Uncertainty at Ranger boats

[crazy4fishin]

Okay - this is completely unrelated to the topic.....Champ did you and Donna have  a spat and she got in a changed your profile pic?

I see you are now sporting a picture of a  Equus africanus asinus which, according to Wikipedia there are 40 million world wide...... 

I know that there are a few here where I work and I suspect I have also belonged to that family a time or two..... just wondering

C4F

[Champ188]

5 hours ago, crazy4fishin said:

Okay - this is completely unrelated to the topic.....Champ did you and Donna have  a spat and she got in a changed your profile pic?

I see you are now sporting a picture of a  Equus africanus asinus which, according to Wikipedia there are 40 million world wide...... 

I know that there are a few here where I work and I suspect I have also belonged to that family a time or two..... just wondering

C4F

No, there's a little farm that raises them nearby and Donna is crazy about her donks. I just happened to snap that pic the other day of one that was up at the fence by the road. The more I looked at it, the more I thought it was probably a pretty apt representation of myself ... at least recently.

[Bill Babler]

[tho1mas]

Or perhaps turn it around. Just kidding.

[96 CHAMP]

Good one Champ?

[gitnby]

Quote

No, there's a little farm that raises them nearby and Donna is crazy about her donks. I just happened to snap that pic the other day of one that was up at the fence by the road. The more I looked at it, the more I thought it was probably a pretty apt representation of myself ... at least recently. 

Thanks for the explanation!

For a minute there, I thought maybe you switched political parties?

 

[dtrs5kprs]

26 minutes ago, gitnby said:

Thanks for the explanation!

For a minute there, I thought maybe you switched political parties?

 

That would have explained all the recent earthquakes in the region.

[Champ188]

No worries, guys. I'm still as conservative as mom, apple pie and Chevrolet.

[merc1997 Bo]

On 12/1/2015, 5:18:21, Bill Babler said:

Today, I was invited to a pretty good sized meeting featuring some of the top distributor representatives in the boating, motor, electronics and general boat product industry.  All of these vendors sell to both BP, Ranger and all the bass boat as well as the pleasure boat manufactures.  By being the little mouse in the corner and keeping quiet while I munched on my piece of cheese I learned a WHOLE bunch.

As everyone that reads me knows, I am not nor have I ever been the biggest fan of BP.  Nothing at all against JM, I have meet him a couple of times and have no problem with the gentleman.  I just do not agree with their marketing  I'm kind of one of those guys that will pay a bit more for something that is top quality and will last a lifetime instead of something that cost less and will come apart, usually at the worst possible moment.  Have nothing against folks that buy like this, I just don't. 

First I learned that folks in the industry are really not to sad to see this dynasty come to an end.  Lots of behind  the scene and late night deals and deals from 40 yrs. ago on a handshake are coming to an end.  Lots of huge salaries, bonuses and commissions are coming to an end.  Lots of under the table money is not going to be put under the table any further.

Bass Pro may have gotten this one right.  Some of the top Ranger Pro's that have been with the company since near or at the beginning will not be getting that cash in their Christmas stocking this year.  Lots of changes and we may actually see a better boat company for it.

It is my understanding that everyone of the top management people at Ranger could have retained a position.  This includes the sales staff and all of the line managers.  However the days of the 7 plus figure salary and bonuses were gone.  Commission sales and high 6 to low 7 figure salaries were and are going to be turned into extremely high paying salary jobs, just not that high.

When Brunswick purchased Mercury they did the same thing.  Some of the Mercury sales people were making middle 7 figures selling motors.  A 1 million a year commission  sales job was turned into a quarter a million salary.  Same thing is going to happen at Ranger. 

Ranger has always operated at a higher profit margin per unit than any other company.  These guys were saying today most boat companies operate on a 2X margin to even at sales time a 1.5X.   Ranger has been rigid on a 3X ie Material+Labor+Facilities+Manufacturing  X3.  For most of us this means on the X2 Total cost of production and marketing and then double it.  This formula takes into account material quality in the  price of production.  If your materials are more then that reflects into the cost before the X factor rolls in.

Say for argument that BP and Ranger are buying and using identical materials in their boats from carpet fiber to box latches, from wiring from the same companies to resign and composite materials from the same company and their manufacturing cost are the same, total cost of production the same.  A boat that  cost BP to build is $15,000  They double this production cost and sell it for $30,000.  They add the motor and all the goodies that we want that they do not manufacturer, but purchase and they come up with a $65,000 price tag.

Ranger would have a base price on that boat of $45,000 prior to adding the accoutrements to finish the package with the parts  that they do not manufacture.$75,000 same boat, due to 3X  They however do not use the same materials or the same productions methods or have the same initial cost on production.  Ranger is higher.  When you add this to the 3X profit theory it makes the boats quite abit more expensive than according to these distributors they should be.  Bass Pro is going to bring that in line by better and more ergonomic production methods, sharing cost for materials thru all their boat companies and reducing industry leading commissions and salaries to a level that is inline with the industry, at 2X.

They maintain that the quality of the materials used in the Ranger will not change nor will the quality of construction.  In fact the distributors think it will improve with better management and leadership.  I also heard word on this and tend to agree on the leadership as if what they are saying is true you will all know the name of the new leader of the company and it  is by far one of the biggest names in the bass boat industry.

Another quick point and I'll get off this mammoth thread.  I believe one of you had spoken to Forrest and he had said one of his biggest sorrows was when Ray Scott went to Triton for BASS.  Long story short.  When Ray approached Forrest about perhaps a greater advertisement budget from Ranger for BASS, Forrest ask him how much money he wanted to make.  In turn Ray asked Forrest the same question. Forrest did not reply.  Forrest Wood was a very astute businessman, make no mistake about it.  Good down home folks, but business has always been about business and both Ray and Forrest can agree on that.

Now you know what I know or maybe think we know.

great read bill.  one thing that you did not mention that goes into the price of every boat manufacture's price is all the give away boats to the "pro fisherman".  we the consumers pay for that.  if there were not so many give aways and at cost deals with boats and motors, we the consumers would be paying much less for their products.  sorry that i might be stepping on your toes about boat deals.  all the give aways and lowered cost deals have to be paid for somewhere and the paying consumer is who picks up that tab.

bo 

bo

[Flysmallie]

4 minutes ago, merc1997 said:

 if there were not so many give aways and at cost deals with boats and motors, we the consumers would be paying much less for their products.  

True but that goes for just about every product out there that consumers buy. It's all part of their advertising budgets and we spend a lot of money each year paying for companies to advertise products to us.