GolfTEC Media Kit 2016.indd

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MEDIA KIT
2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Company Overview
3
Historical Timeline
4
20 Year Infographic
6
Executive Biographies
7
Key Messages
10
TECswing Q&A
12
Club Fitting Q&A
13
Contact Information
15
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COMPANY OVERVIEW
Founded in 1995, GolfTEC is the world leader in golf instruction and one of the fastest growing, most successful companies in the
golf industry. Its fact-based approach to improvement benefits golfers of any skill level, maximizing performance and enjoyment
of the game.
2016 is setting up to be a banner year for GolfTEC, as the company is on pace to break records for revenue, profit, total facilities,
students, employees and coaches. This type of growth and influence over the past 20 years is unmatched in golf.
Key GolfTEC Facts
•Leading global provider of golf lessons; over 6 million lessons given
•Nearly 200 locations worldwide, including North America, Japan and Korea
•No.1 employer of PGA Professionals in the U.S.
•Responsible for more than 26% of all private golf lessons given
to core golfers in the U.S.
•GolfTEC students have a 96% success rate; 7 shots is the average
number of strokes dropped
All GolfTEC students, regardless of initial skill level, follow the same proven
system – a comprehensive approach that uses a mix of patented teaching
technology and highly-trained coaches to help them reach their golf goals.
The company’s systematic approach to game improvement involves
“Five Factors”:
•Fact-based Diagnosis
•Sequential Lessons
•Advanced Retention Tools
•Video-based Practice
•Precision-matched Clubs
New for 2016 is the launch of SwingTRU Motion Study™, the most
comprehensive motion study of the golf swing ever conducted. It includes
detailed analysis of more than 13,000 golfers, from PGA Tour players to
beginners, that pinpoints specific positions throughout the swing that directly
correlate to success. The data is used in most GolfTEC lessons to help
students understand how their body movements compare to the best players
in the world and how these numbers can lead to improved performance on
the course.
The results are indisputable. With the finest Certified Personal Coaches,
the leading technology and the Five Factors for proven results, GolfTEC
delivers improvement for players of all skills, ages and genders.
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HISTORICAL TIMELINE
1995
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Company is founded by Clayton Cole under the name Driving Obsession
Joe Assell is hired as the first teaching professional and manager
Mike Clinton is hired as a teaching professional
First location is opened in Denver, CO
1996
• Second location opens in Chicago, IL
1997
• Joe Assell and Mike Clinton purchase the company and rename it GolfTEC
• GolfTEC opens third location in Chicago, IL
1998
• GolfTEC opens two locations – one in Atlanta, GA and one in Dallas, TX
• $1 million in total sales
$1 Million
in Total Sales
1999
• GolfTEC opens one location in Denver, CO (6 total)
2000
• GolfTEC opens one location in Chicago, IL (7 total)
2001
• GolfTEC partners with Gart Capital Partners – GolfTEC’s largest investor
2002
• GolfTEC opens three locations – one in Dallas, TX, one in Denver, CO, one in Houston, TX (9 total)
• GolfTEC receives patent for g-SWING technology
2003
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GolfTEC partners with Golfsmith
GolfTEC opens first Golfsmith co-location in Houston, TX
$4 million in total sales
GolfTEC hires its 50th Coach
2004
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First franchise location sold in Phoenix, AZ
First franchise location opens in Irvine, CA
GolfTEC opens 12 locations (22 total)
$6 million in total sales
GolfTEC hires its 100th Coach
GolfTEC does $1 million in sales in one month (August, 2004)
2005
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GolfTEC opens 25th location in Houston, TX
