PADI has been sold to another investment group. Thoughts?

[coldwatercanada]

We talked to Doug at PADI and this artical was written by sdi/ssi. One of the private owners sold his portion of PADI to a company. PADI is still owned by several different people. This other company has picked up only a portion of the whole company. This other company has lready invested extra cash into PADI and is not planning on changing any of the PADI format. Nothing will change except for extra advertising which means more exposure for PADI stores!

 

[tridacna]

We talked to Doug at PADI and this artical was written by sdi/ssi. One of the private owners sold his portion of PADI to a company. PADI is still owned by several different people. This other company has picked up only a portion of the whole company. This other company has lready invested extra cash into PADI and is not planning on changing any of the PADI format. Nothing will change except for extra advertising which means more exposure for PADI stores!

Which article was written by SSI/SDI? The original article was a press release announcing that PADI was acquired by LM. Not a portion. PE companies seldom acquire pieces of a company. Methinks that Doug may have been spinning a yarn to you.

 

[coldwatercanada]

lol not the one they posted here, got my threads mixed up. I guess what he's trying to say is its been blown out of proportion online by people saying PADI got sold. PADI has always been owned by a group of share holders and just one persons share was bought! Sorry that was my mistake!

 

[captjohnr]

Corporations are NOT people and
Scuba Corporations Are Not People…..

….And most dive instructors are not voting members of the scuba corporations, at best they are franchisees.

Most scuba corporations are for profit corporations owned by their directors not the members. Having membership in a scuba corporation is like having membership privileges at American Express Cards … (little or none)

Last month PADI was bought by Lincolnshire Management of New York so guess I am a member of Lincolnshire Management ? The real sad ugly truth is PADI is no longer owned by divers, and that has been true for some time...

It may be time to unionize dive retailers.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Having membership in a scuba corporation is like having membership privileges at American Express Cards … (little or none)

It may be time to unionize dive retailers.

American Express absolutely rocks !! I get 2 to 4 free round trip tickets a year with points, tons of privileges & perks, 5 Star Customer Service, Warranty's on purchases, great Insurance services, 100 % rental Car Insurance with a swipe of the card, entry into Airport "clubs", concierge services, etc. The list goes on and on. I'm a fan, and no I'm not rich or an "elitist".

Unionize ?? Hardly a solution, to ANYTHING. Diving is expensive enough. I don't feel the need to "fund" any more Union Members lives, through higher prices, etc., than I already have to.

 

[vladimir]

Corporations are NOT people and
Scuba Corporations Are Not People…..

….And most dive instructors are not voting members of the scuba corporations, at best they are franchisees.

Most scuba corporations are for profit corporations owned by their directors not the members. Having membership in a scuba corporation is like having membership privileges at American Express Cards … (little or none)

Last month PADI was bought by Lincolnshire Management of New York so guess I am a member of Lincolnshire Management ? The real sad ugly truth is PADI is no longer owned by divers, and that has been true for some time...

It may be time to unionize dive retailers.

Aren't dive retailers free to affiliate with another agency, including some non-profits? What would be the point of "unionizing"? I suppose they could band together to form a new agency. How would that be different from all of the existing agencies?

Not exactly a well thought out manifesto there, Captain.

 

[tridacna]

Aren't dive retailers free to affiliate with another agency

Unionization would make some sense for dive masters and instructors not dive retailers. ;-)

 

[The Chairman]

Unionization would make some sense for dive masters and instructors not dive retailers. ;-)

That would totally destroy the indentured service aspect of being an instructor or DM. I don't think we'll see it in my life time.

 

[vladimir]

Unionization would make some sense for dive masters and instructors not dive retailers. ;-)

I'm trying to think of a comparable trade that has successfully unionized. A trade characterized by low barriers to entry; widely dispersed, thinly capitalized employers; and a service that is completely optional. It's hard to see how they would have any leverage or who would pony up higher wages, better working conditions, etc. Is there a waiters' union?

 

[Diver0001]

Well one thing that unionizing DM's and instructors would do is get them out of the market so people like myself, who would only join a union if there were *absolutely* no other way to get a job, would have more work than we could shake a stick at.

So I say go for it. In fact it's a great idea. Form a union and get as many people to join it as you can. I will thank you in advance.

R..