What's going on with Marlow-Hunter?

Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
An old man had a hot dog cart and he was doing quite well until his son who had recently graduated from college started telling him how bad the economy was. The old man following his son's advice cut down on the purchase of hot dogs and buns and soon his sales were down and he said to himself, "how right my son was that the economy is in bad shape". If Hunter does not show its boats the economy is certainly going to get worse for them.
Agree completely. It's tough in a big company to convince management that it's important to be at the shows I guess.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Agree completely. It's tough in a big company to convince management that it's important to be at the shows I guess.
If Hunter 'management' does not know what is important to Hunter, then they are totally screwed. I'm assuming there is something that has become suddenly more important. Like cash flow.
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I had a similar experience in the 80's. I wanted to buy a new car (insert boat here) and someone not to be named kept saying 'you don't want to do that, the economy is going to tank". Well it never did, and I didn't get my car.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
If Hunter cannot get it's local dealers to move a couple of boats to the show for a couple of days the problem they have is with the dealers. If they cannot afford the cost of showing the boats then they are in the wrong business.
 
Apr 8, 2010
1,942
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
Once a company grows to a certain level it's hard (at least physiologically) for them to scale down. I recall that when we ordered up our new Ranger 20 in early '76, from a local dealer doing demo's off the back porch of his floating home, part of the sales agreement was that he could display it in a small shopping mall boat show after it arrived. It was fun to see it displayed there, tilted a bit to allow for limited overhead clearance. :)
When a business grows to the point that they have far-away dealers and banks charging big $ for flooring, things get both riskier and sometimes more profitable.
Increasing Size of operation can be like a treadmill that keeps increasing its speed all the time... :(
 
Sep 10, 2012
220
Hunter 450 Gulfport, Florida
Interestingly enough that at least one really big dealer all but disappeared about nine years ago due to no capital funding has reemerged as a strong presence again. Inflation is always present in some degree, but I can't think of a single consumable that has increased more than slightly in this decade. Marlow id advertising so perhaps only they know what is up.
 
Apr 1, 2004
145
Catalina 34 Herring Bay Chesapeake, MD
If Hunter cannot get it's local dealers to move a couple of boats to the show for a couple of days the problem they have is with the dealers. If they cannot afford the cost of showing the boats then they are in the wrong business.
If they had a current dealer on the Chesapeake at the time maybe they would have been there.
 

KD3PC

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Sep 25, 2008
1,069
boatless rainbow Callao, VA
If they had a current dealer on the Chesapeake at the time maybe they would have been there.
that is what is odd...Nortons has been THE hunter dealer of the country for years...and now nothing, not a word....
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,131
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
This may be a case of simple business realignment. In the newest issue of "The Log", a SoCal boating newspaper, a large broker represented in many marinas has a full page advising that they are now the "exclusive" dealer for Marlow Hunter from Santa Barbara south through San Diego. They have all the models shown as well as the Mainship line of trawlers.