GolfTEC opens 16 locations (38 total)
$10 million in total sales
GolfTEC hires its 200th Coach
2006
• GolfTEC opens 50th location in North Richland Hills, TX
• GolfTEC opens 24 locations (62 total)
• $16 million in total sales
100 th
Coach Hired
$10 Million
in Total Sales
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2007
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GolfTEC opens 38 locations (100 total)
GolfTEC opens 100th location in Las Vegas, NV
GolfTEC teaches its 1 millionth lesson
$25 million in total sales
GolfTEC ranked #24 in the Denver Business Journal “Top Colorado-Based Franchisers”
GolfTEC hires its 300th Coach
2008
• $29 million in total sales
• Joe & Mike win award for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
• GolfTEC opens in Mexico
2009
• GolfTEC partners with Sports Illustrated Golf Group
• $32 million in total sales
• GolfTEC hires its 400th Coach
2010
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$37 million in total sales
GolfTEC teaches 2 millionth lesson
GolfTEC named to Franchise Times “Fast 55”
GolfTEC named to the Inc 500 list of Fastest-Growing Private-Companies
GolfTEC opens in Canada
2011
• $46 million in total sales
• GolfTEC does $1 million in sales in one day (August 25, 2011)
• GolfTEC teaches 3 millionth lesson
2012
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$28 million in total sales (thru 7/12)
GolfTEC teaches 4 millionth lesson
GolfTEC opens in Japan
GolfTEC opens in Korea
GolfTEC releases update to g-SWING technology
GolfTEC launches the My Pro To Go app
GolfTEC hires its 500th Coach
2013
• Going on 4% National Ad Fund
• GolfTEC teaches 4 Millionth Lesson
2014
• 196 Total Centers (including Korea and Japan)
• 667 Total Coaches (including Korea and Japan)
• GolfTEC Teaches 5 Millionth Lesson
2015
• GolfTEC celebrates 20 years
• GolfTEC has its best sales year to date
2016
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GolfTEC Launches SwingTRU Motion Study
Strategic Alliance with the PGA of America
GolfTEC Teaches 6 Millionth Lesson
GolfTEC opens 200th Center
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TOTAL LESSONS GIVEN at GOLFTEC:
6 MILLION
of Helping People Play Better Golf
WORLD LEADER IN GOLF INSTRUCTION
113K
IN THE PAST
20 YEARS:
200K
WEEKLY REACH
1.03M
IMPRESSIONS
VIDEO VIEWS
OPENED
450,000
DENVER, CO
192 CENTERS
IN
87 CITIES
37 STATES &
4 COUNTRIES
First Location and
Corporate Headquarters
IMPROVED GOLFERS
90M
SWINGS CAPTURED ON VIDEO
266M
SWING MOTION MEASUREMENTS
14,000
GOLFTEC STUDENTS HAVE A
96% SUCCESS RATE
LESSONS GIVEN
826,000 IN 2015
IN THE
227,642
TECfit CLUB FITTINGS PER YEAR
2,484
1995
2000
2005
442,093
2010
RS ON AVERAGE IMPROVE BY:
E
Y
A
L
P
STUDENT HOLE-IN-ONES SINCE 2009
625
CURRENT PERSONAL COACHES
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EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHIES
Joseph Assell
President & CEO, Co-Founder
Honors & Awards
2008 Ernst and Young Entreprenuer of the Year
Top 40 under 40 in the Golf Industry
Bill Straughsbaugh Award
Member of the GolfTEC Board of Directors
Member on the GolfTEC Associate Board
PGA Member since 1999
Background
Since the Company’s inception, Joe Assell has provided the leadership and skill necessary to grow GolfTEC into the
leading provider of golf lessons in the world. His guidance has helped take the company from a one employee operation
recording $90,000 in sales in 1995 to employing more than 650 individuals globally, including over 400 PGA Members
and Apprentices, with annual sales exceeding $80 million. This incredible growth is showing no signs of slowing, as
GolfTEC is on pace to set records in 2016 for revenue, profit, lessons given, number of employees, number of facilities
and number of students. Since 2010, the company has increased annual revenue by 73%. As CEO, Assell oversees
strategy as well as multiple divisions within the company including finance, legal, sales, technology, and marketing.
