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Author Topic:   Boat Manufacturing Consolidation Continues

jimh posted 12-13-2014 09:54 AM ET (US)
The BASS PRO GROUP, the corporate entity of Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine Centers, announced recently that it has reached an agreement to purchase FISH HOLDINGS, LLC, the corporate entity that owns Ranger Boats, Stratos, and Triton boat brands.
Boston Whaler enthusiasts may recall that Triton was previously owned by BRUNSWICK, and was sold off to Fish Holdings, LLC, in July 2010.
Brunswick continued to own the intellectual property and other rights to Triton aluminum boats, and said it was going to keep selling them. But a recent check of the Brunswick website shows the Triton brand name is no longer listed among their boat brands. The present day list of Brunswick boat brands is:
--Bayliner,
--Boston Whaler,
--Brunswick Commercial and Government Products,
--Crestliner,
--Cypress Cay,
--Harris FloteBote,
--Lowe,
--Lund,
--Meridian,
--Princecraft and
--Sea Ray.
(Brunswick has four additional four brands--Rayglass, Uttern, Valiant and Quicksilver--that it markets in countries outside the USA.)
Triton Boats was only founded in 1996. In 2005 it was acquired by Brunswick, when Brunswick was in a era of enormous boat manufacturing acquisition. At one time Triton was referred to "as a jewel" in the Brunswick "crown of boat brands."
In 2010 Triton was sold off, as the corporate strategy of acquiring boat brands was not sustainable, and Brunswick soon entered an era of disposal of boat brands and consolidation of their manufacturing facilities.
Now Triton has landed with Bass Pro Shops.

frontier posted 12-13-2014 02:20 PM ET (US)
I wonder how those Brunswick boat brands would rank in terms of profitability. [Keep wondering because you will never find out, until Brunswick sells off one of the brands or closes it down--jimh]
17 bodega posted 12-13-2014 09:14 PM ET (US)
The big box outdoor businesses like Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc are dominating the business. My first trip into a Cabelas was fairly recently in Woodbury, Wisconsin. I was blown away at the size and scope of the store. The "WALMART-ization" of the nation continues.
jimh posted 12-14-2014 08:18 AM ET (US)
I believe that TRACKER has some sort of marketing agreement with Brunswick that allows Tracker to re-badge Brunswick engines normally sold under the Mercury brand and label them as Tracker. It will be interesting to see what engine brands are shown on Triton boats when they are being sold at Bass Pro Shops.
saumon posted 12-14-2014 11:02 AM ET (US)
Nowadays, they sell only Mercury engines, and I think the re-badging practice stopped somewhere in the mid-90's. Over time, they used to sell Mercury, Force and even Evinrude engines labelled as "Tracker Marine by...".
Other than their aluminum boats, this group also now own the Mako brand, which also attract a large base of fans in their "classic" pre-Tracker version (made before 1997, see: http://www.classicmako.com/ ). Lots of similarities with the Boston Whaler brand...
GSH posted 12-18-2014 08:47 AM ET (US)
Small remark: Brunswick also owns 37% of BellaVeneet Oy, Finland, through the company Oy Brunswick Finland. Bella Veneet, with the boat brands Bella, Flipper and Aquador, is reportedly the biggest manufacturer of fiberglass boats in the Nordic countries. (More info please see www.bellaboats.com )
Br, Seb
jimh posted 12-18-2014 10:33 AM ET (US)
Thanks for that additional data about Brunswick ownership or partnership with other boat builders. I looked at the websites for those Finnish boats. They are very attractive boats with a lot of nice wooden trim. And they all had big black VERADO engines on the transom--no surprise there.
ANDREW PITCHFORD posted 01-22-2015 05:04 PM ET (US)
I just received a new cabelas catalog and they are offering ranger boats, I find this very odd. It seems 2 me that bass pro is a major competitor of cabelas. If it's true bass pro bought ranger I wouldn't think they would let cabelas sell there boats. Btw the had big G2 etecs on the transom
jimh posted 01-23-2015 10:27 AM ET (US)
Considering the publicity about the sale, I do not find any reason to think it is not true.
The report that a RANGER boat has an Evinrude 74-degree V6 outboard engine on the transom is very interesting. Given the long-time preference toward Brunswick's Mercury-brand engines shown by Bass Pro Shops, there was some speculation that RANGER boats might be headed toward having mostly Mercury power.
wezie posted 01-25-2015 01:15 PM ET (US)
Rangers and attached engines. I would imagine these contracts have durations of service included. Ranger may have Evinrudes, and they may be the engine of choice by todays Ranger customers, but if Bass Pro is really in bed with Brunswick, the engines offered will change to black.
Corporate wise, size and volume are everything. Purchacing power, Purchacing power, and efficient inventory of products and parts.
There is only one reason to even bother with another outboard engine. That would be to diversify their supply options. Cover their bases by having another supplier in the wings. Bet that does not happen

