15 Companies That Might Not Survive 2009 and Six Flags is on the list....

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-Companies-That-Might-Not-usnews-14279875.html

I don't know. Weren't they cash flow positive for a while last year? Especially since that has not happened in such a long time, doesn't that speak volumes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WQ6Q_65qck

Of course it's sad to see Six Flags on such a list. But BLOCKBUSTER? KRISPY KREAM? SBARRO'S??? O...M...G what am I gonna do?

a_hoffman50 said:
I don't know. Weren't they cash flow positive for a while last year? Especially since that has not happened in such a long time, doesn't that speak volumes?

Yeah but they have a large chunk of debt due this year and another due next year. In normal economy they would pay some and borrow the rest but I don't think anyone will loan them money If you had 200 million dollars would you loan it to them or do a hard rock park deal and wait for bankruptcy court to sell you the whole thing with no debt attached for not much more than that.

This shouldn't come as news to anyone here...

RCMAC said:
Of course it's sad to see Six Flags on such a list. But BLOCKBUSTER? KRISPY KREAM? SBARRO'S??? O...M...G what am I gonna do?

I can solve the first two right off the bat:

Blockbuster: Go to Movie Gallery!!! (For full disclosure, I work for MG for two years)

Krispy Kream: Easy, Dunkin Donuts or find a good local bakery.

As for SF, head for the Cedar Fair parks or your hidden gem with more, ahem, "charm!"

Mamoosh said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WQ6Q_65qck

Funny!!!

My wife sent me the link to that yesterday. I can't see Six Flags not surviving. Since they have been doing a lot of positive to turn the business around. Only time will tell. Who would buy all those parks? Cedar Flags coming soon! :)

Wow, that's some list.

Can't say I'm surprised Chrysler and 6Flags made that list. I wonder how long it will be before Starbucks joins that list.

Krispy Kremes are okay, but Jack Frost on Pearl rd has the best glazed donuts anywhere!

I am surprised Blockbuster is still around, to be honest.
Their rental prices are too high, and the service generally sucks(Here in Toronto, anyways).
It's much easier to use On Demand, and internet retailers, such as NetFlix, and Ironweed films, and there are a lot of smaller video stores that have great selection of obscure films.

Blockbuster sucks here in West Michigan too. I much prefer Family Video. I've tried Blockbuster a couple times, but when they sent a collections agency for 10 bucks in fees that just hasn't been paid because I haven't been in to rent movies, I cancelled my membership and haven't been back.

I remember working at Family Video when they made the switch to DVD. That was interesting as we would have like 15 titles in DVD but it was growing each week as the new releases came out.

And when I last worked there in 2001, Happy Gilmore was still renting strong enough that it was on the new release wall.

So what happens if they tank? Close all the parks? Close all but the major markets?

I am surprised Blockbuster is still around, to be honest.
Their rental prices are too high, and the service generally sucks

Well, using your equation for doomed compaines:

I am surprised ___________ is still around, to be honest. Their ________ prices are too high, and the serive generally sucks.

I am surprised Six Flags is still around, to be honest.
Their ticket/parking prices are too high, and the service generally sucks.

Amazing how this economy works!

I'm surprised to see Station Casinos and Landry's on that list. I had always assumed those to be healthy companies.

Sounds like the common thread is overbuild, overextend, and not have enough cash in hand to weather the slightest downturn.

1. Recognizing how bad Blockbuster sucks and then offering any brick and mortar video store as a better alternative is like preferring Creed to Nickelback. This is 2009, there is no need for any video store, anywhere, ever, unless you live somewhere that doesn't have broadband or regular mail service. Considering we're discussing this on an internet message board, I'd guess this not the case for most of us.

2. Dunkies is not a substitute for Krispy Kreme. I realize Hopman is probably a born and bred Yankee, and I actually quite like DD as a Kentucky to Connecticut transplant, but...no. There is nothing like a real Krispy Kreme, and I am quite confident even if the company reaches some sort of disasterous end in 2009 the donut itself will still live on in one way or another.

RatherGoodBear said:
Sounds like the common thread is overbuild, overextend, and not have enough cash in hand to weather the slightest downturn.

Indeed, that capitol flowing in and out of our markets and corporations and economies is quite flexible.

Those roller coasters and casinos and factories and other physical investments...not so much.

RatherGoodBear said:
Sounds like the common thread is overbuild, overextend, and not have enough cash in hand to weather the slightest downturn.

Exactly. It seems a lot of companies were designed to take advantage of things when things were good but were not equipped to survive when things got bad. Still, it seemed to me that Station Casinos seemed to do a good job of growing at an intelligent pace. I don't recall them having expanded too quickly.

Matt, I like DVD's. I like to read the back of the box, and phisically hold the disk between my fingers. I like to insert the disk into the player. It feels like I have more of an ownership of my copy when the format the movie is on is tangible rather than ines and zeros flying around inside my computer.

Blockbuster sucks! I had a problem with them in '01, when I lived in Orlando. There was two Blockbusters across the street from each other, one went out of business. I returned the movie to the open store, and got a call for Blockbuster collections anyways, telling me that I owed them the full price of the movie.

I refused to pay for it, because I didn't have the movie, the other Blockbuster did. I haven't been back since. I could care less what happens to them. The smaller video stores are much better, imho. The place I rent and buy used DVDs from now actuially knows me by name, and they treat me right.

Crispy Cream is sinful. The glaze is perfect the way it's a solid until it hits your tounge. I hope notheing happens to them. Best. Donuts. Ever.

Sabaro's is too pricey. It's just pizza. It shouldn't be $3.50 per slice. Two slices and a medium drink run about $9. Again, it's just pizza.

I'm surprised that Six Flags has made it this long. Customer satisfaction is very immportaint if a business is to succeed, imo.