He leads a ten-person senior management team in executing the strategic development and growth behind GolfTEC.
Over the past 20 years, Assell has been recognized with numerous awards including: 2015 Colorado PGA Golf
Professional of the Year, 2008 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Colorado PGA Teacher of the Year, Colorado
PGA Bill Straughsbaugh Award, Denver Business Journal Top 40 under 40 and Golfweek Magazine Top 40 under 40.
In addition, Assell serves on the National PGA Marketing and Member Benefits Committee as well and the National PGA
Golf 2.0 Get Golf Ready Committee. Locally, he is on the Finance Committee of the Colorado PGA and the Associate Board
of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. A cum laude graduate with a B.B.A. in Marketing from the Professional Golf
Management Program at Mississippi State University, Assell won the school’s Young Alumni of the Year award in 2002.
He currently resides in Greenwood Village, CO with his wife and two children.
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EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHIES
Jeremy Beck
Sr. Vice President of Operations
Honors & Awards
2005 GolfTEC Manager of the Year
2014 GolfTEC Veteran of the Year
2014 Denver Businss Journal Top 40 Under 40 Nominee
PGA Member since 2001
PGA Colorado Section Member Engagement Committee
Background
Jeremy earned his B.S. in Business from the Professional Golf Management Program at Ferris State University in 1999.
As a GolfTEC instructor, he has given over 10,000 lessons and been named GolfTEC 2001 Coach of the Year. In 2005,
Jeremy was named Manager of the Year and subsequently joined the GolfTEC executive team as the VP of operations.
In that role, he has utilized his front-line best practices to create the systems to allow GolfTEC to successfully scale
up and manage its growth. In 2014 he was named Headquarters Veteran of the Year. He currently oversees Instruction
Quality, Coach Training, Corporate Center Operations and Facilities. A PGA member since 2001, Jeremy continues his
involvement with Ferris State University by serving on the Executive Committee for its Professional Golf Management.
Steve Bauerle
Sr. Vice President, Business Development
Honors & Awards
Boys & Girls Club, Associate Board Member
Founder of 14er Golf
Speaker at the European Golf Leadership Summit
Presenter at the Adventure Summit
PGA Member since 1999
Background
Steve graduated with a B.B.A. in Marketing from the Professional Golf Management Program at Mississippi State
University. He was elected to PGA Membership in 1999. He has been with GolfTEC since 1999 and has been directly
involved in the company’s rapid growth over that time. He has played an integral role in the company’s franchise
operations, helping to develop the franchise model’s systems and processes. He has also been actively involved in
the company’s expansion into overseas markets. Steve has been directly responsible for developing several new and
innovative revenue streams for the company. These have included GolfTEC Events, which enables corporate clients to
provide their customers with unique interactive golf experiences to help drive brand loyalty. He has also instituted
GolfTEC Travel which provides golf enthusiasts with access to the world’s premiere golf destinations. Steve is the
owner of seven GolfTEC franchises in Minnesota and Ohio.
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EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHIES
Paul Wise
Sr. Vice President of Revenue and Marketing
Honors & Awards
Evans Scholarship
MBA & MS, University of Colorado
National PR & Digital Campaign Awards
Background
Paul spent nearly a decade working at a local Colorado golf course, which provided him with diverse and valuable golf
experience, including an Evans Scholarship to attend the University of Colorado. While in college, Paul interned with
the USGA®, Colorado Golf Association®, Pepsi® and Nike®. Paul was named Outstanding Graduate for his MBA–Change
Management degree, and also holds a Master’s degree in Management & Organization from the University of Colorado.
