Current Marlow Hunter Leadership?
- Thread starter Rick D
- Start date
There wasn't a replacement, per se. Dan Jett, who used to be Hunter's president (before John) and is currently the CFO, I believe, is sharing some of the duties along with David Marlow.
Had the new 31 at Annapolis last year. I got a chance to meet up with Mr. Marlow and told him thoughts on all of the models that were shown. Loved and wanted the 37, hated the 31 and told him my reasons. Shook my hand and thanked me for the input. The wife thinks he was mad at me afterwards but others in the Hunter owners group who new him said he likes input like that. He did impress me.
Friend of mine just ordered a large Marlow Yacht. He met Mr. Marlow and the word is he listens but has pretty set ideas and does what he wants. Guess he has been successful so who am I to argue.
He was quite successful, way before he bought/acquired Hunter. Had he not bought Hunter, it is entirely probable, Hunter would not be here today.
He is an astute business man, a strong manager and it is HIS company.
The cost of bringing a new boat to market, especially in to this market, is something he is/was not prepared to do. They did buy/license Gemini and now build the little cats. Part of his plan is to simply survive the economy and come out the other side. Once this company can stand on its own, then we may see new models.
I am not sure I would be doing anything different than he is, were it my company.
He is an astute business man, a strong manager and it is HIS company.
The cost of bringing a new boat to market, especially in to this market, is something he is/was not prepared to do. They did buy/license Gemini and now build the little cats. Part of his plan is to simply survive the economy and come out the other side. Once this company can stand on its own, then we may see new models.
I am not sure I would be doing anything different than he is, were it my company.
We just bought a new 37. Haven't taken delivery yet as it's still to cold here in Wisconsin. This is my fourth Hunter. My observations so far on the new boat is that it seems to be built to a higher standard than my 2011 H33. I'm really looking forward to sailing this boat. We saw the 31 at Strictly Sail Chicago. It's a lot of boat for 31 feet. The aft cabin is tight but no different than the Hunter 31. The cockpit is huge and the main salon has a nice arrangement. What concerns me is how Hunter seems to be contracting in the market. Smaller presence at boat shows and advertising. Now Sailtime is switching to Beneteau and Gemini signed with Catalina. Is Hunter focusing on core business?
KD3pc
Hunter Marine was part of a corporation that included Hunter and the rest power boats(Silverton, Mainship and I forgot the other one). When the recession hit, all were hurt but Hunter was well holding its own but was supporting the finances of the other three companies within that corporation. It was only a matter of time when Hunter was pulled down trying to prop up the other three. If it were not for that, Hunter would not have filed for Bankruptcy.
I also saw the total sales to include a good dealer network increase under John Peterson as he worked well with his dealers and the consumers. I was surprised myself learning that Mr. Peterson was not at Annapolis last fall for the show as he was no longer affiliated with Hunter per a salesman. I wonder what ever became of him. I wish him well.
Therefore, Hunter would have well survived if it was not part of that corporation.. Learning that Sailtime is going to Beneteau and Gemini is now being built by Catalina just blew my mind reading that this morning.
Hunter Marine was part of a corporation that included Hunter and the rest power boats(Silverton, Mainship and I forgot the other one). When the recession hit, all were hurt but Hunter was well holding its own but was supporting the finances of the other three companies within that corporation. It was only a matter of time when Hunter was pulled down trying to prop up the other three. If it were not for that, Hunter would not have filed for Bankruptcy.
I also saw the total sales to include a good dealer network increase under John Peterson as he worked well with his dealers and the consumers. I was surprised myself learning that Mr. Peterson was not at Annapolis last fall for the show as he was no longer affiliated with Hunter per a salesman. I wonder what ever became of him. I wish him well.
Therefore, Hunter would have well survived if it was not part of that corporation.. Learning that Sailtime is going to Beneteau and Gemini is now being built by Catalina just blew my mind reading that this morning.
Dave,
They might have avoided bankruptcy, but I'm guessing they would have have to go to a fire-sale to get recapitalized. They were out of money. But they had a good brand, assets, and were selling boats. Hope existed. But due to the cross-collateralized loans that had with the much worse-off powerboat brands, any bailout would have had paid off the powerboat loans first. They all had to sink together.
They might have avoided bankruptcy, but I'm guessing they would have have to go to a fire-sale to get recapitalized. They were out of money. But they had a good brand, assets, and were selling boats. Hope existed. But due to the cross-collateralized loans that had with the much worse-off powerboat brands, any bailout would have had paid off the powerboat loans first. They all had to sink together.
