Crystal Pierz Marine today announced that it is closing some of its stores. for sure they are closing Albert Lea and Hastings. Rumor has it that they will also be closing their Shokopee location. It is sad to see this happen. the fewer competitors in the marine industry the higher the prices we all have to pay for a new boat.
I was just at the hastings one looking at a possible new set up…hope that isn’t the case
Not sure, but it may have something to do with the dwindling Lund sales.
Hannay’s Marine in NE Mpls, one of the oldest Lund dealers in the state, is going to stop selling Lund after this year.
What to go Brunswick.. 
Hannay’s is only dropping Lund because they have G3. They don’t need 2 tin boats. G3’s are on average a lower price point than Lunds, so they’re a better introductory boat line for first time buyers. 
I’m sure ot also has somthing to do with there customer service and customer retention. (Or lack there of.)
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Hannay’s is only dropping Lund because they have G3. They don’t need 2 tin boats. G3’s are on average a lower price point than Lunds, so they’re a better introductory boat line for first time buyers.
First time boat buyers? 
You might want to re-think that statement. G3 is a top notch boat line for sure, and getting better with each passing year. They have been flat outselling Lund and Crestliner in their own markets.
LUND is telling dealers who gets to sell LUND. Talk to Erickson Marine. 
I could probably pull up the post where we were talking about how we thought that this was a bad business decision for Brunswick allowing only CP to sell Crestliners. We predicted this.
I heard a different reason for Erickson dropping the line. Did you talk to John about it? Just curious.
Chris, I’m not questioning, or passing any judgments on G3’s quality, as we all know, they make a quality product. I am simply saying that for price point shoppers (many of which are first time buyers), G3 has more options than Lund does. That gives Hannays a wider market segment with G3 than it does with Lund. Simple enough! 
Lund pull out on Hannany’s not Hannany’s!! Oh yes G3 does make a great product 
In Fargo they no longer sell Lunds. Salesaman said they sold many more Crestliners anyway. They still sell Crestliners (Brunswick) and Rangers.
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LUND is telling dealers who gets to sell LUND.
This is exactly what a Lund rep told me this spring at the boat show. He was candid and said it’s a strategy to eliminate competition.
Lund is looking at how many dealers they NEED to service the market and not saturate.
Having multiple dealers in a particular geographic market doesn’t help Lund. Although, we know whom loses. 
Sully
With the comment of who loses….I think that we all lose if a dealer can not afford to stay in buisness. I think that sometimes the ONLY thing many of us think about is just what we ahve to pay for things. We need to ensure that a boat dealership makes enough profit on a sale to be able to service it after we own it. With todays rising prices that dealers have to pay for the products they sell and a depressed market due to rising cost the consumers have to pay for everything from fuel to food, it is harder and harder for a dealership to make a profit. As consumers we need to understand that we want them to be profitable so they will be around to take care of us. That is the mindset of Brunswick, who owns Lund. The more dealers tht they have the more competitive it gets and a small dealership can sell a boat for half the profit that a larger one can, however they have a difficult time offering the same level of service. I think Lund and every other boat company wants to have long term dealers and that is what they are trying to accomplish.
Even from a dealer perspective, not all dealers come out with a “win”. It’s hard to say a dealer that is being denied an opportunity to sell a product is benefited.
If a dealer feels they can’t compete in a free market, I would like to see them make that decision versus a supplier saying they won’t ship to them. In a free market consumers decide who survives and who closes shop. The new model caters to the chosen few that have the luxury to control pricing with reduced competition.
Although, I do see the big picture. Brunswick is making decisions to ensure the long term viability of Lund. That of course is good for us Lund Lovers.
Sully
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With todays rising prices that dealers have to pay for the products they sell and a depressed market due to rising cost the consumers have to pay for everything from fuel to food, it is harder and harder for a dealership to make a profit. As consumers we need to understand that we want them to be profitable so they will be around to take care of us.
How is that any different from any of us who are in business? Auto, Motorcycle, and snowmobile dealerships are the same way. The difference there is that the “Makers” are not dictating “Who” can sell their products. If Brunswick somehow thinks that they are providing long term viability for Crestliner and Lund, I am having a hard time seeing it. What I mean is that they are taking a time proven sales method (Freedom of choice) and have turned it into a dicatoral relationship. They are now saying, “If” you want buy our product, you “Have” to buy it with a Mercury motor from a dealer of “Our” choice. Not yours. 
I could be way of base on this. It is just my observation. But there are boat companies that are thriving and growing in this very same depressed market.
