Donzi's Future
01-31-2013, 09:46 PM
#11
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
The only way that I can see Donzi again being successful is if they are bought by someone who understands the brand, invests money in infrastructure and designs, and can run a successful business.
Basically someone like Skip Braver would need to pop up and buy it, investor groups are the death of nearly any boat company they touch.
Basically someone like Skip Braver would need to pop up and buy it, investor groups are the death of nearly any boat company they touch.
I was told that Craig was let go. Either way he is now in a good home.
Just an interesting little side bit from all this.
Statement first brought in Gene Weeks from... Donzi.
After he left, Josh Stickles joined them originally from... Donzi.
Now Craig Barrie from... Donzi.
01-31-2013, 09:54 PM
#12
Registered
Thread Starter
Down in Florida on the gulf Coast mostly. Also bigger lakes like Cumberland and hopefully Ozarks and Michigan this summer. Had it on Geist in Indy 1 time but literally tore the lower half of the center outdrive off. Didn't hit bottom but its too shallow of a lake for the boat.
Here are some Picts of the project. Haven't put the newest ones up yet
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=c28b800bc9
Here are some Picts of the project. Haven't put the newest ones up yet
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=c28b800bc9
01-31-2013, 09:58 PM
#13
Registered
Thread Starter
Agreed 100%. Buying Donzi is my lottery dream.
I was told that Craig was let go. Either way he is now in a good home.
Just an interesting little side bit from all this.
Statement first brought in Gene Weeks from... Donzi.
After he left, Josh Stickles joined them originally from... Donzi.
Now Craig Barrie from... Donzi.
I was told that Craig was let go. Either way he is now in a good home.
Just an interesting little side bit from all this.
Statement first brought in Gene Weeks from... Donzi.
After he left, Josh Stickles joined them originally from... Donzi.
Now Craig Barrie from... Donzi.
I'd also love to buy Donzi and bring them back to life. I really wonder how much it would take as it really can't be worth that much as is. And I think the old well craft facility in Sarasota would be perfect
01-31-2013, 10:13 PM
#14
Custom Interiors & More
iTrader: (1)
Because they only produce a fraction of what even one brand was producing before. I'm afraid it's not looking good for any of those brands. Liberty is barely serviving. Pro-line wasn't selling, Baja moved facilities which threw thing with them in an uproar, and the drama with fountain made it seem like the last boat they wanted to build was a fountain. With Craig's ties to donzi (having worked for and with aronow) coupled with the fact donzi was the most promotable brand at the time lead Craig and liberty to focus on donzi as the most viable option for income. But the on-going cluster f*ck and lack of money from those in charge has put and will keep putting those companies in a nose dive. They haven't done thing one with Fountain or Pro-line, built a limited amount of donzis and finally released some new Baja models that have gained as much support from the masses as a yugo. Built with left over material and seemingly no passion, coupled with a price tag that's 20k more than its closest competitor (checkmate) I assume Baja is done for as well.
Not looking good at all. Smart move for Craig to move on. Unfortunate for everything associated with liberty.
Not looking good at all. Smart move for Craig to move on. Unfortunate for everything associated with liberty.
Sad to hear about Craig Berrie. I still remember him calling me just to introduce himself when he took over the Baja brand. It all sounds like a bad HANGOVER from too much Johnny Walker.
01-31-2013, 10:23 PM
#15
Registered
iTrader: (5)
I love all powerboats and wish every brand could survive. IMO the people with the money buy a cruiser and a Go Fast. The Go Fast is to do just that, Go Fast and look good and unique while doing it. So why buy a expensive new boat that looks the same as a older design? Yeah all us middle class dream and wish but the fact is money talks, and the people with money buy Skaters, OL, and MTI's! There are still to many good deals on used boat so entry level boats, and mid level are not going to sell. Plus CC are out of control, I would have never thought they would sell so good. I also never thought the 29 OL would sell so good. Its weird how certin things catch on. Like Facebook over Myspace, everyone liked myspace better but went over to FB for no reason. Monster Energy drink, its gross, its unhealthy, does nothing for us, but its sells like crazy! Weird how stuff works.
No offense but the people with enought money to buy a new ZX can also afford a hotel. Same reason Black Thunder is hurting. I personally love to sleep on boats, thats why I bought a cruiser. BUT slept on my GO Fast for years.
I feel Donzi would need a major refresh to make it profitable, and its going to be hard to catch the others.