Confirmed Catalina is now building Gemini based on discussion with my Catalina contacts. I learned this from a friend who is a Catalina dealer.
JACKDAW;
If Hunter was not part of the corporation that had all under one umbrella, it would have survived alone. This one I know.
JACKDAW;
If Hunter was not part of the corporation that had all under one umbrella, it would have survived alone. This one I know.
FWIW, I just joined Sailtime as a regular member, having met the ST group at Strictly Sail Miami in mid February. While they were promoting their new ties with Beneteau (showcasing a new 36), Hunter was still very well represented and they were showcasing the new 33 right next to the Beneteau. Additionally, they were located right next to the Marlow-Hunter tent/slips where the new 31 was getting a lot of attention and positive feedback.
During my discussion with the ST reps, I didn't get the impression that they were pushing either company, but rather they were excited to be expanding their fleet options. Had I been of a mind to purchase any of the new Hunters, they would have been more than happy for me to purchase it through them and put the boat in their fleet. They've had a long relationship with Marlow-Hunter and I didn't get the feeling that was going to change any time soon. Having said that, there may a contract between ST and MH that could be expiring in the near future, but that was neither mentioned nor implied. Hopefully, the relationship will continue!
During my discussion with the ST reps, I didn't get the impression that they were pushing either company, but rather they were excited to be expanding their fleet options. Had I been of a mind to purchase any of the new Hunters, they would have been more than happy for me to purchase it through them and put the boat in their fleet. They've had a long relationship with Marlow-Hunter and I didn't get the feeling that was going to change any time soon. Having said that, there may a contract between ST and MH that could be expiring in the near future, but that was neither mentioned nor implied. Hopefully, the relationship will continue!
Rick;
As the Director of Sales for Marlow-Hunter (MH), I don't usually have time to reply to posts on this forum although I can assure you that I do read them. I thought that I'd jump in here because there appears to be some confusion concerning MH and rather than leave everyone to assume I wanted to offer some updates so I'll try to answer the questions that I read in this thread while giving an update to where we are and where we are heading as a company.
A little less than three and a half years ago the Luhrs Marine Group which Hunter was a part of along with powerboat companies Mainship, Luhrs and Silverton filed bankruptcy. This was as mentioned in this thread due to the crash we saw in the economy in late 2008. When bankruptcy was filed the three power boat companies were sitting idle with no production in process. Hunter however was still building boats and in fact sitting on almost seventy boat orders when purchased in 2012 by Mr. Marlow.
At the time of purchase in August 2012 we were also building the Gemini Catamarans on a contract basis only and held an agreement for exclusivity with Sailtime Fractional Sailing. When Mr. Marlow purchased Hunter Marine and all its assets he also took the contract with Gemini and the agreement with Sailtime (Hunter or MH never owned Gemini). He also purchased Mainship trawlers out of the power group. Concerning Gemini, after careful study of the contract by Mr. Marlow and a careful study of the man hours required to actually build the Gemini a decision was made to increase our cost to build the product. The Gemini folks wouldn't agree to all of the increases thus a parting of ways. It was simply a mutual business decision. As for Sailtime, they decided that they wanted to expand their offering into fractional sailing by offering a second brand and they chose Beneteau. They felt the two brands were different enough to enhance their potential market share in the competitive fractional sailing world. We have and will continue our relationship with Sailtime actually shipping two MH33's since February with a MH40 shipping this week.
Last fall John Peterson who was the former President of Hunter Marine and then Marlow Hunter did leave Marlow Hunter. That position is being filled currently by Mr. Marlow himself which actually has become positive in terms of productive. There are many of us here that have over twenty-five plus years with the company that are working very closely with him. Mr. Marlow is very hands on and spends up to half and sometimes even the majority of every week on site. He is very involved in not only the design team (that team consists of in house staff, Glenn Henderson and Mr. Marlow) but the day to day production as well. With his vast boat building experience he has much to offer and has improved many aspects of our manufacturing process. Mr. Marlow owns Marlow Yachts which is a Grand Banks type luxury yacht that he has built at his facility in China which ranges from 49 to 100 feet. Since Mr. Marlow purchased MH he has introduced three new sailboats (MH40, MH37 & MH31) with several new models in the works, one of which we plan to unveil in Annapolis this year. For what its worth, these three new models are among our top sellers. We have also entered the trawler market with in introduction of Marlow-Mainship with three new models this far with a MM31, MM32 & MM37. There are also several more new trawler models in the works to be introduced hopefully this fall and winter. The trawler venture is a little slower because we are also having to develop a dealer network to support the brand. Our philosophy on a dealer networks has changed a little now believing its better to have less dealers with larger territories to help them be more successful in a recovering market. This however presents a small problem because it can sometimes mean less boats on display at boat shows. Because we rely on our dealer network to participate and bring boats to the boat shows we participate in they sometimes may not have what's needed to take to a boat show. We participate in most all major boat shows but usually with only two or three models on display except for Annapolis where we try to have at least five or six models. The Strictly Sail Pacific show that was mentioned in the thread is a show that we have not had boats at for a couple of years. This is unfortunately because we are trying to establish a dealer in the Bay area. We have good representation on Southern CA, Seattle and Vancouver but not in the San Francisco/Oakland area yet.
