NV NV - Wellington, WhtMale 574UMNV, 35-50, off Sand Canyon Road, Mar'92 - #1

[Miss Muffet]

Does anyone have any ideas on how we can find even the slightest information about this company, not just where it's located?

It's like it's a ghost. And it shouldn't be a ghost.

What about the owner? I haven't been able to find any information on him either.

I think these are puzzles worth our efforts since the detectives asked us to find the company.

Finding the owner is just as good as finding the company, IMO.

Any information about the business structure or ownership will help us find the company.

Check out the Oakland, CA, address in google street view.

They weren't manufacturing and distributing in a small office located in that dumpy building.

Where did they manufacture? Where did they distribute?

There are a lot of mysteries concerning this company and the detectives asked for help finding it.

 

[searcher8621]

Does anyone have any ideas on how we can find even the slightest information about this company, not just where it's located?

It's like it's a ghost. And it shouldn't be a ghost.

What about the owner? I haven't been able to find any information on him either.

I think these are puzzles worth our efforts since the detectives asked us to find the company.

Finding the owner is just as good as finding the company, IMO.

Any information about the business structure or ownership will help us find the company.

Check out the Oakland, CA, address in google street view.

They weren't manufacturing and distributing in a small office located in that dumpy building.

Where did they manufacture? Where did they distribute?

There are a lot of mysteries concerning this company and the detectives asked for help finding it.

Agreed! Look back and see what the other name associated with the business was, I can't do it right now or I would . - Clive? Can't remember - look for him - I am feeling this missing person had more than a t shirt connection - go Miss Muffet!!

 

[wenwe4]

Here are the rest of the Charley Project CA Missing Persons who fit the UID description:

G

Gerald, Jeffrey Dean – 6’3”, 170lbs. brown Age 35/dob 1949 MSG since 1985 (San Francisco, CA) http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/gerald_jeffrey.html
*believed to have been victim of serial killers Ng and Lake (who often dismembered victims)
*The 2 identifying photos on this page do not look like the same person. (??)

H

Higham, John David – 6’1” 175 lbs. brown Age 24/dob 1955 MSG since 1980 (Los Angeles, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/higham_john.html

Hinz, Gregory – 6’0” 165 lbs. blond Age 22/dob 1954 MSG since 1976 (Altadena, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hinz_gregory.html

Holmes, David Charles – 6’2” 160 lbs blond Age 40/dob 1942 MSG since 1983 (Contra Cosa, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/holmes_david.html

I - none

J – none

K

Kula, Richard Charles – 6’0” 135 lbs blond Age 24/dob 1956 MSG since 1981 (San Francisco, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/kula_richard.html


L – none that were not already listed


M

Manley, Wayne George – 6’0” 160 lbs. brown Age 29/dob 1957 MSG since 1986 (Buena Park, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/manley_wayne.html

Marshall, John Marin – 6’2” 195 lbs. brown Age 31/dob 1954 MSG since 1985 (San Francisco, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/marschall_john.html

McBee, Randy David – 6’0” 150 lbs. brown Age 23/dob 1947 MSG since 1971 (Oakland, CA)
*2 lower front teeth are missing.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mcbee_randy.html

N - none

O -none not already listed

P

Packard, Stephen Locke – 6’3” 180-190 lbs. blond Age 18/dob 1956 MSG since 1974 (Stinson Beach, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/packard_stephen.html

Q – none

R – none

S

Strehle, Richard Edward – 6’2” 170 lbs brown Age 26/dob 1946 MSG since 1973 (S. Lake Tahoe, CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/strehle_richard.html

T – none

U – none

V – none

W

Widner, David B – 6’0” 190 lbs brown Age 38/dob 1944 MSG since 1983 (Walnut Creek CA)
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/widner_david.html

X – none

Y – none

Z - none

fftobed:

Hinz, Gregory has a Namus page
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/17757/0/

Packard, Stephen has a Namus page
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/14418/0/

Strehle, Richard Edward – 6’2” 170 lbs brown Age 45ish (p1363) (dental avail) dna?
Has a namus page
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/20178/0/

Widner, David B – 6’0” 190 lbs brown Age 47ish (p1363) #203 dental/dna avail
Has a Namus page
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/21582/0/

 

[Miss Muffet]

Agreed! Look back and see what the other name associated with the business was, I can't do it right now or I would . - Clive? Can't remember - look for him - I am feeling this missing person had more than a t shirt connection - go Miss Muffet!!

Exactly!

