The other two were given away at events at Castle Conquest at
EMR Paintball and at a local field for the Monty Python and the Holy Grail game early in the spring.
The 2012 package is supported by the fine folks who sponsor our team. We have looked at sponsors a little
differently than others. We go out and find products that we like, field test them and make sure we like and use
the products. We then approach them and ask if they would like to be part of our prize package and help support
the events that we choose to support. We have had great luck with this approach, and it supports the fields and
players that we support.

Thank you to the folks who are supporting the 2012 version of our Custom Prize Package. This seasons package
includes the following items: A gift certificate for a Dominator Barrel and Fin from Hammerhead Paintball; A
Gift Certificate for a set of Custom Grips and a T-shirt from Stinger Paintball Designs; A gift package from
Goblin Paintball; a Blue’s Crew Party Pack from EMR Paintball and Blue’s Crew Paintball Team; 2 – 12 packs
of Fog Tech Anti Fog from Fog Tech; Guardian Uniforms also donates a varied tactical prize for each package.

The Maltese Militia is a small group of public safety providers that uses the sport of paintball as a way to
relieve stress and have a great day out with great friends and teammates. We were formed in 2004 and have
been playing big games and scenario events ever since. you can get more information about us and all of our
great sponsors on our web page; www.maltese-militia.com

www.Training.PaintballX3.com

The Field & Store Training Tour is 7 hours of intense, informative, no-frills training for paintball field and store owners and staff—no trade show, no new product “show and tell” and no fancy dinner—just hardcore, non-stop training with two successful lifelong members of the paintball industry that have been to literally hundreds of paintball fields and store around the US. Come prepared to learn, gain confidence, and get motivated with your NEW plan for success!

REGISTER NOW for the Orlando F/S Training Tour stop. We’ll be holding the event La Quinta Inn & Suites, Orlando Lake Mary. The event date is February 24^th, with check-in beginning at 8:30AM.

Schedule Overview

9:30 – 9:45 Introduction and schedule outline

9:45 – 10:15 Ten “Must-Have” Website Features
10:30 – 11:00 Lessons in Social Media
11:00 – 11:15 Break
11:15 – 11:45 The 60 Second Promotional Video
11:45 – 12:30 Creating a Better Game Experience for Your Customer
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 2:15 Customer Service Training for Your Employees
2:15 – 2:45 Improve Your Margins
2:45 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 3:30 Field & Store Marketing
3:30 – 4:30 Diversifying

4:30 – 5:30 Meet-n-Greet, take home literature and swag.

Cost per attendee: $125 for first registrant from your company, $85 for everyone else.

Also play with Greg and John at the Greg Hastings Tour of Duty, scheduled on the Saturday/Sunday after each of the F/S Training Tour dates. Registration information for the TOD games can be found here: http://www.gregredhastings.com/tour/

You can register now for the Field/ Store Training Tour at, http://www.Training.PaintballX3.com.

The police investigation is ongoing, so no further details about their alleged crime are available.  To see the full story, click HERE

Looks like G.I. Sportz did their homework!

As you can see in the picture, he’s gotten to visit his old office, where I assume that he’ll continue running the business from.  Surprisingly enough, the office was pretty much as he’d left it, down to his old coin jar that he’d toss spare change into.  No word on whether or not his old change was in there or not.

Things are very busy in those offices right now.  Several employees including South American Rep Sean Scott have been let go, and the often painful process of reconfiguring the distribution network and other operations is already under way.  The Orlando Warehouse that DXS used has been closed and most (if not all) of the employees there have been let go, with Florida distribution now being handled from G.I. Sportz’s Tampa warehouses.  If I still lived in the Tampa area and the pay was right, I’d have sent over a Resume`!

G.I. Sportz has also been busy tying up loose ends in Europe, and a separate rumor mill there is alleging that Richmond really didn’t want to buy Procaps, he merely wanted some of the others (rumored to be Tippmann and KEE Action Sports, but there has been no confirmation of this)  competing to buy the business to spend more money than they had to.  My conversations with Joanne Wheeler and some former DXS employees would indicate to me that this is highly unlikely.  I suspect that whatever financial machinations were used to acquire DXS/ProCaps were exceptionally boring and likely expensive, which isn’t something most people would do to just give competitors the proverbial finger.

As 2011 ends and 2012 gets in full swing, I’m sure that Richmond and G.I. Sportz will continue to be newsmakers, and The Ford Report will be the place to keep up to date on what’s going on!