After graduate school, Paul spent the next 15 years in Corporate America leading marketing, sales and new product
development teams for global brands including CenturyLink® (telecommunications), Gates® (automotive & industrial
components) and Schrader® (automotive sensing). Paul joined the GolfTEC team in early 2015 to propel brand and
sales growth across core and new product offerings, as well as enhance existing marketing, sales performance,
club fitting/merchandising and call center functions. Paul has won numerous industry awards for creative advertising
programs, global public relations campaigns and governmental affairs initiatives.
Andy Hilts
Vice President of Education
Honors & Awards
2015 & 2008 Colorado PGA Horton Smith Award
2005 Colorado PGA Teacher of the Year
PGA Member since 1999
Master PGA Member since 2005
Background
In 1999, Andy graduated from the Professional Golf Management Program at Mississippi State University. While teaching
full time between 1999 and 2005, Andy gave over 11,000 golf lessons. After five years as a PGA Member, he achieved
the status of PGA Master Professional in Instruction during June of 2005, and was named the Colorado PGA Teacher of
the Year, followed in 2008 by the Colorado PGA Horton Smith Award. Since 2005 he has trained and mentored GolfTEC’s
600 Certified Coaches at their 200 GolfTEC Improvement Centers. Golf Digest has listed Andy as one of America’s Best
Young Teachers for the last two years.
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KEY MESSAGES
Mission
At GolfTEC, our mission is to help people play better golf.
Core Philosophy
From millions of lessons given, we know that:
Fact-based coaching, supported by technology, leads to measurable improvement.
There is no “one” technique that works for everyone, but there are acceptable ranges based on tour averages
that will help every golfer play better.
An on-going, comprehensive approach creates faster, more lasting results than an occasional lesson.
An experienced coach with deep understanding of your game will deliver consistent improvement.
Video practice is an effective and essential part of the improvement process.
The proper clubs, custom-fit for your swing help you play better golf.
This philosophy has a 96% success rate.
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KEY MESSAGE
Business
•2015 was GolfTEC’s most successful year-to-date:
•On pace to set records for revenue, profit, lessons given, total facilities, number of students and number of Coaches
•Revenue is up 73% since 2010 – outpacing well-known companies inside & outside of golf segment
•2015 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company List (3,764)
•Celebrating 20th anniversary (founded in 1995)
•More locations than any golf retailer, lesson provider or club-fitter; nearly 200 facilities
•Continued international growth; currently in U.S., Canada, South Korea and Japan
•750,000 lessons taught in 2015
•14,000 TECfit club-fittings taken per year; leader in high-end club-fitting
Teaching
•Has taught over 6 million lessons taught worldwide;
dramatically more than any other single entity in golf.
•Largest employer of PGA Professionals in the world
•Nearly 430,000 students since 1995
•Proven results:
•96% success rate among GolfTEC students
•The average GolfTEC student will drop 7 strokes from their score
•All Coaches attend rigorous multi-week certification at GolfTEC
University to master the analysis of golf mechanics, the technology
of the GolfTEC system and the most productive teaching techniques.
Technology
•Patented TECswing™ system provides video combined with motion
measurement of each swing, quantifying mechanics and helping
coaches take a fact-based approach to instruction
•More than 90 million swings captured on video
•266 million motion data points recorded
•Foresight® launch monitors measure launch angles, spin rates,
club speeds and more
•All lessons recorded and available to view through the online
Player Performance Center or GolfTEC TO GO app
SwingTRUTM Motion Study
•Most comprehensive study of the golf swing measurement data ever conducted
•Analyzed data from 13,000 golfers, ranging from PGA Tour players to beginners
•Identifies key movements in the swing correlated to better performance
•Over 225 terabytes of data, nearly equal to the Library of Congresses
multi-media section or the entire library of HD movies on iTunes®
•Example of how “Big Data” will help golfers improve; glimpse of how
athletic performance will be analyzed in the future in all sports
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TECswing Q&A
What is TECswing ?