Plus, we're looking for Philip Mark, but what if he wasn't the owner? What if he was just a person who worked for the company and wrote his name as owner? Or what if Philip Mark is just a name he used on the internet? What if it was an alias?

Mysteries. We like mysteries. This is a big mystery for us to refocus our attention. It's a definite puzzler, IMO.

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

I am wondering if the backpack and the graphic of the hawk image were not originally together. She says it was upcycled and in my circle of art friends it means to repurpose something or add to it or change it into something useful. So the company that made the back pack, may not have had the hawk image on it. The seller may have put it there, but I don't know that for sure, just putting that out there as a suggestion. We may have to get feedback from her to find that out. Also concerning the tee shirt, if Jim designed the logo and then decided to sell it on the shirts, he most likely worked with a company that did for him, meaning he may have farmed it out and had them printed up. If he was new to it, he may have hand silked screened them in the beginning. Lots of artist started out doing the grunt work themselves and then when the demand was greater, they farmed it out. Once again only some thoughts on it. I noticed the weave on the original shirt the detectives posted and the weave is a good quality, it is possible it was a sweat shirt quality?

I went back and looked at the backpack again and it looks like the graphic is part of the bag. So maybe she just cleaned it up and called it upcycled. Anyway it might be beneficial to find out how he went about getting this tee shirt design manufactured or if he was hand silks screening it in the beginning.

Hi Skully, it can be confusing, but the backpack/rucksack Etsy seller did not refer to the backpack as "upcycled"--that term was used only in the raccoon tee description of another Etsy seller (who upcycled that tee into a tote bag). https://www.etsy.com/listing/110211620/70s-rare-mark-pack-works-red-tail-hawk

 

[Miss Muffet]

I'm going to search each state's databases for corporation name, limited liability company/limited partnership name, and DBA (doing business as).

We need to find some proof of the owner's name. There may be an address there too because I believe businesses have to keep the addresses updated with the state. Anything that can lead to documentation of this company.

Is anyone else interested in teaming up with me in this search? We can split the alphabet One starting a A and the other starting at Z. Since there's only 50 states, it would only be searching the databases of 25 states each.

 

[Steleheart]

Does anyone have any ideas on how we can find even the slightest information about this company, not just where it's located?

It's like it's a ghost. And it shouldn't be a ghost.

What about the owner? I haven't been able to find any information on him either.

I think these are puzzles worth our efforts since the detectives asked us to find the company.

Finding the owner is just as good as finding the company, IMO.

Any information about the business structure or ownership will help us find the company.

Check out the Oakland, CA, address in google street view.

They weren't manufacturing and distributing in a small office located in that dumpy building.

Where did they manufacture? Where did they distribute?

There are a lot of mysteries concerning this company and the detectives asked for help finding it.

They must have had a business license in Oakland, CA. Incorporation records require Board of Directors Information, Financial documentation and employee/ insurance data Worker's comp, Social Sec. taxes, etc?

:cow:

 

[SurfieTX]

Company Name:
Mark Pack Works
Country:
U.S.A. - United States
State:
CA - California

Contact Person:
Phil Mark
Contact Title:
Owner
Contact Gender:
Male
Telephone:
5104520243, (510)452-0243
Fax:
5104523022, (510)452-3022
Web Address:
Other Company Data:

http://usa.bizdirlib.com/manufacturers/Mark_Pack_Works

 

[Miss Muffet]

Just a quick note.

I talked to a man whose company purchased fishing rod covers from Mark Pack Works up to a "couple of years ago." He defined a "couple of years ago" when I asked if it was a decade ago. He said, "No, not that long ago. Just a couple of years ago.

He said he used to order directly from the company, but later was ordering from a representative. It was an independent rep, not a Mark Pack Works rep. Then he couldn't remember the independent rep's name or contact information. Chances are, he just didn't want to bother to look it up in his files.

But there may be a business owner out there who is more receptive to helping find the name and contact information for an independent rep who sold Mark Pack Works products. We don't need to just stick with fishing gear. Chances are, Mark Pack Works paid independent reps to sell all of its product lines.

This lead was found in a discussion thread on a forum that enzeder sent me a link via PM. (Thanks enzeder!!!) Another guy posting in the thread said he lived 10 minutes from Mark Pack Works and would drive there to pick stuff up in person. That was in 2004, but it's an indication that the business did have some type of presence in Oakland at that time period.

So we at least know they were still selling at least fishing rod covers up to a couple of years ago. Someone else I talked to earlier in the week, told me they knew they were in business in the early 2000s for backpacks. The company may have dropped product lines along the way.

