Matt Trulio

With all the rumor and speculation floating around on Eliminator Boats, I thought I'd go directly to company owner Bob Leach to see what he had to say, http://www.boats.com/boat-content/20...g-up%E2%80%9D/.

Airpacker

Its nice to hear the straight goods once in a while. Bob and Eliminator were taking quite a ride on the rumor wagon over on the PB boards for a couple weeks now. Great to hear that he isn't going anywhere.

kap328

Comment:

Good job Matt Trulio!

I really grow tired of all the demise innuendo. Mr. Leach is right people love talking about all the bad stuff.

When you question the motive of someone saying such things one can only conclude they say such things to justify their own failures...be it economic or otherwise.

KAP

MikaylaHunterCig

Finally some good news !!!

800XCR

iTrader: (2)

I honestly hope they stay around, but think about it, if they were closing would he admit it to a public magazine until he had the process handled including finishing the boats that he expects income from?

RaggedEdge

X2!!!

The news is full of the doom and gloom every day, do they honestly think this will help? I get sick of hearing it, have a hard time believing that others don't as well? Things are tough these days, and may well stay that way for some time to come. But all the negative chit just fuels it that much more. I thank God every day that things in my tiny part of the world are not real bad, would love to see it better, but thankful it is not as bad as some.

Two sayings come to mind ........... "Life is what you make of it!"
and ........... "Misery loves company!"

I say "Hit the water!"

sonic69

This Fourth of July on Cumberland was the most crowded I think I have ever seen it in ten years. People were definetly not scared to spend money last weekend.

Matt Trulio

There is some validity to your point, but first ... I didn't ask these questions on behalf of Powerboat. I asked them for my daily blog. That said, yes, the questions and answers were for "publication," in this case online.

Yes, Bob Leach could have been lying to me. That's what you call it when you ask a direct question and the person you're asking doesn't answer truthfully. There is no gray area. If you don't believe his answer, you believe he is lying. Let's not sugarcoat it.

Having known the man for a long time and having interviewed him extensively for a feature, I have to say I believe he was being truthful.

What you don't get from my short interview with him is tone. When he answered my first question, "Is Eliminator going out of business?" he was angry. Not that I asked the question (which trust me wasn't fun, but that comes with the reporter territory) but that completely unsubstantiated rumors were out there.

Because Eliminator, like most boat companies, is not publicly held, they don't have to file things like quarterly reports and earnings statements. They don't have to hold shareholder meetings.

So it comes down to who you want to believe, a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who heard something from a guy, or Bob Leach, the guy who owns the company and has run it for more than 30 years.

At the very least, he deserved the opportunity to answer a direct question.

Rik

As a supplier to Eliminator Boats, we pretty much know the production flow that they are seeing in this current economy. The article is dead on and there is probably a few more orders that have been confirmed since the time of this article.

Like Reggie Fountain told me last month, if anyone is telling you they are doing "Absolutely Great" they are an absolute lier. But at the same time that does not mean that everyone is going out of business.

Eliminator has turned a corner for the best here recently, they pay their bills and they have orders. As a vendor there is nothing more one could ask for, especially, when dealing with such a nice person as in Bob Leach.

800XCR

iTrader: (2)

As previously stated - I hope they stick around, the industry could use a little good news......just old enough not to believe all that is said or written when it comes to private business and have seen more than one manufacturer say all is well only to be gone shortly there after. Not a dig on or at you - just my simple opinion.