Many of you I have met at a rendezvous or boat show, talked to on the phone or corresponded by e-mails over the years either in sales or my customer service days. I have been with Hunter Marine and now including MH for thirty-six years having built the boats, ran production, provided customer service and now sales. I have seen many changes throughout my career but if asked what the most significant one was, I'd have to say Mr. Marlow's expectation for quality. He has a very high expectation and has incorporated many of the techniques, ideas and materials that he uses in his quality laden luxury yachts into the Marlow Hunter's and Marlow Mainships. He has eliminated balsa-core and we now use a material that is seven times stronger and will not absorb water or moisture. We have eliminated chopper guns and everything is now pre-cut and hand laid. He has improved the fiberglass material we use and incorporated a higher quality gelcoat and the vinyl ester resin we use all of which has drastically improved our glass to resin rations. He has also increased the amount of Kevlar coverage in the hull and even added it to the deck as well.These are just some the many improvements that are happening and they are ongoing from types of wood, to caulk to equipment. These things don't all happen overnight but rather have evolved over time and will continue to evolve. Lastly, the other major change is that for the first time we are debt free. Hunter Marine always operated with huge debt as many businesses do from purchasing property, building improvements or needed equipment purchases. However Marlow-Hunter is completely debt free and Mr. Marlow is resolved to keep it that way. This allows for tremendous financial freedom when making decisions that will improve the end product.
I apologize if I have rambled on but I wanted to try and answer most or all of the questions that seemed to be searching for answers in this thread. I will not be able to answer questions that I may have generated in my post simply because of time restraints but I am always available in my office by phone. Remember, I am no longer customer service having served my time there and we do have a department for that, but if I can answer any sales questions you may have or questions concerning my post above please feel free to call me.
Thanks,
Greg Emerson
Director of Sales
Marlow Hunter/Mainship
As the Director of Sales for Marlow-Hunter (MH), I don't usually have time to reply to posts on this forum although I can assure you that I do read them. I thought that I'd jump in here because there appears to be some confusion concerning MH and rather than leave everyone to assume I wanted to offer some updates so I'll try to answer the questions that I read in this thread while giving an update to where we are and where we are heading as a company.
A little less than three and a half years ago the Luhrs Marine Group which Hunter was a part of along with powerboat companies Mainship, Luhrs and Silverton filed bankruptcy. This was as mentioned in this thread due to the crash we saw in the economy in late 2008. When bankruptcy was filed the three power boat companies were sitting idle with no production in process. Hunter however was still building boats and in fact sitting on almost seventy boat orders when purchased in 2012 by Mr. Marlow.
At the time of purchase in August 2012 we were also building the Gemini Catamarans on a contract basis only and held an agreement for exclusivity with Sailtime Fractional Sailing. When Mr. Marlow purchased Hunter Marine and all its assets he also took the contract with Gemini and the agreement with Sailtime (Hunter or MH never owned Gemini). He also purchased Mainship trawlers out of the power group. Concerning Gemini, after careful study of the contract by Mr. Marlow and a careful study of the man hours required to actually build the Gemini a decision was made to increase our cost to build the product. The Gemini folks wouldn't agree to all of the increases thus a parting of ways. It was simply a mutual business decision. As for Sailtime, they decided that they wanted to expand their offering into fractional sailing by offering a second brand and they chose Beneteau. They felt the two brands were different enough to enhance their potential market share in the competitive fractional sailing world. We have and will continue our relationship with Sailtime actually shipping two MH33's since February with a MH40 shipping this week.