 

[Miss Muffet]

They must have had a business license in Oakland, CA. Incorporation records require Board of Directors Information, Financial documentation and employee/ insurance data Worker's comp, Social Sec. taxes, etc?

You'd think they had a business license for the state of California since they were operating there, right? But where can we find it?

Incorporation doesn't need to be in the same state though. Many companies from all over the country incorporate in Delaware because it's cheaper to do so there. But if we can find those incorporation records, there might be information about the owner or other people's names we can research instead of limiting ourselves to just finding Philip Mark in our attempt to find Mark Pack Works.

In other unrelated public record searches I did last night, I discovered California has some strange privacy laws about not providing names and addresses on the internet for public records. In that regard, it may be better if Mark Pack Works is incorporated in another state because we might have a better chance of getting the information outside of California.

 

[Dylgem22]

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Mark.Pack.Works.510-452-0243
This one has a comment below from August 2014 asking someone to call in about a recent order ..
Not sure if this is really for Mark Pack Works or what ...

 

[Miss Muffet]

http://usa.bizdirlib.com/manufacturers/Mark_Pack_Works

Thanks, SurfieTX! That's the information that's no longer valid. It's the only information available via google searches on business listing type websites. That's why we have this mystery and need to sleuth deeper to find something on this company.

 

[Steleheart]

You'd think they had a business license for the state of California since they were operating there, right? BWhere can we find it?

Incorporation doesn't need to be in the same state though. Many companies from all over the country incorporate in Delaware because it's cheaper to do so there. But if we can find those incorporation records, there might be information about the owner or other people's names we can research instead of limiting ourselves to just finding Philip Mark in our attempt to find Mark Pack Works.

True, but wherever they file licensing and Tax registration, I believe their incorporation information is also required regardless if it a Delaware or even foreign corporation.

Another thought was the Federal Trade Commission.

I don't know where to begin frankly, LOL But Government, city or County - Oakland, since they had at least an office there. My guess is that having many products, their manufacturing was contracted through various suppliers and distributors and their office was marketing, management, etc.

:cow:

 

[Steleheart]

Thanks, SurfieTX! That's the information that's no longer valid. It's the only information available via google searches on business listing type websites. That's why we have this mystery and need to sleuth deeper to find something on this company.

He left a note on an obituary;

http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dignitymemorial/guestbook.aspx?n=kenneth-ng&pid=155753313

(I wanted to leave the deceased's name out)

So he was at least in Oakland in 2012.

ETA: Or someone with that name.

 

[Miss Muffet]

True, but wherever they file licensing and Tax registration, I believe their incorporation information is also required regardless if it a Delaware or even foreign corporation.

Exactly. But we won't be able to find their tax registration information online in California for privacy reasons. The business license is what we might be able to find, but I'm suspecting it might not be available online. This is something that might need to be done in person, and even then I'm not sure how much information will be provided to the public.

Another thought was the Federal Trade Commission.

That's a good idea too.

Based on my learning that Philip Mark is an elusive person even with businesses that do business with him, I suspect anything we find won't have any actual contact information for him that we can use.

 

[wenwe4]

What about checking with Cabela's, REI, or other "outdoor" type stores to see if they carry any "Mark Pack" products? They might have current contact info for the company.

 

[Miss Muffet]

He left a note on an obituary;

http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dignitymemorial/guestbook.aspx?n=kenneth-ng&pid=155753313

(I wanted to leave the deceased's name out)

So he was at least in Oakland in 2012.

ETA: Or someone with that name.

There are a handful of Philip Marks in California and the immediate greater San Fran area. I believe the one who lived in Oakland isn't our man because I found a facebook page for an African American named Philip Mark in Oakland California who isn't in this type of business and isn't in the same age range. I believe our Philip Mark lives in San Francisco, but I can't be sure of that even.

 

[Miss Muffet]

What about checking with Cabela's, REI, or other "outdoor" type stores to see if they carry any "Mark Pack" products? They might have current contact info for the company.

I understand he sells at smaller specialty shops, but that's certainly a possibility.

 

[Miss Muffet]

Just an FYI for everyone. M-Pack Lures is not one of our guy's business entities.

 

[Dylgem22]

Okay, I am getting nowhere with my searches .. I see that the contact information I found is no longer in service (ETA: except for the number Miss Muffet contacted about Philip!) .. so I found an old publication of Field and Stream where they were advertising a Mark Pack Works bag .. they listed an address for where you can purchase - 1803 Eastshore Highway Berkeley, CA 94710 - I put that address in, and it pulled up as Apollo Printing and also at one time was a Windwing Design .. now there is an old wood furniture store there ..