Interesting.

You bet! But the stickers stay.
And in a few years it'll be marketed for sale as such with a premium in price over other DW boats of the Era as if Cig had anything to do with it other than this fiasco.
Like all the other Cig imposters where a Cig decal makes it one.

I'll dive in on this one.
A meathead attorney who appears to be narcissistic and have an ego as big as any.
I'll take that bet he is for 1000 Alex.
You'd probably have to be involved in this hobby for a while to even know who Skip Braver was.
This guy's on the evening news damn near over this crap.

Right, how else have they done 4x revenue?
I have a hard time believing they have 4x the amount of boats ordered compared to when they took over.

.......

Whatever it is, its all for the best. Doug and Doug are great guys, good friends, and didn't need the heat that appears to potentially come with this program.

Joe

I am NOT cutting down the dealer you have mentioned, but.... Before you make the statement, you should check how many boats they sold (new from Cigarette, NOT talking about DW since the new dealer signed up for Cigarette, not DW) last 2 years compared to the order the new dealer put in when they signed the deal. Facts if stated should be accurate.

Serious question??? How many of you bashing Cigarette and their new structure are actually looking to purchase a new Cigarette in the next say 2-3 years? And if this change makes you NOT want to get one, what brand are you going to go to? I think this is a fair question, when a new entity takes over a business, you have to ask your self, is the "Brand marketing" really why you would buy the boat or is it the boat and how it is built, rigged, styling etc? The same people are building them, the President of the company has been there before the current owners and the internal staff in production is still the same.

I believe and tell me if I am wrong, a Cigarette buyer is buying Cigarette boat, not the mayhem behind the scenes. they just want what they want and if it is the same or better quality, does all the other bs really matter?

Excellent point, common sense observation without emotion.

I would think that a Cig buyer would not be afraid of buying an "old" Cig (before transition), but may think twice about it now. Private equity, no matter what sector they play in, has a tendency to choose less expensive alternatives to boost short term earnings over long term reputation and equity gains. Painting a picture through strong branding allows them to sell the sizzle, at least for a little while. Short term profits equals a bigger price when using the same multiple when selling or going public. I think that these "possible" changes would keep me from buying a new Cigarette, if I was a Cigarette guy (although I do own a 1974 20' Cig!).

All of the lines purchased by Fred Ross, I believe, are on solid footing as he has a long term vision and appears to really be doing things well. If Fred would have purchased Cig it probably would have eased the minds of many, and could have been a better fit for the customer base. No doubt he is a top notch guy that runs an awesome dealership with great people.

Totally disagree. Anyone who's ever been in an organization that's undergone transformation or been in management/line personnel knows that the tone is started from the top. You get some dork taking over the company...the personnel suffers, they lose that "esprit de corps" that was present from stable competent leadership. What do you think the veterans of the staff, those who have time in and are skilled and experienced craftsman are thinking when dad gets in front of the company and tells them a 22 year old kid is their new boss? If this crew is saying stupid **** publicly what do you thing they're saying behind the curtain? When that happens personnel looks elsewhere. They opposite is true also. When Braver was heading up the ship you never heard stupid sophomoric stuff come out of his mouth. As far as I could tell it was a solid organization and the quality of the product was outstanding.

Again, I wish the best for the iconic brand, but that brand has been crafted and kept alive by solid leadership and vision, awaiting the next chapter.

I brought the following up in the since closed thread on Cig leaving PBC. Why did PBC lose Cig to BT? I wondered allowed if Mark balked at the demands of the new owners of Cig to order a certain number boats. Does BT really have buyers lined up for all 13 or whatever the number was boats? I find that hard to believe. Easy for Cig to boast about increased sales when you hook up with a dealer with way deeper pockets than the prior one who is willing to order and sit on a ridiculous number of high end boats. This remains my take on the deal. If BT moves every boat from that order with none collecting lot rot then they will prove themselves to be the better dealer in terms of moving product. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

I don't think this the place to air what Mark was asked to sign (that was between he and Cigarette). For those that know him, you are aware that he is not unreasonable and would not jeopardize a product line that he and his entire operation have done so much to support and market for any small reason. I have a hard time believing any dealer would follow the requirements they were asking of him. I understand Fred most likely put in a massive order (Brett and Mark sold all they could get of every line they carry). Mark, Brett and their staff sell more new product then is available to them. Fred and the Big Thunder operation have it figured out that (you must control your own destiny therefore have to create your own product)--Then it has to prove itself within the open market to have a demand.

If you read my first statement, I stated "based on public comments". I am not a new Cigarette buyer. I have owned two in the past and they are a household name that people attach our hobby to. I am no different then anyone else on this board (don't want to see an industry icon get watered down or taken out of the market). As for the company being "the same"--Not based on what employees and former employees that still have friends working there are saying.

Joe