Haftner Bouclier Delay in Product Release

Haftner Bouclier officially began in December 2018. The original purpose of the company was government-contracted services for clothing goods and office supplies. However, the plans fell short because of the Buy American Act. Although all the products made by Haftner Bouclier are designed in the United States, most of the actual manufacturing occurs overseas in various factories that are specialized in the manufacturing of goods from shirts to performance cycling socks. The Buy American Act provides a preference to goods manufactured in the United States, which meant that the company had to take a new business model within the first year of inception. The owner and CEO then shifted focus to a gap in the cycling clothing industry. There are very few manufacturers that create goods specifically designed for racing, and even fewer that design racing goods that are economically priced while maintaining the necessary performance qualities.

The first goal was to create and market a product that is high in demand at the highest level of quality possible. The first product was cycling socks with an aerodynamically efficient weaved pattern. The socks were sent to the aerodynamic engineering department of a few universities across the United States and one in Taiwan. The initial results proved that the product met the necessary standards, with less drag than the bare leg. However, the problems began to start here, the testing facilities did not provide a comprehensive report that many parties are interested in. Until the comprehensive reports are provided, the only thing that can be said for sure is that the facilities stated the product meets the benchmarks provided. To remedy the situation, we are reaching out to businesses designed for the testing of aerodynamic properties.

Many more problems began to arise over the years. In mid-2020, the company changed the location from Virginia to Texas. Changing the location of an LLC often depends on the state, for this process the business had to be dissolved and restarted. By this point, our company had already tested 14 different pairs of socks and finally found two factories capable of mass-producing the socks that we want. The difficulty is creating a pair of socks that is breathable enough to not overheat during an endurance event, comfortable, does not slip down, and maintains the necessary aerodynamic qualities. All-in, some socks were too stiff and could not be worn. Some socks did not have the necessary weave pattern. Some socks had questionable quality issues which would arise during mass production. Only two factories met the required standards, we decided on the factory that was most responsive at the time.

The factory in question stated that the product would be in the United States no later than April 2021. Our entire business shifted focus directly on an April 2021 grand product launch. We made promises to teams, individuals, businesses, and more, that the product would be ready to purchase by the beginning of April 2021. It is now March 30th, 2021, and the factory in question has been unresponsive for the last several months. The factory in question stopped responding to messages sent through messaging programs, stopped answering phone calls, and only responded to e-mails once a month. In short, the product will not be available by April 2021 and we are not sure when it will be ready because the factory that we are working with has taken an unexpected turn.

Our customers expected that the product would be ready by April, and we pushed that launch date hard enough that it was basically promised. After waiting for the product for so long, we regret to inform everyone that the product will not be released in time. Haftner Bouclier LLC would like to foremost apologize to everyone that has been waiting month after month for the grand product launch. Especially since the racing season has already started, it is a big problem that the product is not ready. To remedy the situation, we are taking two big steps.

1. Future production is moving to South Korea. We are in talks with a regional purchasing manager that has ties with many factories in the Asia region, including experience working for Fortune 500 clothing companies. The first batch may or may not be produced in Taiwan, but that is the only batch that is possibly being made in Taiwan. We are cutting ties with the factory that caused a delay in the supply line.

2. The discount for the grand product launch is being increased. For one week, the product will be sold with a 70% discount that is only available through a coupon code provided in the e-mail newsletter. For the following 2 weeks, the product will be sold at a 50% discount. The last week, the product will be sold at a 25% discount. After the grand launch is over, the product pricing will return to normal. Meaning, if the retail price is $19.99, the consumer is receiving a $13.99 discount in the first week--Only paying $7 plus shipping instead of $19.99 plus shipping. This is a one-time deal that will not be repeated so that we can make up for the delay.

Anyone that wishes to take advantage of the grand launch sale will need to subscribe to the e-mail newsletter because the coupon code will be a one-time use code. We will inform everyone through social media, blog posts, and e-mail when the launch date is nearing.