Spartech Marine
05-18-2009 | 03:55 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Custom Interiors & More
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,742
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From: Bucyrus, OH.
Spartech Marine
I got some more sad news for all us Baja owners. Spartech Marine that supplied many of the plexigass, and soapboard items to Baja Marine will no longer be in business after this Friday. Not the parent company, just the division that produced fabricated items.
I worked on many projects with personnel from this company that was originally Viplex Marine, and NO other company could match the quality for their plex. doors, and windscreens in my opinion.
I have been promissed a list of items that require tooling, and where they may end-up. Other companies are bidding on these items, and they may get distributed to other companies? Here is a short list of the windscreen tooling that still exsisted with them:
40 Outlaw - windscreen
23, 26, 30, & 35 Outlaw - windscreen
342 - windscreen?
33 Outlaw - windscreen
29 Outlaw - windscreen
275 - windscreen
252 Boss - windscreen
25 Outlaw - windscreen
245 - windscreen
250 Islander/SF - 36" windscreen
Hammer/H2x - windscreen
I will hope to become a distributor with any new company, as we were with Spartech Marine.
XT
I worked on many projects with personnel from this company that was originally Viplex Marine, and NO other company could match the quality for their plex. doors, and windscreens in my opinion.
I have been promissed a list of items that require tooling, and where they may end-up. Other companies are bidding on these items, and they may get distributed to other companies? Here is a short list of the windscreen tooling that still exsisted with them:
40 Outlaw - windscreen
23, 26, 30, & 35 Outlaw - windscreen
342 - windscreen?
33 Outlaw - windscreen
29 Outlaw - windscreen
275 - windscreen
252 Boss - windscreen
25 Outlaw - windscreen
245 - windscreen
250 Islander/SF - 36" windscreen
Hammer/H2x - windscreen
I will hope to become a distributor with any new company, as we were with Spartech Marine.
XT
05-18-2009 | 04:14 PM
#3
Charter Member #34
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 7,151
Likes: 2
From: Beautiful North Carolina
Dave,
To be successful in business you MUST be easy to do business with, you MUST be fair on your price, you must give the customer a feeling that you are glad they called and you must make the customer feel appreciated and that you want to help them.
Spartech did NONE of the above. When my cuddy door cracked I called them and never got a call back. I called again and was told that my boat was discontinued. I told them I knew that but I need a door and do they have the tooling. Finally after three weeks, five phone calls and three people I was told YES we have the tooling and pattern "BUT". Yeah the but was they did not want to make the door and I had to beg them and they stuck it in me and broke it off to the tune of $1,000.00.
I know the economy is bad and I'm sure that was the reason for them going out of business but they asked for it. With all the boats out there I bet they could sell thousands of windscreens and other items for a good margin if they were not such a-holes.
Imagine custom windscreens with different colors, with skulls etc like they do on motorcycles. It would not be too hard to do and would be easy to market. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I cannot feel bad for them at all.
Dock
P.S. Do NOT let the bolts on your door hardware get loose. Check them at the beginning of each season and put loctite on them if you have not done it. I can assure you Baja did NOT do that at the factory. If they are loose and you are in rough water a lot the door can and WILL crack. Trust me I know.
To be successful in business you MUST be easy to do business with, you MUST be fair on your price, you must give the customer a feeling that you are glad they called and you must make the customer feel appreciated and that you want to help them.
Spartech did NONE of the above. When my cuddy door cracked I called them and never got a call back. I called again and was told that my boat was discontinued. I told them I knew that but I need a door and do they have the tooling. Finally after three weeks, five phone calls and three people I was told YES we have the tooling and pattern "BUT". Yeah the but was they did not want to make the door and I had to beg them and they stuck it in me and broke it off to the tune of $1,000.00.
I know the economy is bad and I'm sure that was the reason for them going out of business but they asked for it. With all the boats out there I bet they could sell thousands of windscreens and other items for a good margin if they were not such a-holes.
Imagine custom windscreens with different colors, with skulls etc like they do on motorcycles. It would not be too hard to do and would be easy to market. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I cannot feel bad for them at all.
Dock
P.S. Do NOT let the bolts on your door hardware get loose. Check them at the beginning of each season and put loctite on them if you have not done it. I can assure you Baja did NOT do that at the factory. If they are loose and you are in rough water a lot the door can and WILL crack. Trust me I know.
Last edited by Dock Holiday; 05-18-2009 at 07:44 PM.
05-18-2009 | 04:19 PM
#4
Charter Member #34
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 7,151
Likes: 2
From: Beautiful North Carolina
Dave,
Sorry you can see that I get steamed when that name comes up.
Good luck to you and I hope you can get the tooling and patterns and be able to help us all out and make a few bucks.
I remember talking with you about this last year now and I hope it works out for you.
Just learn from their mistakes!
Mark
Sorry you can see that I get steamed when that name comes up.
Good luck to you and I hope you can get the tooling and patterns and be able to help us all out and make a few bucks.
I remember talking with you about this last year now and I hope it works out for you.
Just learn from their mistakes!
