Slamin

I have very close ties to a company that supplies Merc with parts. Based on Merc's decision to have future 60 hp and up motors built in Japan we are losing a big chunk of business. They are doing the same thing that the N.A. auto companies and their tier one suppliers are doing. That is say they are forcing and I mean forcing many to go to the Asian Pacific rim for tooling and manufacturing. If what was said about Merc is true then I say SHAME on you Merc for talking out of both sides of your mouth.

Madcow

I agree. There a lot of good drives out there (Wiseman, Sage, Pulse) for a LOT less money.

Raylar

Big US Corporations like Brunswick answer to only one group, the Shareholders!, everyone else is expendible including US jobs! As for the market share lost, could the fold up of OMC have had anything to do with that, da!. I do own a Yamaha on one of my boats and I tell you why, its the best damn outboard I have ever had!
Well see how Mercs new Vorado fares. Merc is just going to have to be satisfied with their 80% market share in inboard & sterndrive market. Poor guys!
Raylar

SS930

I thought Volvo owned a larger portion of that market.

jb

Because the people who buy them have cars that cost more than the drive!!

C_Spray

iTrader: (2)

Volvo has a slight edge among the independent boat builders. Brunswick (ie Mercury) owns quite a few boat companies that use Mercury products exclusively. Looks like buying those companies was a good move - otherwise their market share would be even lower.

Now that Bombardier (deep pockets) has taken over Johnson/Evinrude, things are getting REAL interesting in the outboard market...

Interesting point here. Honda actually moved a lot of its production TO the US while still maintaining it's reputation for quality. Maybe there's a lesson for other US companies there, like responsive management/active employee involvement/motivation....

C_Spray

iTrader: (2)

And a Bravo/ITS system goes for.......?

HPJunkie

Its all about the cost of labor tied with the managements big bonus upstairs that results in the high costs of US production. We are doing it to ourselves, we like America but continue to support other countries by purchasing their products. Buy American!!

SS930

Chuck,
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only reason all of the Jap company's are now building in the US is because they can avoid the huge tariffs we placed on them to keep trade "balanced".

C_Spray

iTrader: (2)

I'm sure that was a large part of the "motivation". My point is that the quality did not suffer as a result. This seems to be as much or more about quality than it is about price.

Mercury used price as it's sword (accusing Yamaha of dumping), but it turned out that the industry (especially Genmar!) came back and said that the issue was quality - no such thing as a good deal on inferior goods.