Since acquiring the assets of the Harris Reel Company in 2005, we have had many inquiries regarding the status of Solitude Reels. Past customers of Solitude, new potential customers, interested parties, etc. have all asked what is happening and when is the new reel coming out. In truth, we thought that it would be on the market sooner. There have also been questions regarding warranties and repairs. Hopefully, the following synopsis of our history will help clear up some confusion and answer some of the questions.

In May of 2005, Edco, Inc. acquired the assets of Harris Reel Company, the original developer of the Solitude Reel, through the purchase of CNC machinery. When Harris Reel Company went out of business the "lifetime warranty" of Solitude Reels also ended. In the beginning, we did not envision changing the reel and thought the transition into production would be relatively smooth. Though we were not legally required, in good faith, we honored the Harris Reel Company warranty for more than a year as a service to loyal customers of the Solitude Reel. We did our best with an incomplete inventory and parts we acquired that were often out of tolerance. It soon became clear that drawings also needed to be updated. As issues continued to arise we realized that in many ways we were going to be starting from the beginning, not the smooth transition we envisioned early on. It became clear that we could no longer effectively repair a reel whose parts would not be in production. In the midst of this shift, Bob Wheeler offered to purchase the Harris parts and become the repair center for Harris Solitude owners. His contact information is listed on our website. We are immensely grateful to him as it allowed us to completely focus on the necessary redesign of the Solitude Reel.

Our redesign has been built on the best aspects of the Harris Solitude. There have been many modifications and improvements to the reel which is why we have not been in production yet. Our reel, while it has the same look as the previous one is not the same reel. The New Solitude no longer uses many of the primary components used in the Harris reel. The drag concept and appearance of the reel are close to the same but the important machined internal parts are not the same.

We realize that there are many dealers and customers frustrated with the wait. We share that frustration. We are and have been working very hard to make a reel that we can be proud of, one that will endear Harris Solitude owners and new owners. Our dedication to seeing the New Solitude into production is steadfast. We look forward to serving you in 2008.