TM
It’s our advanced analysis and feedback tool for teaching golf. It’s unique and
especially powerful because it combines video analysis and motion measurement in
real time. Being able to both see the swing on video and at the same time measure the
range of motion of key swing elements allows the GolfTEC Coach to see, understand
and analyze the swing like never before. It gives us an incredible amount of data.
We compare it to a doctor having both an X-ray and an MRI—there’s so much
critical information to work from.
TECswing also uses audible beeps to provide instantaneous feedback to the student.
These provide a quick way to either train the proper movement or alert the student
when the movement is wrong. For example, if a student turns their hips too far in
the backswing, the coach can set a beep to go off when the hip measurement goes
beyond a specified amount. That immediate feedback—turn the hips too far and you
hear a beep—is very effective in changing movement patterns.
How is the new TECswing different?
The hardware components, cameras, monitors, even the sensors that the student
wears remain the same. But the software has been updated and improved significantly.
We have another 18 measurements added to the 6 we already have. And we’re not
simply measuring the size or amount of movement; we are also measuring it’s speed.
So besides the turn, tilt, and bend of the shoulders and hips, we’ll measure the
movement up and down, in and out, and side-to-side of the shoulders and hips. That’s
a total of 12 movements. Plus we’ll know the speed of each of those 12 motions for a
total of 24 measurements. Not only will we see how those body parts move, we’ll know
how quickly they move with a frame-by-frame measurement on the video screen.
Can you use TECswing outside?
Our new TECswing software, along with our new TECswing GO mobile app, gives our coaches more knowledge and insight into the
student’s swing outside on the course. It also gives them the best tools in the golf industry to teach the facts about the swing no
matter where you are.
So where do you go from here?
We tell our coaches that we are on the cutting edge. They can read all the
golf books they want by the great players and teachers, but there’s really
not much new in any of them. All they are reading is someone’s thoughts
on the grip or plane or turn. It’s just the same stuff stated in a different
way and—this is important— through that person’s own bias.
But what we are doing at GolfTEC, and what the new TECswing software
helps us do, is learn things that nobody knows yet. We’re going to start
making all sorts of discoveries about the golf swing and golf success
and we’re going to share them with the world.
We are truly excited about that!
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TECfit ® CLUB FITTING Q&A
Why is club fitting important?
There is a direct correlation between the clubs we
play and the way we swing. If a player has a club that
is improperly fit for his or her swing, it will force them
to make adjustments. Custom-fit clubs reward good
swings with good results, while improperly fit clubs
make even a good swing produce bad results. Let’s
say your golf club is too upright for you. If you make a
good, on-plane swing, the ball may go left due to the
club’s lie angle. So you’re being penalized even when
you make a good swing.
Standard, off-the-rack clubs often miss on most specs
for the average golfer. For example, lie, loft, length
and shaft flex can all be an issue with stock clubs
and all of these factors hinder your performance.
That’s why we highly recommend that all golfers,
no matter their skill level, should get custom fitted
by a highly trained expert.
Who does the TECfit club fitting at GolfTEC?
At GolfTEC, our TECfit club fittings are conducted by coaches who are certified both in fitting and instruction. This is incredibly
important because the person fitting you must understand the relationship between your clubs and your swing. Whether you take
lessons or not, you’ll want to get fit by someone who understands this.
What makes the TECfit process unique?
Our fact-based, unbiased process creates a precision match for each golfer, which means there is very little chance they will be
unhappy with the results. Other fittings are often pretty quick: You hit a couple of shots, the fitter asks how it feels, and that’s about
it. Where are the facts? Where’s the data? And how do you know he’s not trying to push you to a particular brand? We don’t work like
that. TECfit is extremely thorough. It uses a full 90 minutes, to gather the data, generate the recommendations and let the student
make the final decision.
It all starts with the coach talking with the player to learn what they
wants to achieve. This goes hand-in-hand with the coach knowing the
player’s game. But even if you’re not taking lessons from a GolfTEC
coach, he is going to ask about your ball flight, your physical limitations,
brand preferences, what you’re trying to accomplish, and so on.
