Yes, that is correct sir. APC, "American Products Company" (known for their cheapo made in Taiwan crap) closed their warehouse and has stopped shipping product. This is bad for us Advance Auto Parts employees, as we now have a series of shelves to clear out, and cannot provide hard to find clear tailights for your 91 Escort GT.
A quick Google search yielded this, but I don't think that it alone would cause them to go under.
Quote:
American Products Company Fined
Jun 4, 2003 | 198 words, 0 images
American Products Company (APC) has agreed to pay a $650,000 civil penalty as a result of its manufacture, certification, and sale of replacement lamps that did not comply with federal safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the penalty recently.
Over the past several years, APC sold various models of noncomplying replacement tail lamps, commonly sold as "clear" tail lamps or "Eurotail" lamps. Some of the non-complying models replaced red lamps and reflectors with clear ones. Others were missing side marker lamps or reflectors.
APC also sold other noncompliant replacement lighting equipment, including clear corner and bumper lenses and high-intensity discharge (HID) conversion kits. The nonconforming equipment was sold by a variety of retailers. The lamps and lenses have been the subject of four recalls covering thousands of parts.
The parts and model numbers associated with these safety recalls are listed on NHTSA’s web site,
Home | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) | U.S. Department of Transportation under the recall numbers 99E-039, 00E-078, 01E-035 and 03E-014. Part and model numbers are located either on the lamps or on the packaging in which the lamps were sold. Consumers with questions about this or any other safety recall campaign should call NHTSA’s toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, (888) 327-4236.
Oh, there's this too:
Quote:
UNFAIR COMPETITION AND CONTRACTUAL INTERFERENCE
American Products Co., Inc. v. Law Offices of Geller, Stewart & Foley, et al.
134 Cal.App. 4th 1332, Riverside County Superior Court Case No. RIC 389812 (Opinion filed December 16, 2005)
In this published decision, the Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s dismissal of an action for unfair competition and contractual interference. Reid & Hellyer’s client, American Products Co., Inc. ("APC") filed suit against a law firm and its client on the basis that those parties improperly sent demand letters and initiated lawsuits against two APC suppliers, asserting that APC products were illegal for use. At the trial court level, the court accepted the defense of the law firm and client that their conduct was privileged because it was committed as part of the judicial process. Reid & Hellyer successfully argued that the privilege only applied to the litigants in the underlying lawsuit (the suppliers and the law firm/client) and that, as a non-party, it was entitled to pursue an action for unfair competition and interference with its business relationship with its suppliers. In its opinion, the court recognized that the public has an interest in stopping unfair business practices and that attorneys engaged in abusing California’s unfair competition law should be subjected to a level of judicial review. As a result, the Appellate Court reversed the judgment and allowed APC’s action to proceed.
Dave Moore and
Mike Kerbs handled the litigation on behalf of the firm.
Then again, what the hell do I know about buisness.
