Rapala buying everyone???

What do you all think of Rapala buying out everyone? I had to make a trip to Big Lake for my auger to be checked out for pitch and ended up buying new blades only to find out I wasn’t going to Strike Master but when I arrived it was H2O Outfitters. I felt that the service wasn’t of that of Strike Master. I remember Strike Master would bend over backwards for their customers. They never charged for pitch checks before now this outfit charges $10.00 just to check it regardless of it needing to be fixed or not. I bought new blades as the pitch was good. Strike Master themselves service never did that. I feel now that Rapala has taken over our favorite companies that we trust and love that thing’s are going to change. I own Strike Master and Marcum products for who they were and are but I’m afraid that thing’s are going to change from what these companies once were. Rapala??? They only have maybe a couple of ice jigs out that I’m aware of and now all these companies have become one industry together. Makes no sense to me for winter fishing and summer fishing to be combined together. What are your thoughts?

Trend of the future. Not much different then Johnson buying everyone else.

There’s always trade offs of course, but technology crossing between companies is a great thing for us!

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Makes no sense to me for winter fishing and summer fishing to be combined together.

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So if you owned a fishing business, you would prefer to concentrate your business in this part of the country on a seasonal product line rather than trying to offer product lines that are in demand year round? IMO the business strategy used by Rapala (or Johnson Outdoors for that matter) does make sense. They will still need to offer acceptable customer service though.

Marcum was NOT purchased by Rapala and has remained the same great manufacturer they always have been.

My understanding is that Strikemaster was purchased by Rapala.
A major factor in my decision to purchase a Strikemaster was their support especially out of Big Lake. In the past drove there for a pitch issue they corrected it and put new blades on it and charged me zero. All this while I waited.

With that said $10.00 is not too unreasonable in today’s world.

From my understanding Strikemaster was essentially up for grabs, the owners wanted to sell, so Rapala jumped at the chance. If Rapala hadn’t purchased them, who else would have? The deeply embedded Mom&Pop nature of Strikemaster is hard thing to loose, probably so much so they’ll probably never shake the stories about the glory days at Big Lake. I’m guessing that in the end, Rapala will be a better company because of the experience.

I’d rather cough up the $10 now and then instead of them going under like so many other businesses have.

Rootski

Things change all the time… good or bad, it is just going to happen.

As far as paying $10 for the check… as nice as that would be to get free inspections, there’s a cost to it, and sooner or later someone has to pay for it – may as well be the one getting the assistance. The good old days are a changing.

Yes there is and will be good and bad. Only time will tell the total outcome, I guess. I’m not trying to down any one company for anything just trying to understand what is happening to the industry. I did pay the $10.00 to have it checked because I thought it needed to be checked I was just not use to the charge. I’m not saying their customer service was terrible or awesome either. Just a different company doing Strike Master’s service that I wasn’t use to dealing with.

I guess I can live with it as long as they do not move manufacturing to a low wage country like they moved the lure manufacturing from the mother country. Still boils the finlander in me.

You may have to look at it this way as well. It cost them money to look at it anyway. Either way, you’ll probably pay for it in the end anyway.

The big difference now is that H2O is a service center and their only source of income comes from charging for services… Hence the $10 charge. Previously when the service was provided directly by Strikemaster their main source of income was from selling their products and the free service was offered as a bonus to encourage you to continue to buy their products.

Unfortunately the days of mom and pop shops are fading away quickly, but I definitly wouldn’t hold it against SM or Rapala.

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The big difference now is that H2O is a service center and their only source of income comes from charging for services… Hence the $10 charge. Previously when the service was provided directly by Strikemaster their main source of income was from selling their products and the free service was offered as a bonus to encourage you to continue to buy their products.

Unfortunately the days of mom and pop shops are fading away quickly, but I definitly wouldn’t hold it against SM or Rapala.

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Well put on the difference between a Service Center and a Mfr. I tried H2O for the first time in November and was VERY happy with them. My only complaint is that I don’t live next to Big Lake.

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The big difference now is that H2O is a service center and their only source of income comes from charging for services… Hence the $10 charge. Previously when the service was provided directly by Strikemaster their main source of income was from selling their products and the free service was offered as a bonus to encourage you to continue to buy their products.

Unfortunately the days of mom and pop shops are fading away quickly, but I definitly wouldn’t hold it against SM or Rapala.

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Well put on the difference between a Service Center and a Mfr. I tried H2O for the first time in November and was VERY happy with them. My only complaint is that I don’t live next to Big Lake.

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I believe D-Rock in New Brighton is also an authorized service center

Yes, times are changing. I think Brian K said it well… Johnson outdoors has a bunch of products all over the world etc. Another example of this is the monopoly they have with the lakemaster chips… I guess things do change and it “feels” different. Any kind of change is tough and that is understandable. I have been in contact with D-rock and H20; I had great service at both and H20 even went as far as to email me back within 20 minutes of posing a question. Rapala will probably take a little time to adjust to everything but I am grateful to know that a proven company has joined up and taken over some other proven companies. I am quite confident from meeting the ICE FORCE crew at the St.Paul Ice Show that they have a great company with many good things to come in the future…Its all about the people, every single Ice Force guy at the Ice Show was busy, attempting to answer as many questions as they could which is a great sign. I also know that this is exactly the reason that why my dad bought a new honda strikemaster and my brother bought a new underwater camera from Reeds Sporting Goods. They got great information which confirmed the homework they had done from Pro-Staff Joel Nelson, Tom Neustrom, Will Roseberg, Lucas Farm, Steve Hanson, Jon Marshall and many more were there educating and taking care of the customer! Good luck fishing everyone!

Jake