You can’t keep a good man down. Despite the recent plunge into bankruptcy that left his Cork & Olive wine store franchise chain in turmoil, his newly-launched franchisees stranded without the promised support, and employees without jobs or paychecks, C&O founder Michael Probst is launching his next entrepreneurial venture: Mergers & Acquisition Corp.
Commenter secret posted the link to document P08000107072 (available at www.sunbiz.org) showing that Probst formed a new corporation December 4, 2008. The corporate address of Merger and Acquisition Corp. is a home that sold in 2006 for $399,500 (See listing)… an amount equivalent to 6.6 $60,000 Cork & Olive franchise fees.
Florida Profit Corporation
MERGER AND ACQUISITION CORP.
Document Number: P08000107072
Date Filed: 12/04/2008
State: FL
Status: ACTIVE
Principal Address: 418 CASCADE LANE PALM HARBOR FL 34684
Registered Agent Name & Address: PROBST, MICHAEL 418 CASCADE LANE PALM HARBOR FL 34684 US
Officer/Director Detail
Name & Address Title PCEO PROBST, MICHAEL 418 CASCADE LANE PALM HARBOR FL 34684
Title SCFO PROBST, MICHAEL 418 CASCADE LANE PALM HARBOR FL 34684
It’s good to see that someone has weathered the Cork & Olive typhoon without it dampening their entrepreneurial spirit! No doubt there will be exciting things to come from Merger and Acquisition Corp.!
What do you think? Share a comment below.
Related posts: CORK & OLIVE: Ex-Employee Has no Sympathy for Franchisees, CORK & OLIVE: Overview & Blogliography, CORK & OLIVE: The Probst Method of Guilt Avoidance, Cork & Olive Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, What REALLY Uncorked Cork & Olive?
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RAINER APPOLD's been busy too. His new corp:
Florida Profit Corporation
WINEHARVEST, INC
Document Number P08000109214
Date Filed 12/17/2008
State FL
Status ACTIVE
Principal Address 14375 MYERLAKE CIRCLE CLEARWATER FL 33760
Officer/Director Detail
APPOLD, RAINER
20711 STERLINGTON DRIVE
LAND O LAKES FL 34638
Thanks for the post. Wonder who's money he will be merging and acquiring?
It's amazing that a person who took advantage of so many people and left so many employees scrambling to find a new job can simply go out and start a new company and start fattening his wallet at other peoples expense. I don't understand with so many lawsuits against Probst how he is able to do this again. Sadly he will find new people to con out of their money while he has $400 dinners every night.
This just in. Rainer has thrown in the towel?. Apparently, the corporate offices have been locked shut, all employees laid off and a major creditor is insisting on Chap. 7 liquidation.
Rainer has been selling inventory - including wine - from the back door for cash, to anyone whether they have a license or not.
More to come. (including law suits naming Rainer & Michael)
Mr. Wolf, not all your information is 100% accurate. some is, some is not.
no inventory has been sold from the back door for cash to anyone period.
and not all employees have been laid off.
take it from me... I know 100% for sure. just thought I'd let you know.
Here they go again.... Law suits. Hopefully they will be criminal this time.
A little birdie told me a judgement has been granted against Probst personally. Yeah!
that's all all I ever hear about is the law suits against the so called Germans. They always get away with screwing our government and laws. what kind of attorneys are they working with? evidently good ones that keep them free! what's with that? Probst will just walk away as usual. unbelievable isn't it?. seems there is a court date next tuesday or wednesday and I don't know how the judge will let them continue operating. looks like it'll finally go into chatper 7. so where does that leave all the franchisees? I hope still in business and I hope they all get to continue using the name cork and olive........that is if that is their desire. AND WILL I EVER GET MY FINAL PAYCHECK that is the million dollar question!
The system will work against this theives - once the ball of justice gets rolling they'll get there judgement day.
To all of the critics.....SHUT UP
None of you ever offered anyone a job. Thanks to Michael, the franchisee's, and yes even the present owners, a lot of jobs were created. You all got pay checks while you bad mouthed the company. Sorry if you missed a week or 2.
If any of you had the guts you would have started a business , correcting all of the decisions you've been so critical of......and you would be the sucess that you claim Cork and Olive could never have been.
The clap trap that you post here is proof that you will always be a follower and never a leader. Spare me your wine-ing!
The employees have been laid off. Period. At the end of this month, Chapter 7 liquidation will be ordered and thats that.
Rainers attorneys have fired him (as of yesterday) for non-payment.
Several state and 1 federal agency have finally started to gather evidence and pay attention to all these boneheads.
There is evidence that wine has been sold to unlicensed buyers and for cash under the table. This beyond the efforts to keep cash from the creditors via side deals, etc......
Rainer & Co. don't have counsel who claim them at the moment.
Once the chapter 7 goes down you'll see the creditors get involved in the personal damages etc....
I think most people will be satisfied to see these cockroaches scatter. Then the fun begins.