http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080622122816ibinews.html

http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080622110732ibinews.html

http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080622024510ibinews.html

I noticed they were hauling away all the boats from Olympics's Livermore CA location several weeks ago. I assumed they were just closing that location down.

On the way to the airport Monday I drove by Olympic's Spokane WA location and the lot was full of boats.

Probably a silly question, but why is Fountain 180 degrees different than what seems like everyone else?

Fountain caters mostly to a demographic less inclined to be impacted by higher gas prices or economic fluctuations.

Someone who can buy a $250,000 and up go-fast as a toy is not usually worried about the cost of a gallon of gas.

A side note is that I see little point in announcing a plan to add 250 jobs when the time line is 5 years. That is forever in business. So (possibly) they add 5 today and plan on adding the rest 5 years hence.

Could be more like wanting to present a perception of things being better than they actually are.

Just my skeptical side showing.

Good point.

Didn't someone just start a post a week or two ago that made Fountain sound like it was on its last legs?

The additional 250 employees are for the Baja boat line that Fountain bought a couple of months ago, and will now produce in NC. Nothing to do with go fast, deep pocket buyers.

Right. I just went and read the news brief you copy and pasted from.

So it is a zero sum (or close) proposition.

Brunswick sells Baja to Fountain. So the Brunswick employees are looking for work and Fountain will be looking for new employees.

Kind of a wash.

I'm infamous for the copy and paste MO. Maybe I should just link the articles and let members read if they want ? I can do that if it is preffered.

Or I can just refrain from mentioning such news articles, and let the resourceful group we have here, fend for themselves. I have no problem doing either of these.

It is proper and customary to "source" anything posted that is not original work.

It is perfectly fine to paraphrase, but a direct copy and paste is often a direct violation of a Site's TOS.



I do not police every posting to check to make sure that other Site's copyrights are not being violated. That is not really possible or reasonable. Indeed, if such were a requirement, this site (and countless thousands of others)would be off the net in a snap.

The liability is yours.

I'm done.

Later.

Olympic is another Brusnwick Brand dealer. Marine Maxx is hurting too. I've got some pretty good deals on parts from their ebay store lately.

C'mon, Cap'n! You didn't do anything wrong. Now, prop that swashbuckling leg up, have a drink on me, and get back to yer pirating attitude!!!

I feel the same way but obviously some don't feel he should keep us informed!! Capn's information he get's many times is first hand information from the inside of the boating industry. After all CM DOES work in the boating industry!

I guess I don't understand why Capn is taking any heat over posts like this. There are some members, here who some view as "experts" that I know copy and paste from the internet and claim it as their own...at lest CM is being honest about where he gets the into.

Working in the industry...he might get it a little sooner than the general public and wants to share it with us.

Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V are my best friends.

I, and obviously others, really appreciate the early release inside information Capn provides.

DITTO

I haven't type the letter "B" since 1990. I just keep copying and pasting.

Capn, thanks for the links. I will have to stop by my local Olympic store (we looked at Bayliner and Maxum there when we were shopping) and see what's happening.



I agree that the fountain/baja story isn't really good news. Just changing location of where boats will be built. Adding 250 jobs over 5 years in one location versus how many lost work at the old plant that is shutting down? Some lose, some gain.

Just my $.02

Semper Fi 75

Yet anudder rumor -

http://forums.iboats.com/showpost.php?p=1789772&postcount=7

Chris Craft is following the trend.......

http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080704142540ibinews.html

Cobia joins the fray......

http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080705021625ibinews.html

I was wondering how Cobia would fare under Maverick ownership. Very little buzz at all for Cobia on THT. With only 68 employees at that plant, doesn't sound like they were going great guns ...

Kelly

Cobia has been trying out sales across the pond, too.

Good move I would think. Except for RIBs, a lot of the Euro fishing boats look like bath tub toys from a quarter century ago. They have no bay boats at all! The US fishy market has been a whole lot more aggressive with style. And the Europeans seem to be clueless about our brand pecking order. Sea Fox sells over there ...

Kelly

This news will directly effect my job, Hatteras and Albemarle are permanently cutting 325 jobs from the New Bern and Edenton facilities.
Hatteras employs 960 people and Albemarle employs 95.
They told the employees on Thursday Last January, Hatteras closed it's Swansboro facility and cut 200 jobs.

That's 1/3 of their workforce, very sad for the employees and those of us in the industry.

Given the weak dollar, I'm a little surprised that exports haven't taken up the slack more ....

Kelly, they have for builders KCS (Cruisers), Carver and Marquis.
The eastern european market is what is keeping those brands "afloat" right now. Poland has the highest sales for Cruisers Yachts this year. Boat sales in Venezuela are also doing very well, the price of diesel fuel there is only .06 per gallon. So you can get 100 gallons of diesel in your boat for $6 there. Makes owning a big boat pretty attractive for those there that can afford the boats. Fuel is not an issue at those prices.
However, fuel is a BIG issue here.