may 2008 be more profitable, healthy, and family-focused for y'all...!!
All above is my opinion
Again, you don't "not pay" "bad" employees, you fire them.
I can't understand why we think we can blame this on performance! For goodness sakes folks, if JV says they weren't doing their job why on earth keep them on the payroll. Release them like every other firm on the planet.
it's a matter of dollars and sense. OG says they did a great job and he is the real judge in my book. You can't just not pay people. But then again, why did Carroll leave and Blackwell leave?
IMO
Come to think of that JV was a spoiled brat I heard, silver spoon in his mouth.
Rest assured he'll sell enough stock (it's all a game) to make him and his family enough dough and GH enough dough. Reminds me of a ponzi scheme really. A little like amway.
The only wild card for all of these people is that there will likely be enough ticked off shareholders to propose a class action lawsuit against them. What JV probably doesn't know is how people don't like being lied to, or sold; and that many of his shareholders have much deeper pockets than him and will have no issue spending it to see him held accountable for this game. Taking a company public comes with a lot of laws.
All IMO.
I don't think Fidler has bought all that many shares at all. He wouldn't stand for the dilution that we all had to withstand. He will own part of the asset (the store) that he can easily sell if he gets PO'd at JV.
IMO