It’s the end of the year and Shooting Hot Magazine dominates the Christmas Season with Bill Murray’s take on the Custom Products Pro Barrel kit, gun wraps and the look of this month’s magazine while The Big Boss, Seth Manchester takes on Skeletor and paintball in Venezuela!  Your fearless editor chimes in with his monthly editorial, this month taking on Social Media, and reviews the Empire Prophecy Z2! Also check out the coverage of Paintugal 2011!

Just getting warmed up, Bill takes on the Dangerous Power G4, and TB lets loose again!  It’s a wild ride for the end of 2011, check it out at http://www.shootinghotmagazine.com !  World Domination can be at your fingertips!

• Congrats to Jack and Macy (Smith) Brown! http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/congratulations-to-jack-and-macy/
• Unfortunately for me, they’re not honeymooning in Vegas, where the NPPL Championships are this weekend.
• At least I’m having fun being covered in fur gallivanting around the galaxy: http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/yZ8ya0oXe2IKcjBC?cmpid=sw_fb_friend
• Just a gentle reminder to come to Galaxy Wars to start off your paintball for 2012! http://www.pbnewyearbash.com/
• Tomorrow there’s going to be a Poker tournament in Vegas for all the players out there looking to make some extra cash before the event itself.
• Old Friend Larry Cossio appears to be healing well from his motorcycle accident earlier this year, because he was able to kick my office door in to pass along this tidbit: “The CIA has some great news for our paintball field customers and for the tournament promoters. We currently use 3 insurance companies to provide insurance for paintball fields in the USA. Some of you that are insured with Lexington will see a price decrease as the program has finally been accepted in all but 5 states. Price decreases could be around $150 per year for small fields, around $180 for mid size fields, and around $300 for large fields! If you are not currently insured with the CIA then maybe you should check in on the benefits.”
• Greg Hastings has released his tour of duty 2012 info: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/tour-of-duty-2012/
• Yes, the first game of the year is the South Beach Pimps game at Old River Paintball in February. Make sure you come down and join us for some great paintball, and as always a monster prize package!
• Ninja Paintball donated $5000 to the American Cancer Society.
• I have it on good authority that the Machine Vapor guns are going to anodizing soon. Among them are two custom guns. More as it develops.
• If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check this out: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/the-machine-is-coming/
• Make sure you hassle Barno at the ProCaps booth this weekend to make sure he gets you the very best paint for your team to use at the NPPL World Championships.
• Or if you prefer, hit up Empire for their paint….they’re pulling out all the stops too!
• Ready to play? Jacko and Ledz are: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/ready-to-play/
• Speaking of Eclipse, they’re teaming up with Team Desert Edge to get you an ETHA: http://thefordreport.com/2011/11/tell-team-desert-edge-you-want-an-etha/
• While he was repairing the damage to my door frame, Larry Cossio mentioned this while he was hammering away: “If you wish to save another $100 on your paintball field insurance with Cossio Insurance Agency attend Paintball Extravaganza February 28-March 1 and take our paintball safety class, pass the written test and become safety certified for field exposures and reffing exposures. If you renew from 1/1/12 to 3/1 we will apply the discount, if you renew on or after 3/1 we will apply the credit on renewal. This program does not matter which of our three companies you are insured with, the voucher will count on renewal or new business. So if you are currently insured with us or just want to switch over to us, it will enhance your safety knowledge and hopefully help your safe record stay intact.”
• The saucy and titillating Patrick “Winter” Dunnigan has been put in charge of answering any questions about the Valken V-Max loader. Hit him up at vmax@valken.com and he’ll get back to you.
• I could do without my wife going on and on about his hair….
• Hollywood Sports Park will be open the day after Thanksgiving, so take the opportunity to burn off some of the turkey you gorged yourself on at the field!
• Things are pretty quiet here on this end because everyone’s at NPPL Vegas this weekend…I suspect there will be some big news coming out of Vegas, but time will tell. My phone continues to ring off the hook. **SIGH**

Mike lives and works in Tainan, Taiwan, which means a majority of the transportation over there is done via scooters.  Yesterday morning while on his way to his factory a woman pulled in front of him with no warning and according to Mike, the next thing he remembers is waking up in the hospital with a major concussion (he was wearing a helmet), cuts and lacerations to his face that required 20 stitches, and various missing chunks of meat and bruises.  He didn’t comment on the status of his scooter, but given the damage sustained by Mike, it’s likely totaled.

Scooter accidents are sadly very common in Taiwan, and this isn’t the first time Mike has had to use his face as a braking system.  Think driving in Tampa or Miami on steroids.  My solution to the crazy conditions was to acquire a very large, very red truck that even an elderly driver would have a hard time missing.  Unfortunately that’s not a reasonable option in Taiwan.

This morning when we spoke Mike was back at the factory hard at work, despite his injuries.   Ashley and I wish him a speedy and complete recovery!

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