It's hard to believe, but 20 years ago Bly and I started SailboatOwners.com with some good ideas, the energy of youth, and a hefty dollop of naivete. Back in '97 there was no Google, no iPhone, and Amazon sold only books. Independent brick and mortar marine stores were still a thing and sailboat manufacturers built hundreds of new boats every month. In our very first survey, 80% of respondents said they would never trust their credit card number over the internet. (Turns out they were right!)
It was a winding path through those 20 years with lots of bobbing, weaving, growing, shrinking, and more than a couple re-inventions. But somehow, here we are in 2017, still standing.
Today, feeling both excitement and nostalgia, we announce a change that will see this site through the next 20 years: SailboatOwners.com has been acquired by one of our employees, Al Fooks.
Those of you own Hunters will recognize Al's name. He joined SBO three years ago as a mission-critical addition to our staff, serving 23 years at Hunter Marine doing everything from assembly to production line management to warranty support to customer service. He brings mechanical expertise and contacts that dwarf anything we ever brought to the table. He is also a keen entrepreneur, which will serve you well.
Al's goal is to preserve the SBO you know. That includes staff, policies, and mission. Dave and Karisa will still be here and in fact, Bly and I will still be involved, albeit in different roles. Al's got some great ideas to make SBO better, too, and as he gets settled I'm sure he'll introduce himself and tell you more.
Bly and I have been incredibly fortunate to work so long in the marine business. Almost everyone who contacted us was excited to be talking about their boat, and that makes for a pretty nice work environment. Above all else, it was an honor to be part of this passionate, intelligent community. For all you have contributed to make this site great and keep our business running, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
It was a winding path through those 20 years with lots of bobbing, weaving, growing, shrinking, and more than a couple re-inventions. But somehow, here we are in 2017, still standing.
Today, feeling both excitement and nostalgia, we announce a change that will see this site through the next 20 years: SailboatOwners.com has been acquired by one of our employees, Al Fooks.
Those of you own Hunters will recognize Al's name. He joined SBO three years ago as a mission-critical addition to our staff, serving 23 years at Hunter Marine doing everything from assembly to production line management to warranty support to customer service. He brings mechanical expertise and contacts that dwarf anything we ever brought to the table. He is also a keen entrepreneur, which will serve you well.
Al's goal is to preserve the SBO you know. That includes staff, policies, and mission. Dave and Karisa will still be here and in fact, Bly and I will still be involved, albeit in different roles. Al's got some great ideas to make SBO better, too, and as he gets settled I'm sure he'll introduce himself and tell you more.
Bly and I have been incredibly fortunate to work so long in the marine business. Almost everyone who contacted us was excited to be talking about their boat, and that makes for a pretty nice work environment. Above all else, it was an honor to be part of this passionate, intelligent community. For all you have contributed to make this site great and keep our business running, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
