Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

[ziemann]

Since Lund & Crestliner are the dominant boat manufacturers in the upper midwest, I thought I would pass this on. There seems to be a ton of MN/WI boaters on these boards. As a former mud duck (Minnesotan) & Cheesehead I found this quite interesting... Here it is:<br /><br />Boat factory lays off 60 workers <br />Associated Press <br />June 16, 2005 <br />LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — The new parent company of the Crestliner boat factory in Little Falls has laid off 60 workers, about 15 percent of the plant's employees.<br /><br />Brunswick Corporation of Lake Forest, Ill., said the layoffs were necessary because of excessive inventories.<br /><br />Brunswick spokesman Dan Kubera says Crestliner inventories were higher than Brunswick wanted.<br /><br />Brunswick bought Crestliner from Genmar Holdings of Minneapolis last year, along with Lowe Boats and Lund Boats.<br /><br />Brunswick recently laid off 145 workers at the Lund Boats factory in New York Mills, citing excessive inventories and slow sales attributed to rainy weather.<br /><br />———<br /><br />Information from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

Sales have, indeed, been down here in MN. It just keeps raining. Now, though, we have several sunny days coming, and July's just around the corner.<br /><br />There'll be lots of people antsy to be on the water shortly. Me...I'm heading to the lake tomorrow.

 

[mulv80]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

I dont attribute the suffering sales so much to weather as I do to the staggering cost of new boats.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

Well, you're right about that, too. Right now, here in the Twin Cities, the boat dealers are having major sales...blowing out stuff at pretty good discounts. It's a really good time to buy a 2004 boat still hanging around the dealer's yard. They're fairly desperate.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

I agree Mulv. $25,000 for a 19' chap is obcene. I don't care how good they are.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

Higher fuel prices also make a big difference just like the big SUVs.<br /><br />Also Crestliner really cut down it line of boats. All they really sell is fish and ski's and toons. <br />Not even a single boat with a closed bow designed for offshore waters and swells. Too bad as they were one of the best light Aluminum offshore boats.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

Something is going on in the resort/boating industry. I spend three days last week in Wisconsin and one resort we had to make reservations a year in advance to get into had two boats at its docks and the larger family style resort we frequent had one boat in addition to the two in our party. Both places are normally full this time of year. Look around during your travels. Fuel prices are resulting in lots of motor homes, boats, travel trailers, campers and full size pickups and SUV's for sale.<br />I priced a new bass boat with a 225 Merc and it was $44,500. Makes a $24,000 walleye boat look like a bargain. Do a repower with an Evinrude E-tec 75 HP and you will have close to $8,000 installed. You will begin to see another shake-up in the boat market.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

People are just spending their money on other things. Families (non fishermen) have been abandoning the boats and campgrounds. Flocking to the jet skis, snowmobiles, atv's, fancy golf resorts, waterparks, etc.<br /><br />Most of our National and State forest campgrounds are empty around here. Don't make a lot of sense though, as you can buy $400 of equipment and camp for a week for a mere $70. And you still have the equipment to use for another 7-12 years.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Brunswick cost cutting: Lund & Crestliner layoffs

Campgrounds are full out here in the west. I tried to make reservations the second week of Jan for the middle of July and all of our favorite spots were taken. Had to go to a spot with no water to get a reservation.