The Carrollwood News & Tribune
MAPSource Reaches End Of The Road
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Published: February 6, 2008
TOWN 'N COUNTRY - The last map store in Tampa Bay has closed its doors.
MAPSource, which published maps and supplied real estate agents from several counties with detailed maps, filed for bankruptcy Jan. 28, three months after its three stores and printing plant closed.
The stores were in Orlando, Pensacola, and its flagship at 5712 W. Waters Ave. in Town 'N Country. The printing plant was in St. Petersburg.
MAPSource opened in Town 'N Country in 1991, but this wasn't the first time Vice President and Publisher Gene Ingle ventured into mapping. Ingle loved maps since he was 10 years old. He drew them for newspapers in the 1960s, and after some time working as a newspaper editor he decided to make his interest in maps a career.
Ingle began noticing that his business was in trouble in September 2006.
"But hope springs eternal, and we thought 'well maybe we can pull out of it,'" he said.
They didn't. Since September 2006, every month had declined revenue. Among other things, Ingle blamed the collapse of the real estate market.
"Realtors bought our books," he said. "Books were our bread and butter."
He also acknowledged that the rise of Internet and GPS use by consumers has affected the mapping market.
"Our demise is part of a definite malaise in the map industry as a whole," Ingle said. "What's happening to the map industry is the same thing happening to newspapers. I was slow to understand what effect this would have in our operations. I don't think we're heading to a completely paperless map society, but it's definitely hurt map companies."
Ingle said MAPSource is not the only map store to fall.
MAPSource supplied maps for service industries, utility companies and government entities. Ingle suggested those customers go to companies such as Map and Globe and Universal Map for quality maps.
Although he's not happy the stores closed, Ingle is looking at the bankruptcy as an opportunity to start fresh.
"People normally think of bankruptcy as a negative thing, but for the company that declares bankruptcy, it offers the opportunity to start with a clean slate," he said.
Ingle said he might dabble in maps again, be it doing research for a company or consulting.
For now, he plans to take it easy.
"I'm enjoying my newfound freedom," he said.
Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at (813) 865-1501 or adelgado@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( mapsource ) on February 6, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I worked for Mr. Ingle at Mapsource for several years, and the GPS is not what brought about his bankruptcy. It was his inability to meet fixed deadlines, his inability to innovate, and his stubborn antiquated means of production. His last employees left with no pay and no apologies. He is better off bankrupt.
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Posted by ( Laughin_Last ) on February 14, 2008 at 1:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Having known Mr Ingle for over 20 years
I have to agree with the previous post, but would add arrogant, self-centered, pompous, and professionally unethical to that post's list of Mr Ingle's merits. An educated scoundrel, the likes of which few have seen in that type of business, has finally met his karmic demise. Not to worry, contributions to the life he has made, will certainly not be missed.
I suggest he consider mapping purgatory,
he should find it quite easy, he should
be quite familiar with the lay of the land.
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Posted by ( friedcat ) on July 23, 2008 at 8:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I was stung by a hornets nest which was hanging in their back door, I suggested they send delinquent customers out the back door and take advantage of this modern marvel stinging machine. (no I didn't make this up)
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