Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

[Jimmy G.]

Anyone else get the email about this and does anyone understand what it means for us as Corvette NUTS

[Harry S.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Jimmy, can you print the email as a PDF and post it?

[Mark F.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Jimmy, can you print the email as a PDF and post it?

Harry, don't know about the email, but here's the announcement on CC's website:
https://www.corvettecentral.com/paragoncorvette

CORVETTE MANUFACTURING ICONS PARAGON AND CORVETTE CENTRAL JOIN FORCES

[Patrick H.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Not a joint venture no matter how they try to spin it.

The same company purchased Paragon, CC and Zip in the last year.

Paragon has now been merged into CC, and as of today is officially gone as a retail company. It actually occurred last week.
Don't be surprised if something eventually happens to Zip and/or CC to become one company in the future.

[Brian M.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

And ZIP had bought Long Island.

[Harry S.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

There were only two that had many NOS parts and excellent reproductions. That being Dr. Rebuild and LIC. When the owner of LIC passed, the family decided to end the business. The owner fabricated many of the parts in his own shop as I recall. Dr. Rebuild just demanded quality parts in his warehouse. If the companies mentioned all combine, we're in for a for a tough time!

[Richard R.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Legendary bought both. In my corporate days I would probably have done the same thing. Take competition from the market, lower costs by eliminating redundant back office costs, and then raise prices to broaden the margin. The folks at Paragon treated me right. Only recently making good on a part I had bought 9 years ago, but never installed until last month. They corrected the blemish at their cost.

Rich

[Tom D.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Today, I called the Paragon 800 number and got a young person at Corvette Central. When I asked if I could order using Paragon numbers, she said yes. This tells me the Paragon catalog will continue, at least for awhile. That is the "Warren Buffett way"; Buy a company and keep the name.

I also asked about returning a Paragon part. I was advised to mail it to Sawyer, MI (Corvette Central). I will miss "driving over to Paragon", which I have done many times*. For MI chapter members, and other chapter members, I do not advise driving over to Paragon after today.

Hopefully, they will have someone there (in the old Paragon location) for awhile. Does anyone else have more details about that?

*I did drive a '67 today, but it runs like poop.

[Steven B.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Anyone else get the email about this and does anyone understand what it means for us as Corvette NUTS

Yep, I got the email earlier and just thought how sad it is---another one gone.

[Larry E.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Got the email also. Wonder if their 15% off "Stick with us" will transfer?? Larry

[Joseph S.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Patrick, I have been buying from Zip and CC for years. I find it very strange that since they both have been bought by the same company, they have different levels of inventory. I can't make a complete order from either company but if I combine an order between the 2 I can get everything I need. Zip may be out of 2 items but CC will have 65 of each available. Not a big inconvenience other than having to pay 2 separate shipping charges.

[Mark F.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

As far as C2s go, my guess is that Richard Cohen (LIC founder) was selling to many of his “competitors” as wholesale Private Label “customers” (with smaller profit margins). Vice versa between the other big-time Corvette vendors (CC, ZIP, Paragon, CA, Ecklers, etc.) was probably true, too.

Never visited his facility, but photos looked like he had a vast tooling and metal stamping capability. I’m not sure, but I think ZIP now has that tooling and equipment…just have to get it set up and have someone who knows how to run and maintain it.

Consolidation of aging businesses as their owners retire or pass away is inevitable.
The few who have had children take over and continue some of the smaller great service businesses will hopefully survive and thrive. Bair's Corvette comes to my mind in that regard.

[Keith M.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Ok...so what EXACTLY is happening? Does not at all sound like what a "joint venture" is...more like a merger and/or acquisition. Is Paragon....gone as a retailer? The email was unclear...but posts above seem to indicate this. Their webiste it now inaccessible. Paragon was always my go-to mostly because they had decent diagrams and more importantly NCRS discount. We all know they ALL pretty much source from the same place(s). This was recently reiterated for me when Paragon sent me an upper shifter boot with a defect...see attached. They sent me a second one..same defect. i have checked every retailer known to man and yet to find a source for one without the identical defect. Back to main topic...only other retailer differences are some are better at details like listing GM part number, related parts, etc. I guess for now I will miss Paragon but also would ask how many retailers do we need peddling the exact same stuff?

[Jimmy G.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

Bottom line is that this is not good for the hobby or at least that is my take

[Joe R.]

Re: Corvette Central and Paragon Joint Venture

The news since the closing of Long Island is all bad! The C-2 owners and shops are going to feel this trend more than anyone! Discounts are going away and service will not exist! The changing of the times I guess! We're just getting old!



JR