Last fall John Peterson who was the former President of Hunter Marine and then Marlow Hunter did leave Marlow Hunter. That position is being filled currently by Mr. Marlow himself which actually has become positive in terms of productive. There are many of us here that have over twenty-five plus years with the company that are working very closely with him. Mr. Marlow is very hands on and spends up to half and sometimes even the majority of every week on site. He is very involved in not only the design team (that team consists of in house staff, Glenn Henderson and Mr. Marlow) but the day to day production as well. With his vast boat building experience he has much to offer and has improved many aspects of our manufacturing process. Mr. Marlow owns Marlow Yachts which is a Grand Banks type luxury yacht that he has built at his facility in China which ranges from 49 to 100 feet. Since Mr. Marlow purchased MH he has introduced three new sailboats (MH40, MH37 & MH31) with several new models in the works, one of which we plan to unveil in Annapolis this year. For what its worth, these three new models are among our top sellers. We have also entered the trawler market with in introduction of Marlow-Mainship with three new models this far with a MM31, MM32 & MM37. There are also several more new trawler models in the works to be introduced hopefully this fall and winter. The trawler venture is a little slower because we are also having to develop a dealer network to support the brand. Our philosophy on a dealer networks has changed a little now believing its better to have less dealers with larger territories to help them be more successful in a recovering market. This however presents a small problem because it can sometimes mean less boats on display at boat shows. Because we rely on our dealer network to participate and bring boats to the boat shows we participate in they sometimes may not have what's needed to take to a boat show. We participate in most all major boat shows but usually with only two or three models on display except for Annapolis where we try to have at least five or six models. The Strictly Sail Pacific show that was mentioned in the thread is a show that we have not had boats at for a couple of years. This is unfortunately because we are trying to establish a dealer in the Bay area. We have good representation on Southern CA, Seattle and Vancouver but not in the San Francisco/Oakland area yet.
Many of you I have met at a rendezvous or boat show, talked to on the phone or corresponded by e-mails over the years either in sales or my customer service days. I have been with Hunter Marine and now including MH for thirty-six years having built the boats, ran production, provided customer service and now sales. I have seen many changes throughout my career but if asked what the most significant one was, I'd have to say Mr. Marlow's expectation for quality. He has a very high expectation and has incorporated many of the techniques, ideas and materials that he uses in his quality laden luxury yachts into the Marlow Hunter's and Marlow Mainships. He has eliminated balsa-core and we now use a material that is seven times stronger and will not absorb water or moisture. We have eliminated chopper guns and everything is now pre-cut and hand laid. He has improved the fiberglass material we use and incorporated a higher quality gelcoat and the vinyl ester resin we use all of which has drastically improved our glass to resin rations. He has also increased the amount of Kevlar coverage in the hull and even added it to the deck as well.These are just some the many improvements that are happening and they are ongoing from types of wood, to caulk to equipment. These things don't all happen overnight but rather have evolved over time and will continue to evolve. Lastly, the other major change is that for the first time we are debt free. Hunter Marine always operated with huge debt as many businesses do from purchasing property, building improvements or needed equipment purchases. However Marlow-Hunter is completely debt free and Mr. Marlow is resolved to keep it that way. This allows for tremendous financial freedom when making decisions that will improve the end product.
I apologize if I have rambled on but I wanted to try and answer most or all of the questions that seemed to be searching for answers in this thread. I will not be able to answer questions that I may have generated in my post simply because of time restraints but I am always available in my office by phone. Remember, I am no longer customer service having served my time there and we do have a department for that, but if I can answer any sales questions you may have or questions concerning my post above please feel free to call me.
Thanks,
Greg Emerson
Director of Sales
Marlow Hunter/Mainship
Greg,
Thank you for the very informative post. That filled in a lot of gaps in the picture and was a very classy thing to do. As a lot of us know the business climate for building sailboats is very tough. Wishing you nothing but success for the future.
Thank you for the very informative post. That filled in a lot of gaps in the picture and was a very classy thing to do. As a lot of us know the business climate for building sailboats is very tough. Wishing you nothing but success for the future.
Thanks Greg
Though it makes it sound that my 2001 Hunter is crappy based on the new improvements.
Though it makes it sound that my 2001 Hunter is crappy based on the new improvements.
Greg, Your Timing Was Spot-on
A number of us were concerned about the viability of M-H as a going enterprise. The points driving that were a lack of advertising, lack of or limited participation in boat shows, lack of information concerning the corporation finances and management and changes in dealer representation and seemingly, dealer interest (both M-H & M-M)
I for one find your explanation comforting and look forward to a successful line of boats we can be proud to associate with as owners. It was worth your time to weigh in.
A number of us were concerned about the viability of M-H as a going enterprise. The points driving that were a lack of advertising, lack of or limited participation in boat shows, lack of information concerning the corporation finances and management and changes in dealer representation and seemingly, dealer interest (both M-H & M-M)
I for one find your explanation comforting and look forward to a successful line of boats we can be proud to associate with as owners. It was worth your time to weigh in.