One thing about boat sales, there is no universal pricing. You can go into 1 dealer and get a quote of X dollars for model Y boat, go across town to another dealer and get a totally different quote on the exact same rig. I think that this is what Brunswick might be trying to eleviate by reducing the number of dealerships carrying Lunds. If there are fewer dealers giving different quotes, those that are will be very close to each other, and also keep the pricing up, plus they will most likely carry larger inventories as well. It is very hard for a boat maker when small mom and pop dealers order 4-5 boats for the new season to put into inventory and everytime they sell a boat, they order another from the factory. Boat makers don’t mind doing custom orders if they are ordered in Dec. or Jan., but they just don’t have the time or resources to make 1 boat at a time every time that dealer sells one. Now as for Crystal Pierz, has anybody said that Brunswick is behind the decission for them to close their different stores and only keeping their Rogers store open, or was that a decission the owners of Crystal Pierz made on their own? I can see the advantages to consolidating into a “super store” in a very visable location on a major hiway with quick and easy accesability.
And finally……Everyone is fine with the idea that if you buy a Yamaha owned boat such as Skeeter or G3, it will come with a Yamaha motor, but everyone is all pissy and moany about Brunswick doing the same exact thing with their boats, Lund and Crestliner, only coming with Mercury motors????
How does the old saying go….whats good for the goose is also good for the gander!!
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Crystal Pierz Marine today announced that it is closing some of its stores. for sure they are closing Albert Lea and Hastings. Rumor has it that they will also be closing their Shokopee location. It is sad to see this happen. the fewer competitors in the marine industry the higher the prices we all have to pay for a new boat.
Ah man, I had great service at Crystal Pierz in Hastings, Mike and Josh are top notch….
Jami
On the fishing boat level Brunswick has been getting away with offering Merc exclusive packages but they have actually lost in court with regards to their larger craft. Before, Searays only came with Mercs, but there was some law passed or upheld that actually made Brunswick offer a Volvo Penta option. There has not really been that big of a stink when it comes to $30,000 boats as opposed to $300,000 boats so I wonder if the same law/rules apply?
One of my classmates ownes and operates a boat dealership in our home town. He has always made his living by providing service work as compared to boat sales. This is where there is a disadvantage to boat dealers as oppossed to auto dealers. Boat dealers get a better rate by the quantity of boats they buy from the manufacturer and auto dealers are on a more even playing field. My dad was quoted a price, oddly enough from Crystal Pierz, and my buddy couldn’t buy the boat from the manufacturer for the same price.
He did carry Crestliner until they required him to buy a minumum amount of boats each year. He could not afford to carry that much over head and dropped Crestliner (or they dropped him depending on how you look at it) and sells only Starcraft now.
He does understand the nature of the beast and has again focused on providing excellent service.
One other thing about the Crystal in Hastings. That building/property is rediculously expensive. I was actually surprised when they moved in. I believe after utilities it was around $18,000 per month. I understand they were trying a different market than Boat Sales or Anchor Marine when they were there, but that’s a lot of building overhead for a boat dealer.
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And finally……Everyone is fine with the idea that if you buy a Yamaha owned boat such as Skeeter or G3, it will come with a Yamaha motor, but everyone is all pissy and moany about Brunswick doing the same exact thing with their boats, Lund and Crestliner, only coming with Mercury motors????
For those with short memories, you used to be able to buy a Crestliner or a Lund with any motor you wanted on them. Our parents, Grandparents and Great Grandparents bought these boats with their favorite motor on them. Now they are being told they have to have a Mercury hanging off of them. The boats are still there. Here in the north country, the names Evinrude and Johnson are like family. Mercury too. But you are not going to tell someone that they will have to have a black motor if they do not WANT one. We are seeing more and more of those people choose other boat lines.
How is it different for G3? Yamaha wanted to go out and buy their own boat line for their engines. They called that line G3. From the start they offered Yamaha motors. Big difference. Plus G3 is utilizing an established dealer network that was already in place. Brunswick decided their plan was better. Time will tell.
Why wouldn’t Brunswick go out and create (Or change the name) of a Lund or Crestliner and call it something else and only sell Mercury’s on them? And leave the market as it was for Crestliner and Lund with freedom of choice for the consumer. It seems to have worked for Tracker.
As far as Skeeter? I am seeing more of them on the water than I ever have. They must be doing something right. A half dozen in the MTT this weekend.
Only 2 Crestliners. Out of 73 boats. We used to see about 20 in a tournament.
