Jon H Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 To the Laser Engine Community, It’s with a heavy heart that I must inform you that AGC Sales/Laser engines will be closing in the near future. After 40 years of developing and building Laser Engines it’s time for me to retire and close AGC Engineering which produces the many components required to build a high quality Laser engine It been an incredible journey with an invaluable learning curve and we leave knowing we have created a quality product. To our customers and supporters: Thank you. Your belief and trust in us has been the driving force behind our every step. To my dedicated team: Jon for your design creativity and Chris for turning the idea into reality. Your passion and hard work have been the core of our journey. I am grateful beyond words for every moment. While this chapter ends, the bonds and memories we’ve created endure. We are dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition for our customers in the coming weeks. For any queries you may have we have created a list of FAQs that may assist you which will be released soon. I’m eternally grateful to everyone that was involved, especially my father, Reg Gross and Neil Tidey who by chance in 1982 met to create the Laser 61 engine. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish my team of suppliers and customers all the best in the future. Geoffrey Gross, Director AGC, Engineering and AGC Sales 1 1 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryW Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Hi Jon .. Sad to see & hear Laser Engine will be coming to an end..... I only had the privelage of owning Laser 100 in my flying life which powered a nice scale Spitfire I once had and was a fantastic reliable power plant power the spitty round the club skies with grace... All the best in what ever venture and pursuits you take up in the future years to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 This is a real shame. Best wishes for the future, Jon. Was any attempt made to sell the business as a going concern? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Oh so sad. Best wishes for the future. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Cracknell Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Anyone know a friendly lottery winner...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Sad news. All the best for the future Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 Hi Guys. Thanks for the comments so far. After 13 years here its going to be a bit of a fresh start for me but i am looking forward to my new job and a new challenge. I am sure there are questions, so here are some answers that i hope will cover most of them. When will production cease? No exact date has been set. We are in the process of manufacturing the parts needed to balance up components we have in stock so the engines can be finished. Providing everything works as planned I will be leaving the company on the 22nd March. In the meanwhile I will be working to finish as much as I can. This will continue after my departure until the component supply has been depleted. It would have been ideal for me to stay until the end, but things didn’t quite line up that way. Most likely the final engines will be completed in the early summer. What about warranty on these new engines for sale? Warranty support will be provided on all engines sold within a year of the final close date. I have agreed with the boss to do the work to support the engines in this regard after I leave the company. Parts will also be held back to cover our warranty obligations, and I will do any warranty repairs on my own time to support our customers. This is for warranty support only and things like crash damage will not be covered irrespective of the age of the engine. What about spares? Provision for spares support will be made and the most common spares will be available into the future. Once production of the engine themselves is finished and total remaining parts is known a final production run of spares will take place to give a good stock for future years. There is no need to panic buy spares so please don’t. Will I be able to get my engines serviced? Effective immediately we can no longer accept engines back to the factory for service. Other companies offer rebuild services and they should be contacted for your servicing needs. An exception will likely be made for Laser inline engines as I am the only person who knows how to assemble them, but I will discuss this with their respective owners as we go along. How many new engines are coming? And can I pre order one? Batches of most sizes of engine are currently underway or planned. Batch sizes vary and are not yet confirmed. The exceptions are the inline engines, petrol engines, and all 160 size engines as there are no plans to make more of any of them. There may be a few 160v’s towards the end, but that is not clear at the moment. We will not be able to accept any direct sales after my departure and will not accept pre orders for items not in stock. After I leave, all engines and spares will be purchased through Model Shop Leeds. In the meanwhile I do have engines here which are available for sale. Once you leave the company can you still offer service and technical support? No. With the closure of the company I am back to being a modeller again and the assistance I provide will be in line with that status. I will post on Laser related topics on the forum when I see them, but I am no longer a direct point of contact for servicing or tech support. So I think that’s it. If there are any more questions post them below and I will answer as best I can. I will be posting other details here as they become available. There may also be some odd bits for sale that are here at the factory. Sadly the Frankenstein FT200 twin prototype was dismantled, but there may be a few things for sale for those who are interested. There will also be a bunch of random parts left at the end like odd crankcases etc. These may or may not be sold off on ebay or similar but that is also unclear at the moment. As Geoff has already said, we would like to thank all of our supporters over the years and I would like thank all of those who have supported me personally during my time here. I am sure I bump into you all again at shows in the future. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Berry Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 (edited) Very sad news indeed. I currently own 9 lasers of varying sizes and id choose those over any of the other 4s glow engines available by other manufacturers. Is Laser Engines not a viable business in it's own right? Is there someone who is willing and able to take on the manufacturing and or assembly of the engines, to keep the brand alive, as they are, in my opinion, head and shoulders above OS and Saito. Jon, obviously you're the main man who knows them inside out, is there an appetite to invest or seek alternative options for continuing the brand and of course, more importantly your livelihood? Edited March 14 by Chris Berry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 What is the actual reason for closing? Has glow engine sales dropped so low or is there some other reason? Very sad for Jon and other staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Berry Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Just now, kc said: What is the actual reason for closing? Has glow engine sales dropped so low or is there some other reason? Very sad for Jon and other staff. Parent company owner is retiring and access to facilities, premises etc is therefore ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerotec Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Really sad news but big thanks Jon for the time you have always taken in supporting us, beyond what we would expect. Hopefully you might hang around here or indeed on the Facebook group and impart some knowledge every so often! https://www.facebook.com/groups/3214227645472741/ All the best for your next adventure! Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 I knew it would need addressing.. Can i buy/is the business for sale? No. Geoff own's both companies and does not wish to sell. If we can avoid further conversation on this point it would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Flyer Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Very sad to hear this . An end of an era! Good luck to Jon with his new job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikem65d Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Really bummed to read this. Jon put so much time and effort to take Laser into the next great phase of engine selections. Hope the future is a Golden path for you Jon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 Gents Geoff does not wish to sell. That's it, end of story. No houses are involved, tax is not involved. Its his company, he makes the choices, and he chooses not to sell it. What anyone else thinks about it is completely irrelevant as this is the way it is. I have requested this topic be dropped and will not spend my last week with the company locked in yet another pointless forum battle. i will be asking the mods to remove the respective posts as they contribute nothing and i have far better things to do. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RICHARD WILLS Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Hope you find something you like doing Jon . You've got a lot to offer . Good luck Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Macleod Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Many thanks for your past assistance and good luck for the future Jon...you are a star. Hope to see you at some modelling do's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Several speculative posts (and replies quoting them) removed. Please respect Jon’s request not to post comments and questions about the decision made by the company’s owner. From a personal point of view, I’m saddened by the loss of these fine engines in the near future and wish Jon (and his fellow employees) all the best for the future and thanks for all his efforts over the years. Thanks also to Neil Tidey for the original design and concept of the Laser engine family. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 (edited) A sad day indeed. Thanks for all the engines over the years. Good luck for the future. Many of us can remeber the same feelings when names like ED, DC etc ceased trading but there was a multitude of foriegn engines back then to fill the gap. The loss of Laser will leave a BIG gap in our IC part of the hobby. Edited March 14 by Engine Doctor 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 So saddened to hear this news. Laser Engines are the go-to engine for scale aviation and will be much missed. Jon, I hope you can find a job that you can put your enthusiasm and talents into and thank you and the team for supplying and supporting us with this iconic brand of engines. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 This news really is a bummer. I've got over 20 Laser engines not just because they are truly excellent engines but the support from Jon is miles above that from any other engine manufacturer imo. It really did seem like the start of a new era with the in-line twins and the flat twins being developed so this announcement has come as a great shock. Looking ahead, there is the event at the end of September at Buckminster which has the Friday dedicated to Laser engined powered models and the Saturday and Sunday to the 'Best of British', I see no reason for this to change so I will still forge ahead with the planning but maybe now it will give us Laserites (I just made that up) a chance to mourn the passing of this truly great marque. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Very sad news indeed. Good luck for the future Jon and thank you for all the sage advice you have imparted to the forum over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Edwards 2 Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Only last summer we celebrated Lasers 40th year at Buckminster. Little did we know it would be the last. I'm sure you will go onto bigger, brighter, and better things Jon. Huge thanks, and good luck. Don't be sad that it has ended, but be happy that it happened 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 I'll simply wish you well in your future employment Jon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 Good luck and all the best for your new ventures Jon. It must be an unsettling time for you at the moment and you have my thoughts and best wishes. You’ve been been a great ambassador for the company and always helped laser owners, may your new ventures be prosperous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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