posted 01-19-2007 07:31 PM ET (US)        

Brunswick Announces New Organizational Structure to Advance Integration of Marine Operations

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Jan 18, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) announced today a new, streamlined organizational structure to advance the integration of its marine operations.

"In our effort to be the best, as well as the largest, marine company in the world, it is important for us to coordinate our efforts to have the best products sold through the best distribution network, the best cost position and a global presence across all of our marine operations. To achieve this goal in a more focused and timely fashion, we are forming a new organizational structure," explained Brunswick Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dustan E. McCoy.

Under the new structure, the company said that the heads of its boat divisions will report directly to McCoy. In addition, Patrick C. Mackey, 60, has been named executive vice president of Brunswick Corporation and chief operating officer - marine. In this new position, Mackey will have functional responsibility for sourcing, logistics, strategic bill of materials, systems engineering, product platform development, and manufacturing excellence across the company's marine operations. Mackey will continue to serve as president - Mercury Marine Group.

As a result of this reorganization, Peter B. Hamilton, vice chairman of Brunswick Corporation and president - Brunswick Boat Group, will retire from the company at the end of this month. Hamilton has served Brunswick in a number of capacities during his 11 years at the company, including executive vice president and chief financial officer, president - Brunswick Bowling & Billiards and president - Life Fitness Division, before assuming his current role.

"I want to thank Peter for his innumerable contributions over the years. He has helped to build Brunswick into the leading company it is today, and all of us in the Brunswick family wish him the best," McCoy added.

posted 01-21-2007 04:23 PM ET (US)            

Before McCoy became CEO of Brunswick he had Hamilton's job (President of Brunswick Boat Group). After McCoy was promoted, Hamilton took over as President of Brunswick Boat Group, even though he was not previously associated with any of the boat building companies in the Brunswick Boat Group. Now McCoy has reorganized the company and eliminated his old job, President of Brunswick Boat Group. This probably leaves a very nice corner office available on the seventeenth floor of the Brunswick Boat Group Headquarters in Nashville.

Hamilton was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Brunswick Corporation. It is not clear if he retains that position or not.

Mackey (a third corporate level player) has now been given an additional title as CEO-Marine for Brunswick. He is also head of Mercury Marine. You would think this sounds like he is running the show for both Mercury and the boat builders, but the heads of the boat builders report to McCoy, Mackey's boss.

Mackey was brought into Brunswick in October of 2000 by George Buckley, who appointed Mackey as President of Mercury Marine, a position he still holds. Since then, Buckley has resigned from Brunswick. Mackey's educational background is not known, but he worked for 30 years in Europe for DuPont. For perspective, when Mackey came to Mercury there was no Verado, the OptiMax engines were blowing up, and all the "Mercury" four-strokes were made by Yamaha in Japan. You might say things are going better now at Mercury Marine. Mackey sounds like a guy who knows how to make things work. He and Buckley, who is from an engineering background and has a Ph.D in Engineering, straightened out Mercury.

What is the perspective at Boston Whaler?

Whaler is run by John Ward, who used to be President of Mercury-Mercruiser, and reported to Mackey. Ward has been running Boston Whaler for almost two years now. As head of Boston Whaler, Ward is part of the Saltwater Boat Group, so he reports to the head of the Saltwater Boat Group. The head of the Saltwater Boat Group is the former head of Boston Whaler, Michael Myers. Myers used to report to Hamilton (who resigned), but now he reports directly to McCoy. Except that in the process Mackey will have "functional responsibility for sourcing, logistics, strategic bill of materials, systems engineering, product platform development, and manufacturing excellence across the company's marine operations," so it sounds like Myers has to clear things with Mackey and McCoy.

posted 03-02-2007 03:03 PM ET (US)            

quote:

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LAKE FOREST, Ill., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --In a continuing effort to streamline its organizational structure, Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC - News) announced today it is bringing together its saltwater and freshwater boat brands under a new umbrella, the Brunswick Outboard Boat Group.

This new combined organization will be under the leadership of Andrew E. Graves, who most recently was president of the Freshwater Boat Group, which has been consolidated into the new organization. Graves will continue to report to Dustan E. McCoy, Brunswick's chairman and chief executive officer.

The Brunswick's Outboard Boat Group will be comprised of the Boston Whaler, Crestliner, HarrisKayot, Laguna, Lowe, Lund, Palmetto, Princecraft, Sea Boss, Sea Pro and Triton brands. Brunswick Commercial and Government Products will also report to Graves. As a result of this consolidation, the position of president of the Saltwater Group is eliminated, and Michael W. Myers will leave the company.

"This is another step in fulfilling an imperative we articulated earlier this year, to have a flatter, more cohesive and agile organization," explained McCoy. "Among these brands and their primary markets, we see many common qualities and characteristics as well as the opportunity to move forward with common leadership. We also see the opportunity to provide a fuller and more competitive product offering for our dealers."

"We need to do all that we can to operate effectively and profitably. That means constantly reviewing our market positions, our product portfolio and our relationships with our customers. This move further refines and defines our organization, bringing together leading brands and a collective knowledge base. We plan to further harness and leverage our expertise in a more focused and timely fashion as we continue to execute against our core strategies, emphasizing the critical need to: get the product right, get the distribution right, be best cost in our industries, be global and attract and retain talent," McCoy concluded.

Povlin to head Bluewater Group

Brunswick also announced that Jay Povlin, vice president - sales, marketing and product integration for Mercury MerCruiser, will join the Outboard Boat Group as president of the Bluewater Group, which includes the Laguna, Palmetto, Sea Boss and Sea Pro brands. Before Mercury, Povlin held leadership positions at Baja Marine. Povlin will report to Graves.

"Jay will provide focused leadership to the Bluewater Group, and will be a valued addition to the saltwater team," Graves said. "He brings a record of accomplishment and a passion for his work to this job. Jay will be a tireless catalyst for growth and success for his brands and his dealers."

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Apparently Mr. Myers, who was once the President of Boston Whaler, has been shown the exit. See the prior discussion of Mr. Myers' increased job responsibilities after the acquisition of the "Bluewater Group" boat lines at continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/008913.html .

It's interesting that they have segregated the SeaPro/Seaboss boat lines acquired into a separate division called the Bluewater Group. This makes me think that there is a residual value still to be paid by Brunswick to the former owners of the SeaPro business based on the success of that business under Brunswick control such that a separate management of this group is necessary.

posted 03-06-2007 10:53 AM ET (US)            

Bob Dougherty (with funding from Steve Jobs of Apple Computer fame) stepped in and bought the Boston Whaler boat bulding group from Brunswick. Dougherty announced to the boating world that BW was going to pick up on the theme started by the automotive industry of retro-designed products.

The first retro product was announced to be the 18 Outrage which would be produced in the original center console design with solid teak gunwhales and sell for $32000 complete with your choice of 150 HP engine. Evinrude, Mercury, Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha had all been proposed as tier one suppliers of outboard engines for the retro Outrage.

Jobs then announced that only Apple electronics would be available on the Boston Whaler boats in future. The folks in Cupertino, California were working on an iPod-like device that would provide GPS, VHF, cell phone and wireless Internet access. You could go their iTunes website and download GPS mapping software wirelessly for $10 per download.

When asked about a sonar device for finding fish, Jobs asked why a fish finder would be needed with all his electronics to play with.

posted 03-06-2007 07:30 PM ET (US)            

So you like the idea of calling the new venture the Whaler Apple Company with the press picking out the WAC acronym and calling it the WAC Job outfit?