This is the time when we were expecting to ship our first Origamis out the door, but alas, like many others, we are suffering from global supply chain issues. We are so disappointed, as we’re sure you are, too, but we are staying hopeful. We know that Kai will bring us everything we need in due time.
Almost all of the parts of the Origami Paddler are made in the U.S.A., but there are vital components that we had to source from overseas. Tons of supplies that were supposed to arrive weeks ago are still delayed in ports and on tarmacs waiting for the clogged supply lines to free up.
We are hopeful that these supply issues will be temporary as the global economy continues to open up and the pandemic related challenges are resolved. And we are extremely confident that we will deliver a quality product at the end of all of this.
We still have a few production details that need to be refined, but we are well on our way.
Paul and Tim will soon be headed to Kansas to see the Origamis floating out to the first backers, but first, we need those last few items to complete assembly and distribution.
We will continue to update you as soon as we can and provide a realistic assessment of our timeline as soon as we receive updated information.
Our previous estimated timelines have been based on the best information we had at the time, but the bottom line is that without all the parts, we can’t make the boats.
We refuse to settle for alternatives that could compromise the integrity of the Origami Paddler - we are committed to delivering a quality product to you!
We will continue to survey Kickstarter Backers because we plan to start shipping as soon as we can. If you have already completed your survey, you can unlock your pledge and make changes while waiting. So far we have sent our survey to the first few hundred, but stopped in light of our supply chain progress.
For those of you who have received the survey, we encourage you to complete it early to make sure your pledge is fully ready to go when shipping starts. We are working to send all surveys to our backers in the US and Canada. Because of the shipping situation worldwide with boats and air freight that has impacted our supply chain, we are still examining the best way to deliver Origamis to the rest of the world.
We believe that there will be significant progress soon because every supplier we have is doing everything they can to get us into production as soon as possible. We are too!
Today, we’d like to give a shout out to a team member who we call our Hero Sourcerer or Sourcing Wizard - Tip! Tip has over 20 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, and logistics.
He has been hard at work for months searching for parts and pieces to bring the Origami Paddler to fruition. He’s been building relationships with suppliers and manufacturers, sellers and shippers, all across the world!
It’s taken a big team to get us this far but we’re especially thankful for Tip’s dedication to overcoming the supply chain congestion.
The entire Origami Team is working everyday to make progress and we will continue to share as much as we can with you. We are so incredibly grateful for your continued love, support and patience!
Wishing you all inner peace and unfolding freedom,
The OP team