Rex marine still in business?

[Hammer]

Looking for a 47" ski pole for a buddy

 

[Ibeplumbing]

Ya, send them an email. They will respond or call you if you leave your number. They are restructuring. I just got a relay about a month ago from mike

 

[Hammer]

Great thanks. My buddy called and got kicked over to a house answering machinne

 

[obnoxious001]

Great thanks. My buddy called and got kicked over to a house answering machinne

Gonna need to be a bit patient. I talked to him the other day about some parts I need, he mentioned he was pretty sick for a few days. I think he is doing it all himself right now.

 

[River Dan]

I live in the area and buy parts there from time to time. It can be frustrating, but they have the parts I need without waiting for UPS or FedEx. It does appear to be a one man operation, there are hours of operation posted but he does all the running around and may not be there when I show up, sometimes I have to go back a few times to catch him. The phone forget about it, it's like Las Vegas you may get lucky. It seems like it's mostly Internet sales is his model now, no show room just a warehouse crammed with all the parts. He is a nice guy and helpful just does not have any staff that I have seen in 5 or 6 times I have been there the last two years.

 

[brgrcru]

Remember the days, with there shop in la Verne / san diams and there boat displays ? times were good back then.
I spent a small fortune there.

When the after market shops in all types of activities are still struggling. It's hard to think that the economy is doing great. :rolleyes

 

[Rexone]

Hammer I see your email on the ski pole will check as soon as I get to shop. I have some just not sure of colors. As Barry said yes doing it all myself these days. Leave a phone message or email and I'll get back to you. Recently moved and still unpacking so a little chaotic still but improving. [email protected] ... I check this multiple times daily. Sharing a warehouse with someone now so don't have will call or retail store any longer. We are shipping daily and priority mail locally is really inexpensive unless parts are large and heavy.

 

[Hammer]

Hammer I see your email on the ski pole will check as soon as I get to shop. I have some just not sure of colors. As Barry said yes doing it all myself these days. Leave a phone message or email and I'll get back to you. Recently moved and still unpacking so a little chaotic still but improving. [email protected] ... I check this multiple times daily. Sharing a warehouse with someone now so don't have will call or retail store any longer. We are shipping daily and priority mail locally is really inexpensive unless parts are large and heavy.

Thanks for the reply, it's for my buddy. Glad to hear you are still going. I used to go to your shop as kid with my dad. I'll pass along the info :thumbup:

 

[obnoxious001]

Little known RDP fact of the day. I worked at Rex Marine when it first opened, before Mike bought it. At that time he owned and operated Marv's Speed and Marine. (I never do recall asking who Marv was?). I used to go over there and buy parts from him for boats we were putting together at Rex. Jack Rex opened doing some installation work on boats with Mike King and myself being the first two employees. Not long after he decided to lease some machines and do engine machine work and engine building, and he hired Ron Fleetham away from Gale Banks to do that area of the work.

I went out on my own selling and installing electric gate operators, and not long after Mike Guardalabene bought the Rex operation, choosing just to sell parts.

When I was moving out to Parker I found I still have a couple of the highly collectable Rex Marine catalogs.

 

[Rexone]

Barry back then after Jack Rex left I took over the parts portion of the business, Mike King took over the rigging portion, and Ron Fleetham had gone back to Banks and Ken Stauffer took over the engine building division. All under the same roof. Over a couple or three years Mike and Kenny went on to do other things and I continued with the parts operation. Mike King went on to operate a tire shop, worked for Traders, some other stuff as well as Prime Marine. I don't know where Kenny ended up. Jack Rex went back into accounting and was controller for a couple large auto dealerships. Since that time, 1981, a lot has changed, a couple recessions, economic boom, and corresponding economic retraction. Business is "ok" but certainly nothing like 2008 and prior. I think it never will be that again in this industry. I've downsized, albeit too late a few times, chasing the economy backwards, and here we are today. 09-14 was a pretty rough period. I spent a lot of money trying to stay bigger than needed banking on economic recovery quickly which never materialized. Money I shouldn't have spent and could certainly use now to rebuild. But hindsight is always great. So I will stay small and dig out and continue on as funds permit. But yeah a big difference from the boom years in La Verne.

Hammer I have 1 polished pole and 2 that are red anodized presently in 47". Also have a number of 24" poles various colors.

