Over the past week I've had a couple check-in conversations with folks at Hunter.
Obviously, it's been a tough year for boat builders. Although demand is down, the biggest problem has been credit. New boat buyers can't get loans and builders are having trouble getting credit to finance inventory and construction.
Hunter is still building boats, which is no small accomplishment today. I know of at least two high volume builders who have suspended production until further notice.
But it appears that part of the price for ongoing production is staff. Most significant to this forum are changes in the customer service department, where staff has been reduced from five people to two. Those guys will be working mostly on warranty issues, so it may be difficult to get customer service support in the near future.
If you're unable to get the info you need from Hunter, try the forum or ask us. There's a huge cross-section of users in the forums who can answer almost any question, usually pretty fast. Try the improved archive search but don't be bashful about posting a question that's been asked before.
One thing working in Hunter's favor may be their ownership structure. The company is employee owned, and the employees I spoke to are completely committed to surviving the downturn.
On an editorial note, I want to remind everyone that having access to your boat's builder beats the hell out of the alternative. Just ask the guys who own Cals, San Juans, Odays, Irwins... as you know, it's a long list.
Almost all builders and dealers are struggling right now and while it may be tempting to take some shots at declining service and other symptoms, it benefits us more to help these businesses survive.
Obviously, it's been a tough year for boat builders. Although demand is down, the biggest problem has been credit. New boat buyers can't get loans and builders are having trouble getting credit to finance inventory and construction.
Hunter is still building boats, which is no small accomplishment today. I know of at least two high volume builders who have suspended production until further notice.
But it appears that part of the price for ongoing production is staff. Most significant to this forum are changes in the customer service department, where staff has been reduced from five people to two. Those guys will be working mostly on warranty issues, so it may be difficult to get customer service support in the near future.
If you're unable to get the info you need from Hunter, try the forum or ask us. There's a huge cross-section of users in the forums who can answer almost any question, usually pretty fast. Try the improved archive search but don't be bashful about posting a question that's been asked before.
One thing working in Hunter's favor may be their ownership structure. The company is employee owned, and the employees I spoke to are completely committed to surviving the downturn.
On an editorial note, I want to remind everyone that having access to your boat's builder beats the hell out of the alternative. Just ask the guys who own Cals, San Juans, Odays, Irwins... as you know, it's a long list.
Almost all builders and dealers are struggling right now and while it may be tempting to take some shots at declining service and other symptoms, it benefits us more to help these businesses survive.