No offense but the people with enought money to buy a new ZX can also afford a hotel. Same reason Black Thunder is hurting. I personally love to sleep on boats, thats why I bought a cruiser. BUT slept on my GO Fast for years.
I feel Donzi would need a major refresh to make it profitable, and its going to be hard to catch the others.
01-31-2013, 11:08 PM
#16
Registered
Thread Starter
I don't understand why they dropped the ZX line. I love our ZR but having a livable cabin is nice too which is why we have the formula as well. Being a custom boat manufacturer, they should have been able to hang on to the ZX molds and made them as ppl wanted them. And a 45 ZX with twin big power or triple 700s would be a sweet setup.
02-01-2013, 05:14 AM
#17
Registered
Double P, wow just simply WOW! What a killer resto project, I can't wait to see the finished project.
Liberty has a great opportunity with Donzi. They need to listen to their customers, and build the boats their customers want. Center consoles? They have the molds, they have the plant, build em. A few tweaks to their designs to accommodate the hardcore fisherman could be done to bring back the Donzi loyals in the tournament circuit which helps with the marketing. A few tweaks and options to accommodate the bar hopper crowds who IMO would flock to their well built, proven hulls and they could have the best of both worlds.
Performance boats? The ZR hulls are proven, in demand boats. The 27 was never marketed well IMO, and they tried to do to much with to little. An interior redesign is called for, and market it as a reasonably priced entry level performance boat and you have a winner. Open bow? I am mot sold on that design selling much on the East coast, but who knows maybe it would. But I think they should concentrate on what they have now, then see where the market takes them.
ZX boats.. IMO they NEVER should have dropped that line. Those boats sold, and continue to sell. A vast improvement over the Formula PC line, they offer style, comfort and reasonable performance for the HUGE crowd seeking a performance family cruiser. Some minor updating, a few tweaks to the hulls and power train to help the performance a little, and you have another winner.
Classics.. I LOVE the Classics. But, lets be reasonable here. To successfully market these boats, Donzi has to recognize that there are thousands of them out there advertising their brand on a daily basis. And thats good, and bad. The availability of older hulls that can be easily restored or restomodded hurts their sales of new boats at the current new boat pricing. A few MINOR tweaks, adjust the pricing to realistic levels and you have boats that you can sell to the average Joe who grew up fascinated by the brand. Fans have clamored for a larger Classic for decades, give us a reasonably priced 24-26' boat and I think you have another winner.
In other words, Donzi has to return to their roots. They tried the custom megabucks poker runner route, and it is not their market. If they want to continue to address that line they have the ZR Comp. Expand that a bit, offer custom Comp style poker runners, but stop ignoring your bread and butter lines.
Our group is working hard preparing for the upcoming 50th anniversary of Donzi. We are planning several events celebrating the history, the boats, the people and the mystique. I hope we will also be celebrating the reinvention of the brand!
Liberty has a great opportunity with Donzi. They need to listen to their customers, and build the boats their customers want. Center consoles? They have the molds, they have the plant, build em. A few tweaks to their designs to accommodate the hardcore fisherman could be done to bring back the Donzi loyals in the tournament circuit which helps with the marketing. A few tweaks and options to accommodate the bar hopper crowds who IMO would flock to their well built, proven hulls and they could have the best of both worlds.
Performance boats? The ZR hulls are proven, in demand boats. The 27 was never marketed well IMO, and they tried to do to much with to little. An interior redesign is called for, and market it as a reasonably priced entry level performance boat and you have a winner. Open bow? I am mot sold on that design selling much on the East coast, but who knows maybe it would. But I think they should concentrate on what they have now, then see where the market takes them.
ZX boats.. IMO they NEVER should have dropped that line. Those boats sold, and continue to sell. A vast improvement over the Formula PC line, they offer style, comfort and reasonable performance for the HUGE crowd seeking a performance family cruiser. Some minor updating, a few tweaks to the hulls and power train to help the performance a little, and you have another winner.
Classics.. I LOVE the Classics. But, lets be reasonable here. To successfully market these boats, Donzi has to recognize that there are thousands of them out there advertising their brand on a daily basis. And thats good, and bad. The availability of older hulls that can be easily restored or restomodded hurts their sales of new boats at the current new boat pricing. A few MINOR tweaks, adjust the pricing to realistic levels and you have boats that you can sell to the average Joe who grew up fascinated by the brand. Fans have clamored for a larger Classic for decades, give us a reasonably priced 24-26' boat and I think you have another winner.