Mark
05-18-2009 | 05:10 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Custom Interiors & More
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,742
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From: Bucyrus, OH.
Doc,
Spartech was very corporate driven, and considered their main customers as their main priority. My biggest fear was loosing the ability to get these items at all? The only way that I got my foot in the door with them was because of my personal relationship with some of the people. I feel Baja also got to be too corporate in the end, and lost touch with some things that matter to the customer. You know that XT-Innovations will not operate that way...
One of the companies looking at producing Baja parts, is someone that I also had a good working relation with. I hope that they end up with most of the Baja stuff.
XT
Spartech was very corporate driven, and considered their main customers as their main priority. My biggest fear was loosing the ability to get these items at all? The only way that I got my foot in the door with them was because of my personal relationship with some of the people. I feel Baja also got to be too corporate in the end, and lost touch with some things that matter to the customer. You know that XT-Innovations will not operate that way...
One of the companies looking at producing Baja parts, is someone that I also had a good working relation with. I hope that they end up with most of the Baja stuff.
XT
05-18-2009 | 08:15 PM
#6
Platinum Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,256
Likes: 21
From: Osage Beach, Missouri - 28mm
Wow, that's not good news at all. I hope the employees can find other work in this market. Dave I hope we can still get the parts we need for our boats in the long run thanks for letting us know.
05-19-2009 | 08:24 AM
#7
Registered
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 348
Likes: 1
From: Lake George, NY
Dave,
To be successful in business you MUST be easy to do business with, you MUST be fair on your price, you must give the customer a feeling that you are glad they called and you must make the customer feel appreciated and that you want to help them.
Spartech did NONE of the above. When my cuddy door cracked I called them and never got a call back. I called again and was told that my boat was discontinued. I told them I knew that but I need a door and do they have the tooling. Finally after three weeks, five phone calls and three people I was told YES we have the tooling and pattern "BUT". Yeah the but was they did not want to make the door and I had to beg them and they stuck it in me and broke it off to the tune of $1,000.00.
I know the economy is bad and I'm sure that was the reason for them going out of business but they asked for it. With all the boats out there I bet they could sell thousands of windscreens and other items for a good margin if they were not such a-holes.
Imagine custom windscreens with different colors, with skulls etc like they do on motorcycles. It would not be too hard to do and would be easy to market. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I cannot feel bad for them at all.
Dock
P.S. Do NOT let the bolts on your door hardware get loose. Check them at the beginning of each season and put loctite on them if you have not done it. I can assure you Baja did NOT do that at the factory. If they are loose and you are in rough water a lot the door can and WILL crack. Trust me I know.
To be successful in business you MUST be easy to do business with, you MUST be fair on your price, you must give the customer a feeling that you are glad they called and you must make the customer feel appreciated and that you want to help them.
Spartech did NONE of the above. When my cuddy door cracked I called them and never got a call back. I called again and was told that my boat was discontinued. I told them I knew that but I need a door and do they have the tooling. Finally after three weeks, five phone calls and three people I was told YES we have the tooling and pattern "BUT". Yeah the but was they did not want to make the door and I had to beg them and they stuck it in me and broke it off to the tune of $1,000.00.
I know the economy is bad and I'm sure that was the reason for them going out of business but they asked for it. With all the boats out there I bet they could sell thousands of windscreens and other items for a good margin if they were not such a-holes.
Imagine custom windscreens with different colors, with skulls etc like they do on motorcycles. It would not be too hard to do and would be easy to market. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I cannot feel bad for them at all.
Dock
P.S. Do NOT let the bolts on your door hardware get loose. Check them at the beginning of each season and put loctite on them if you have not done it. I can assure you Baja did NOT do that at the factory. If they are loose and you are in rough water a lot the door can and WILL crack. Trust me I know.
My 36 door loosens up almost every time out and rattles even when tightened.It drives me crazy. Just a crappy design. My 33 OL with double doors worked fine. I called Spartech, also never got a call back.
05-24-2009 | 07:43 PM
#9
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6,636
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From: Bucyrus, Ohio
I dont know if thats a fair statement, look at what happened to Baja. In a big corporation, one or two people can sink an entire ship and wipe out hundreds of people. This is a huge loss for present & future Baja owners, not to mention all the workers at Spartech.
Dave, didnt they lose alot of molds & tooling in the hurricane?
Dave, didnt they lose alot of molds & tooling in the hurricane?
05-25-2009 | 12:24 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Custom Interiors & More
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 2
From: Bucyrus, OH.
I dont know if thats a fair statement, look at what happened to Baja. In a big corporation, one or two people can sink an entire ship and wipe out hundreds of people. This is a huge loss for present & future Baja owners, not to mention all the workers at Spartech.
Dave, didnt they lose alot of molds & tooling in the hurricane?
Dave, didnt they lose alot of molds & tooling in the hurricane?
Baja Marine is a good comparison to Spartech Marine closing a divison. The people that I worked with go back to when they were privately owned. It was corporate policy not to work with retail customers with them, not the employees call.
Oh well!