It’s important to know the player’s expectations.
Next, we take measurements, determining the optimal length, lie, shaft
flex, grip size, all the obvious things. But we also use our technology
to capture swing data, information such as launch angle, spin rates
and ball speed. We plot all shots to see how they cluster, looking at the
ones that did the best side to side as well as long and short. We look at
yardage consistencies, patterns from particular clubs, and we measure
descent angle, how steeply the ball is coming down at the end of the
shot: We want to make sure the ball will stop on the green and not roll
off the back. It’s not just about distance. The player hits several shots
that are fed into our computers and crunched by our software.
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CLUB FITTING Q&A
What does the software do?
The software, which was created by Swing Labs, takes all this data—and there’s a lot of it—and narrows the search for the best
clubs. There are thousands of possible clubhead and shaft combinations out there: You’d have no idea where to begin without this
software, which cross-references your data with all the options and identifies the top models that will optimize the performance of
your swing. From those we choose 3 to 4 to test. Some of that narrowing is based on the client’s preferences, particular models and
brands, how the club looks and so on.
The software works with what each manufacturer has in its on-site fitting
cart, so we can turn the recommendations into a club and immediately
put it in the player’s hands. We primarily work with the top four equipment
companies—TaylorMade®, Ping®, Callaway® and Mizuno®.
Here’s the most important thing: The software takes a totally unbiased
approach. It doesn’t prefer one brand over another. It doesn’t care how
much inventory the store has. It crunches your personal data and, without
preference, precision-matches the best clubs for your swing.
But that’s not the end of it. Once the list of clubs is narrowed down and you
start hitting them, the computer measures how you perform with each one
and then ranks them based on overall performance. The student doesn’t
always choose the number-one performing club, but they have the chance
to look at, feel and hit the actual clubs that were recommended. So there
are no questions about what works and what doesn’t.
Once the student and coach have chosen a club and its specs, it gets ordered.
The vast majority are custom-made to the exact specifications we’ve determined for that golfer.
Do the clubs ever need to be tweaked?
We do some of that before the order goes in. For example—and again, this is something that your coach would know because he
understands your swing and your game—we believe that lie angles often should vary throughout a set. You may need an upright lie
with your irons, but we’ll order the wedges with a flatter lie so you don’t pull them left.
Many golfers think that, by default, they should have driver, 3-wood and 5-wood. But in many cases, depending on their driver
specifications, the first fairway wood might be a 4- or 5-wood or even a hybrid. This will be based on the swing data as well as
discussions between student and coach.
We also encourage our coaches to consider mixed sets within a brand. A lot of golfers, particularly better players, might want
high-performance clubs in the short irons but more forgiving long irons, so we’ll order the 7-iron through wedges in one model,
the long irons in another model. We stay within the same brand to get the same shaft type and match other characteristics of
weight and feel, but there are lots of choices within companies, and we make the most of them.
Has fitting changed with the recent explosion in adjustable clubs?
Adjustability is a hot trend, especially with drivers. However, we suspect that many golfers aren’t changing the characteristics
of their drivers, not because they shouldn’t but because they don’t understand how or why. Our coaches can help the golfer
dial in the correct specs, tweaking the club as needed to ensure the optimal fit.
Can club fitting save the golfer money?
Many clients come in with a preconceived idea of what they want. They say, “My friend is playing this club and loves it, so that’s
what I want.” Because club fitting is so personal, most of them learn that the club they think they wanted may not really work for
them. So the process eliminates the mistake of buying the wrong club. Just because a club works well for one player does not mean
it will work well for everyone. It’s not a one-size-fits-all process. That might be the best lesson we can teach the consumer-golfer.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
For additional information,
please contact our PR partner Buffalo Brand Invigoration Group
Bill Feidler
(703) 615-4034
[email protected]
Kristin Mesick
(703) 940-3576
[email protected]
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