 

[laipappy]

Barry back then after Jack Rex left I took over the parts portion of the business, Mike King took over the rigging portion, and Ron Fleetham had gone back to Banks and Ken Stauffer took over the engine building division. All under the same roof. Over a couple or three years Mike and Kenny went on to do other things and I continued with the parts operation. Mike King went on to operate a tire shop, worked for Traders, some other stuff as well as Prime Marine. I don't know where Kenny ended up. Jack Rex went back into accounting and was controller for a couple large auto dealerships. Since that time, 1981, a lot has changed, a couple recessions, economic boom, and corresponding economic retraction. Business is "ok" but certainly nothing like 2008 and prior. I think it never will be that again in this industry. I've downsized, albeit too late a few times, chasing the economy backwards, and here we are today. 09-14 was a pretty rough period. I spent a lot of money trying to stay bigger than needed banking on economic recovery quickly which never materialized. Money I shouldn't have spent and could certainly use now to rebuild. But hindsight is always great. So I will stay small and dig out and continue on as funds permit. But yeah a big difference from the boom years in La Verne.

Hammer I have 1 polished pole and 2 that are red anodized presently in 47". Also have a number of 24" poles various colors.

I was doing an internet search to see what became of Jack Rex. After reading the two comments above I wanted to say hello to you guys and let you know that I also worked at Rex Marine not long after Jack started it up after he left Gale Banks Engineering in the late 70s. I was a junior in high school when Jack hired me to work for them at GBE. I owe debt of gratitude to Jack for hiring me, asking what I wanted to learn, and allowing me to "blue print" my first BBC at GBE just as I asked him. A year or two later Jack left GBE under negative circumstances. A short time after that I was let go by the new GBE general manager, a bald guy also by the name of Jack. Shortly after that, Jack Rex called and hired me to work for him at his shop in San Dimas or wherever that was. I worked on removing the engine from a black 69, tri power Corvette he had in that dimly lit place of his. That lasted for about a week in total. In the meantime I was dying to go back to GBE and continue learning about turbo charging technology. Sure enough bald Jack at GBE called me back to work for them. I spent my JR and SR years of HS at GBE, that short break working at RM. I still fondly remember Ron Fleetham (cocky fucker) and Kenny Stauffer (Highrise). I also remember Mike Lefever who rebuilt my TH400 as I was building my 427 in the shop that summer. But my favorite mentor at GBE was Wally, the head engine builder that shared the same area with Kenny.

 

[montaj629]

Just picked up some Speed Coat from Rex Marine. Guy was cool. Wouldn’t sell me his 360 but all good haha

 

[RiverDave]

I was doing an internet search to see what became of Jack Rex. After reading the two comments above I wanted to say hello to you guys and let you know that I also worked at Rex Marine not long after Jack started it up after he left Gale Banks Engineering in the late 70s. I was a junior in high school when Jack hired me to work for them at GBE. I owe debt of gratitude to Jack for hiring me, asking what I wanted to learn, and allowing me to "blue print" my first BBC at GBE just as I asked him. A year or two later Jack left GBE under negative circumstances. A short time after that I was let go by the new GBE general manager, a bald guy also by the name of Jack. Shortly after that, Jack Rex called and hired me to work for him at his shop in San Dimas or wherever that was. I worked on removing the engine from a black 69, tri power Corvette he had in that dimly lit place of his. That lasted for about a week in total. In the meantime I was dying to go back to GBE and continue learning about turbo charging technology. Sure enough bald Jack at GBE called me back to work for them. I spent my JR and SR years of HS at GBE, that short break working at RM. I still fondly remember Ron Fleetham (cocky fucker) and Kenny Stauffer (Highrise). I also remember Mike Lefever who rebuilt my TH400 as I was building my 427 in the shop that summer. But my favorite mentor at GBE was Wally, the head engine builder that shared the same area with Kenny.

Cool post! I bet you have some great stories from that era

 

[stephenkatsea]

All of us who has ever owned a boat in the SW has turned to Rex Marine at one time. It’s one of those places that just feels good knowing they are still there if we need them.

 

[Mandelon]

Does that mean the catalogs are ready to go out?

 

[Hallett Dave]

Does that mean the catalogs are ready to go out?

Funny post Richard.
But I say likely not.