In other words, Donzi has to return to their roots. They tried the custom megabucks poker runner route, and it is not their market. If they want to continue to address that line they have the ZR Comp. Expand that a bit, offer custom Comp style poker runners, but stop ignoring your bread and butter lines.
Our group is working hard preparing for the upcoming 50th anniversary of Donzi. We are planning several events celebrating the history, the boats, the people and the mystique. I hope we will also be celebrating the reinvention of the brand!
Last edited by Scott B; 02-01-2013 at 05:19 AM.
02-01-2013, 07:12 AM
#18
Registered
Down in Florida on the gulf Coast mostly. Also bigger lakes like Cumberland and hopefully Ozarks and Michigan this summer. Had it on Geist in Indy 1 time but literally tore the lower half of the center outdrive off. Didn't hit bottom but its too shallow of a lake for the boat.
Okay Poodle, no time like the present, get out yer checkbook and buy Donzi, move it to Florida (where it belongs), and I'll peddle some for ya in my worldly travels.
tom
02-01-2013, 07:26 AM
#19
Registered
I 100% agree with the bigger classic too... There are lots of 22 classic owners that would make the jump to a 24-26 classic if they built it reasonably priced and kept the lines classic.
02-01-2013, 07:49 AM
#20
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I don't think you guys understand what liberty was doing...they compartmentalised each brand (for better or - more likely - for worse). For liberty it was all about A) streamlining overhead (move all brands to one location B) go with what, in their minds, worked for each brand.
That meant for donzi concentrating on custom builds, bigger boats. For Baja build an "entry level" sport boat under 30'. For Fointain, build boats over 30' with twins and the hard core fishing CC's. and for proline, build and entry (read "cheaper") fishing boat.
Liberty does not give two flying f*cks about the heritage of any of the brands which, lets be honest, Donzi, Baja and Fountain have a long respectable history that could be built on. All liberty cares about is making the money back. Problem is, they - like all big corporations - approached this with out the passion and attention to detail and customer consideration it takes to build these boats. They approached it as "what is the cheapest and easiest way to make money?". Sorry, but that's not going to work, especially in this economy. They were (are, I suppose) looking for a niche to fill from each brand but I think they missed the target. Again, it's a shame all these brands are in seemingly incapable hands.
Don't expect some great hope to magically appear and save donzi or any of the others. I would suspect, in true big corporation form, they'd never sell Donzi unless it was some astronomical over priced deal.
And someone asked what's it do for the brand? It's f*cking horrible for any brand to have the company go under. Nothing positive can come of that. Takes away the brand pride (think of how proud Fountain owners were when reggie was out there winning races and beating records, or baja was representing at every poker run with poker face or fire & ice or another factory rep'd boat or donzi was in virtually any movie that dealt with an offshore boat) and more importantly the support network is gone.
Like I said, it's very sad to see the current state of these once great leaders of the market. I hope something happens to turn it around but I'm not holding my breath.
That meant for donzi concentrating on custom builds, bigger boats. For Baja build an "entry level" sport boat under 30'. For Fointain, build boats over 30' with twins and the hard core fishing CC's. and for proline, build and entry (read "cheaper") fishing boat.
Liberty does not give two flying f*cks about the heritage of any of the brands which, lets be honest, Donzi, Baja and Fountain have a long respectable history that could be built on. All liberty cares about is making the money back. Problem is, they - like all big corporations - approached this with out the passion and attention to detail and customer consideration it takes to build these boats. They approached it as "what is the cheapest and easiest way to make money?". Sorry, but that's not going to work, especially in this economy. They were (are, I suppose) looking for a niche to fill from each brand but I think they missed the target. Again, it's a shame all these brands are in seemingly incapable hands.
Don't expect some great hope to magically appear and save donzi or any of the others. I would suspect, in true big corporation form, they'd never sell Donzi unless it was some astronomical over priced deal.
And someone asked what's it do for the brand? It's f*cking horrible for any brand to have the company go under. Nothing positive can come of that. Takes away the brand pride (think of how proud Fountain owners were when reggie was out there winning races and beating records, or baja was representing at every poker run with poker face or fire & ice or another factory rep'd boat or donzi was in virtually any movie that dealt with an offshore boat) and more importantly the support network is gone.
Like I said, it's very sad to see the current state of these once great leaders of the market. I hope something happens to turn it around but I'm not holding my breath.
Last edited by thisistank; 02-01-2013 at 07:56 AM.