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Author	Topic: Boat Manufacturing Consolidation Continues
jimh	posted 12-13-2014 09:54 AM ET (US) The BASS PRO GROUP, the corporate entity of Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine Centers, announced recently that it has reached an agreement to purchase FISH HOLDINGS, LLC, the corporate entity that owns Ranger Boats, Stratos, and Triton boat brands. Boston Whaler enthusiasts may recall that Triton was previously owned by BRUNSWICK, and was sold off to Fish Holdings, LLC, in July 2010. Brunswick continued to own the intellectual property and other rights to Triton aluminum boats, and said it was going to keep selling them. But a recent check of the Brunswick website shows the Triton brand name is no longer listed among their boat brands. The present day list of Brunswick boat brands is: --Bayliner, --Boston Whaler, --Brunswick Commercial and Government Products, --Crestliner, --Cypress Cay, --Harris FloteBote, --Lowe, --Lund, --Meridian, --Princecraft and --Sea Ray. (Brunswick has four additional four brands--Rayglass, Uttern, Valiant and Quicksilver--that it markets in countries outside the USA.) Triton Boats was only founded in 1996. In 2005 it was acquired by Brunswick, when Brunswick was in a era of enormous boat manufacturing acquisition. At one time Triton was referred to "as a jewel" in the Brunswick "crown of boat brands." In 2010 Triton was sold off, as the corporate strategy of acquiring boat brands was not sustainable, and Brunswick soon entered an era of disposal of boat brands and consolidation of their manufacturing facilities. Now Triton has landed with Bass Pro Shops.
frontier	posted 12-13-2014 02:20 PM ET (US) I wonder how those Brunswick boat brands would rank in terms of profitability. [Keep wondering because you will never find out, until Brunswick sells off one of the brands or closes it down--jimh]
17 bodega	posted 12-13-2014 09:14 PM ET (US) The big box outdoor businesses like Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc are dominating the business. My first trip into a Cabelas was fairly recently in Woodbury, Wisconsin. I was blown away at the size and scope of the store. The "WALMART-ization" of the nation continues.
jimh	posted 12-14-2014 08:18 AM ET (US) I believe that TRACKER has some sort of marketing agreement with Brunswick that allows Tracker to re-badge Brunswick engines normally sold under the Mercury brand and label them as Tracker. It will be interesting to see what engine brands are shown on Triton boats when they are being sold at Bass Pro Shops.
saumon	posted 12-14-2014 11:02 AM ET (US) Nowadays, they sell only Mercury engines, and I think the re-badging practice stopped somewhere in the mid-90's. Over time, they used to sell Mercury, Force and even Evinrude engines labelled as "Tracker Marine by...". Other than their aluminum boats, this group also now own the Mako brand, which also attract a large base of fans in their "classic" pre-Tracker version (made before 1997, see: http://www.classicmako.com/ ). Lots of similarities with the Boston Whaler brand...
GSH	posted 12-18-2014 08:47 AM ET (US) Small remark: Brunswick also owns 37% of BellaVeneet Oy, Finland, through the company Oy Brunswick Finland. Bella Veneet, with the boat brands Bella, Flipper and Aquador, is reportedly the biggest manufacturer of fiberglass boats in the Nordic countries. (More info please see www.bellaboats.com ) Br, Seb
jimh	posted 12-18-2014 10:33 AM ET (US) Thanks for that additional data about Brunswick ownership or partnership with other boat builders. I looked at the websites for those Finnish boats. They are very attractive boats with a lot of nice wooden trim. And they all had big black VERADO engines on the transom--no surprise there.
ANDREW PITCHFORD	posted 01-22-2015 05:04 PM ET (US) I just received a new cabelas catalog and they are offering ranger boats, I find this very odd. It seems 2 me that bass pro is a major competitor of cabelas. If it's true bass pro bought ranger I wouldn't think they would let cabelas sell there boats. Btw the had big G2 etecs on the transom
jimh	posted 01-23-2015 10:27 AM ET (US) Considering the publicity about the sale, I do not find any reason to think it is not true. The report that a RANGER boat has an Evinrude 74-degree V6 outboard engine on the transom is very interesting. Given the long-time preference toward Brunswick's Mercury-brand engines shown by Bass Pro Shops, there was some speculation that RANGER boats might be headed toward having mostly Mercury power.
wezie	posted 01-25-2015 01:15 PM ET (US) Rangers and attached engines. I would imagine these contracts have durations of service included. Ranger may have Evinrudes, and they may be the engine of choice by todays Ranger customers, but if Bass Pro is really in bed with Brunswick, the engines offered will change to black. Corporate wise, size and volume are everything. Purchacing power, Purchacing power, and efficient inventory of products and parts. There is only one reason to even bother with another outboard engine. That would be to diversify their supply options. Cover their bases by having another supplier in the wings. Bet that does not happen