Bill Naumann.
|
Continued.
Recently, Brunswick formed the Hatteras Collection, encompassing Hatteras, Cabo and Albemarle
-- three respected brands. This consolidation has nothing to do with "the bigger, the better" syndrome. It was driven by three imperatives -- the need
to make the boating experience more predictable and enjoyable for the consumer, the desire to preserve and develop a highly skilled and motivated work force, and
the need to simplify and enhance the distribution system
Better products, leading-edge technology, an enhanced cost structure, and superior after-sales service are all important elements in achieving customer
satisfaction. This industry needs to build and develop products that consumers want to buy, not products we want to make. The creation of the Hatteras Collection
enabled a pooling of talent, ideas and processes. This was not a matter of "gobbling up" some businesses and saddling them with "big business" mentality.
In the case of the Hatteras Collection, the management teams in the acquired businesses are still in place and are helping to set the future course. The employees now have increased
job security and benefits only possible within a larger organization. |
Most importantly, the sharing of engineering and manufacturing experience and facilities will further improve product quality, reliability and performance.
If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future. -- Winston Churchill |
The breadth of the product line will enable inboard power boaters to migrate from lower-cost products through large yachts, with predictable levels of quality and
service. These are the positive elements of consolidation that get little notice by the nay-sayers. Strong, forward-looking manufacturers that are committed to
providing an improved boating experience are essential to our industry's resurgence.
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