Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by Joe Bauer on 07/22/10 - 3:01 PM

Folks - I read a comment over the last few days on W/C that BRP/Evinrude may be in financial trouble. Given that I am ready to purchase a 200 hp e-Tec, I became concerned. So, I contacted our financial advisor to get an update. According to him, Bombardier is financially sound, paying their dividends, the stock price is up over same time last year, and debt to asset ratios are in order. I also contacted the company - the reason some sales personnel have been moved around is that the company tried having sales personnel being assigned a single territory, responsible for all their product lines. It didn't work - too many products and too little knowledge. So, the company went back to having sales reps responsible for distinct lines - not all under one person. Basically, they returned to what was working in the past. I cannot vouch that all info is absolute, but the overall picture appears to be in order.
Any other thoughts or info would be appreciated.
Regards,
Joe Bauer

Posted by thegage on 07/22/10 - 5:29 PM

Considering that when I ordered my 2010 E-TEC the dealer wasn't sure he could get it without waiting for the 2011 models because the 2010s had sold out, I would take rumors with a grain of salt.

John

Posted by Danwpearson on 07/22/10 - 8:33 PM

I have heard the same rumors from local dealers. Parts very hard to find lots of problems with the etec becaues of the no service for 3 years. Hard to say where they stand. I am in the marketfor a 90hp and would love a 2stroke but was told to hold out for a couple of years to see how the technology evolved. I think Evinrude is on to something great with the Etec.

Posted by seahorse on 07/22/10 - 9:09 PM

As others already said, rumors are easily started and spread as who can refute them. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt, called FUD, is a common technique used in commerce and politics.

Here is a recent report from BRP to its dealers:

The NMMA Numbers Are In:
As a result of all your hard work, Evinrude has
outperformed the industry for the seventh consecutive
month and nine months of the last twelve! Evinrude
market share continues to grow in the U.S. and
Canada due to growth in all of our selling channels.

Posted by seahorse on 07/23/10 - 5:09 AM

Danwpearson wrote:
I am in the marketfor a 90hp and would love a 2stroke but was told to hold out for a couple of years to see how the technology evolved.

Hmmm!

The 90 E-TEC has been around for 7 years now and has proven itself.

How much longer do you want to hold out? Many engine models don't even last 7 years in the marketplace. Also many don't even have a 7 year history yet.

Posted by kamie on 07/23/10 - 6:32 AM

BRP should stick around, just for their customer service which is the best from any company i have gotten in a long time. I called BRP because the new pressure sensor wasn't showing on my I-Command digital gauge. I explained all the troubleshooting i had already done with switching the connections .... He ask me to hold, came back and said, the firmware on your gauge is too old, it can't receive the info from the new pressure sensor. Here is my address, send it in and we will update it, since a lot of the dealers don't have the equipment to upgrade the gauge. I sent the gauge to him, they not only upgraded the firmware to the latest, they made sure to test to make sure it worked and called me to let me know they were done and the part was on it's way back. out of pocket expense to me, $1.50 for shipping. When i'm next at the boat, the 2nd gauge will be sent for the same treatment. That is excellent customer service.

Posted by Mark Finkenstaedt on 07/23/10 - 11:18 AM

#10

BRP didn't nickel-n-dime my repair issue instead sending a whole new lower unit to fix my broken shifter issue. Just five days past before I was back out with the family.
A really fine effort by my dealer and BRP customer support - the week of July 4th holiday.

It made the decision to get the E-TEC that much sweeter.

Posted by Derwd24 on 07/23/10 - 4:01 PM

#12

I have to say, into the 3rd season with this E-tec, each and every time out I still can't help but think what a great engine it is. If their customer service matches engine performance, and it sounds like it does (haven't needed to use it), how can that not be a winning combination?!

Posted by whalerman on 07/23/10 - 4:45 PM

#13

This being my 4th summer/year with the E-tec 150 it has been and is awsome. Starts right up and goes all day with very little fuel/oil useage. Best investment so far.

Posted by Ric232 on 07/23/10 - 6:58 PM

#14

Remember, we're talking about Evinrude here, not BRP. First of all, let me say that I certainly hope Evinrude is not in trouble. My gut tells me they are not. That said, I wouldn't come to any conclusions based on the performance of BRP as a whole. Besides, keep in mind that detailed financial information for BRP is not available since it is a private company (unlike Bombardier, which is a separate company in the businesses of aerospace and rail transportation). BRP may indeed be financially sound, but I I suspect that's largely due to the Sea Doo line which has been well-established in the market for some time. If Evinrude isn't performing well then they will consider dropping (or selling) the line regardless of how BRP is doing as a whole Again, I suspect Evinrude is doing fine but it's hard to know for sure.

Edited by Ric232 on 07/23/10 - 6:59 PM

Posted by Menemsha69 on 07/25/10 - 9:10 AM

#17

I don't think Evinrude would donate 4 new 40hp ETEC engines to the go on the custom made SWAT boats(wildlife cleanup boats donated by Jimmy Buffett) to help out in the Gulf if they were hurting really badly!-k