Hodgdon site says GOEX sold - but really?

[AZshot]

Their website "about us" says "Goex sold in 2021".  Nothing else I can find on this.  Does "sold" mean to a condo developer?  Nothing....

https://hodgdon.com/company/about-us/

[Robin Henderson]

I gave it a quick "look-see" and can't even find the mention of GOEX black powder.

[AZshot]

Look-see down near the bottom, I highlighted the part:

[OldMtnMan]

How do we see the bottom?

[AZshot]

Click the link I posted.
Scroll down till you see the part above the image of cans of powder.  I CAPTURED a picture of that part.  You can't scroll on my picture.

Or, simply read the text in my capture.....it's right off their site from an hour ago.

[Sawfiler]

Louisiana Secretary of State business filings website lists that the president of Hogdon is still the Executive VP of Goex in Minden, LA with the latest report filed 12/18/2021 and their business is listed as active and good standing with the state. This points to a couple things. The business has not been listed as sold with the state of Louisiana, or at least the paperwork has not gone thru, and also why bother to file a report with the state keeping you in good standing if you are going to close the business in two weeks.

I expect there's something going on there. Keeping things in good standing until a buyer can get up and running would be my guess. Also, why post on your website that you have sold a business that you are going to close? No reason to lie about it, just don't mention it at all if you are going to close it.

[OldMtnMan]

Click the link I posted.
Scroll down till you see the part above the image of cans of powder.  I CAPTURED a picture of that part.  You can't scroll on my picture.

Or, simply read the text in my capture.....it's right off their site from an hour ago.

Yes, I saw that. I was looking for more info.

[Robin Henderson]

Thanks, I found it.

In January 2009 Hodgdon acquired an American icon GOEX Powder, Inc. GOEX has a rich history dating back to 1802 where E.I. Du Pont de Nemours broke ground on his original black powder plant along the Brandywine River in Delaware. Goex Powder, Inc. manufactures black powder used for sporting applications such as civil war re-enactments and flintlock firearms, and is a vital component for industrial and military applications. Located in Minden, Louisiana, GOEX Powder, Inc. is the only U.S. manufacturer of black powder. Hodgdon then sold the GOEX plant and brand in 2021.

[MeliusCreekTrapper]

Found this forum, not sure if it is true or not, just more information on the net:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?42527-Goex-Has-Been-Sold

[OldMtnMan]

Found this forum, not sure if it is true or not, just more information on the net:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?42527-Goex-Has-Been-Sold

That thread in 2009.

[MeliusCreekTrapper]

Oops, didn't see that, sorry.

Disregard.

[OldMtnMan]

No problem. I do that too.

[AZshot]

Louisiana Secretary of State business filings website lists that the president of Hogdon is still the Executive VP of Goex in Minden, LA with the latest report filed 12/18/2021 and their business is listed as active and good standing with the state. This points to a couple things. The business has not been listed as sold with the state of Louisiana, or at least the paperwork has not gone thru, and also why bother to file a report with the state keeping you in good standing if you are going to close the business in two weeks.

I expect there's something going on there. Keeping things in good standing until a buyer can get up and running would be my guess. Also, why post on your website that you have sold a business that you are going to close? No reason to lie about it, just don't mention it at all if you are going to close it.

That would be ideal. 

[HighUintas]

Was there a fire there right before they shut the plant down? Or was it just shut down?

I thought I read somewhere that there was a fire, but can't remember for sure and I don't think it was a substantiated statement

[Mad Monk]

Was there a fire there right before they shut the plant down? Or was it just shut down?

I thought I read somewhere that there was a fire, but can't remember for sure and I don't think it was a substantiated statement

There was a "fire" back in the end of June 2021.  They then claimed it would be back in production by the end of Sept. 2021.  But at the end of Sept. 2021 they announced they ere closing the operation and hopefully selling it to somebody who would want to continue running the operation.  It is my understanding that the incident the end of June involved the corning mill.  Normally in any black powder plant you do not get just a fire in the corning mill building.  You get a fire at first and then a bit later a big explosion.  For some unknown reason most black powder plants will have about 1,000 pounds of black powder in bags sitting around the corning mill while it operates.  Some waiting to go through the corning mill while some has gone through the corning mill.  That sitting on a thousand pounds of black powder in process insures the corning mill will not survive the initial fire and subsequent explosion.  Usually it takes about 3 months to get it all repaired and back in operation but in the case of Pennsylvania and the old Moosic plant it was standard procedure for the state government to hold up a restart for 6 months.  And during that 6 months the plant is not making one single pound of black powder while dealing with all of the fixed costs of operation.

[Metequa]

Saw something yesterday that stated this:

[AZshot]

I would say any blackpowder plant could increase safety (and reduce risk of loss) by following the procedures the Navy used to segregate powder from handling rooms, and from the projectiles.  If you know how a gun on a Battleship works, the powder comes up an elevator, just in time for use.  You don't have bags of powder sitting around waiting to blow up.  GOEX or others I'm sure have been told this before, and may do it to some extent.  But it needs to be error proofed.  A corning machine runs and loads one small container, which gets immediately whisked out of the room by conveyor, through explosion-proof doors, to another room that is the "magazine" which is fireproof.  Seems simple to me.

[Mad Monk]

I would say any blackpowder plant could increase safety (and reduce risk of loss) by following the procedures the Navy used to segregate powder from handling rooms, and from the projectiles.  If you know how a gun on a Battleship works, the powder comes up an elevator, just in time for use.  You don't have bags of powder sitting around waiting to blow up.  GOEX or others I'm sure have been told this before, and may do it to some extent.  But it needs to be error proofed.  A corning machine runs and loads one small container, which gets immediately whisked out of the room by conveyor, through explosion-proof doors, to another room that is the "magazine" which is fireproof.  Seems simple to me.

As I said in the past.  Sitting on up to 1000 pounds of powder during the operation of a machine is silly.  That same approach cost them the Clear Shot BP sub line.  That BB turret comparison is right on the mark.

[Mad Monk]

I would say any blackpowder plant could increase safety (and reduce risk of loss) by following the procedures the Navy used to segregate powder from handling rooms, and from the projectiles.  If you know how a gun on a Battleship works, the powder comes up an elevator, just in time for use.  You don't have bags of powder sitting around waiting to blow up.  GOEX or others I'm sure have been told this before, and may do it to some extent.  But it needs to be error proofed.  A corning machine runs and loads one small container, which gets immediately whisked out of the room by conveyor, through explosion-proof doors, to another room that is the "magazine" which is fireproof.  Seems simple to me.

The other example of what you re suggesting is seen in tanks.  Which can take turret hits and which cannot.  How many times have I wanted vids where a Russian tank took a turret hit and in short order the turret was blown right off the tank from the explosion of the stored rounds unprotected.

[Herb]

I just talked with Craig Kirkland, owner of Bear River Powder, master distributor of Goex, up in Evanston, WY.  He said he saw a Hodgdon press release yesterday which stated that the Goex plant and brand name were sold in 2021.  I asked about Olde Eynsford 1F, he said the shooters at the Quigley match used OE 1 1/2F in their 50 (?) caliber black powder cartridge guns but wanted a slower powder.  Hence OE 1F was developed. The OE 1F has finer kernels than the Goex 1F.   He has Goex 1F and OE 1F in stock.   He has a whole bunch of cannon grade powder, but is sold out of everything else now.