Well, times are changing and people will just have to accept that fact. If you want a Lund or Crestliner, they come rigged for a Mercury motor. If you are intent on owning a Lund or Crestliner with some other make motor besides a Mercury, it will cost you about an additional $500 to change the controls over. You want it, you pay for it. Simple enough. That’s the free market system in all its glory. It’s the American way. How many people buy baseline trucks with the 6 cylinder engines, manual windows and a stick shift? Not many. V8’s, automatic transmissions, and power windows are all options, and they all cost extra to have. Same as the controls on these boats.
The only real change in all of this is that before, “choice” was standard. Now, “choice” is an option.
I’m guessing there are people out there that might like to have a G3 boat with a Mercury motor. How much does a G3 dealer charge to switch a G3 over to Mercury controls, or will they?
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Well, times are changing and people will just have to accept that fact. If you want a Lund or Crestliner, they come rigged for a Mercury motor.
That is my point. Seems like the public is speaking with their checkbook.The only real change in all of this is that before, “choice” was standard. Now, “choice” is an option.
Pretty much what was stated.I’m guessing there are people out there that might like to have a G3 boat with a Mercury motor. How much does a G3 dealer charge to switch a G3 over to Mercury controls, or will they?
Why would they? You are buying a boat because it is a Yamaha boat company, and was from the beginning. They will put any engine on that you want. Can’t see too many doing it on either side.
You can buy any Crestliner or Lund with any motor that the dealer has a motor agreement with. It just might cost more than a Merc. Boat dealers use to buy motors from the motor company and boats from boat companies. Today all boat companies buy the motors and package them together.
If you buy a boat without a motor a dealer has to pay 5% more for the boat. He also has to pay more for the motor. Once the motor companies started sell motors to boat companies dealers don’t get the discounts that boat companies get on the motors so if they buy a single motor they pay ALOT MORE for it than if they get it with a boat.
I was on the Crestliner Pro Staff for a few years. During that time dealers just had to tell the factory what “Pre-Rig” they wanted on the boat. Dealers could buy loose motors or order them from Crestliner with motors hanging on them. During that time I sold a large number of boats for 61 Marine with virtually all the motor makes out there serviced by them. Since the recent changes, you just do not see the Crestliners out and about like before. If you look at the sales figures for both C-liner and Lund, they are down and still dropping. Why is that then? Can Brunswick be more profitable by selling fewer boats? As cut throat as the boat market is right now, people are not going to pay the 5% upcharge, and the cost of installing it when they can buy another make of boat with the motor they want on it for less money. It just makes sense, or “Cents.”
It’s still way to early to make a blanket statement that Brunswicks sales are sooooo bad with their new business plan. So far, the only thing Brunswick has been doing is trying to clean up the mess they inherited. It was only 6-7 months ago that the final managment change overs took place at both Lund and Crestliner. We won’t know for another 2 years if this new approach is going to pay off for Brunswick or not. Of course, it serves some peoples agenda to point out the problems as much as they can today so as to sway public opinion before Brunswick can get their plan into full swing too!
As for sales figures, well they can be interpeted many different ways depending on what particular segment you want to focus on. In defense of Brunswick, the picture would look a bit different if Genmar hadn’t “flooded the tunnel” with Lunds before selling them off to Brunswick. How many “new” orders can most dealers make to the factory when they have a bunch of boats left from before the sale?
As for Crestliner, well, there’s a reason that in certain boating circles they are refered to as “Crackliners”. I know you know what that means Chris! In time, Brunswick will get that inherited mess straightened out also. Of course, until they do, all of Brunswick’s distractors will try to sell the public that it’s all their fault!
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It’s still way to early to make a blanket statement that Brunswicks sales are sooooo bad with their new business plan. So far, the only thing Brunswick has been doing is trying to clean up the mess they inherited.
Inheriting two highly successful boat lines with strong sales in the Midwest, and losing market share and successful dealers by the day?
OK.
There is a mess alright. 
I work at Hannays in NE Minneapolis/St. Anthony, and I wanted to just add to whoever commented about “Way to go Brunswick”. Its nice to see how people are concered for our business and well being, but I am just hoping those who are looking at Lund boats do a good double take before they purchase:
Their products for 2007-2008 dont seem to be as well built as the genuine pre-Brunswick boats. The Tyee is one of the thinnest made hulls I have ever seen and quality all around has been shattered. It looks like Brunswick is cutting many corners just to save themselves a few dollars, and increase their profit.
I just hope future boat buyers will take serious thought and consideration before spending a small fortune on a boat. You as the coustomer have ever right, and deserve to have the best built, most reliable, and the most practical boat, and I hope you do get that in Return.
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it will cost you about an additional $500 to change the controls over.
I was quoted $1,300 the last time in inquired about it Jack. That was the cheapest I could fine after calling 3 dealerships.
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