Champion/Skeet Update 05-26-10

[Rick G]

Here is the news sportsfans. The Platinum Equity group which owns Ranger, Stratos, Champion, 4Winns, Glastron and a few others is announcing today that they will have 3 models of boats marketed as "Champion Elite Series by Stratos. The models are the popular, 210, 202-200, and the 183. These models were the bulk of the Champion production before the Genmar seperation. The molds are the same, dash layouts the same and the construction is now going to be in Flippin instead of Tennessee. All the warrantees for existing product in dealer inventories and those sold to retail customers will be honored. Skeet Reese is now part of Stratos/ Champion and will be running a new 210 "Strampion" [that is what we call em here] for the 2011 M/Y which will begin production in July of 2010. As a 30 year plus long dealer in this industry my opinion is the management at Flippin is the best in the business and will do wonders for this line. Looking forward to the future as this is the best news possable for Champion Customers with what has gone on in this industry the last few years. Rick Grover

[swimbait]

This is cool but they should pick a better name.

[Lea]

This is cool but they should pick a better name.

You mean a "better" name than Champion Elites?

[Aba Bill]

So whats the actual story? I understand Skeet signed with Stratos but is Champion still makeing boats? What actually is the outcome of this Press Release? Is there an actual Press release on the whole story of Champion boats, not just stuff about Skeet?? Thanks

[896J]

That sounds great. So if someone bought a Genmar built Champ years ago, the lifetime warranty will be honored? That would be a lot better than what Genmar did when they bought out the OMC built bass boats.

[lobinaloca]

So whats the actual story? I understand Skeet signed with Stratos but is Champion still makeing boats? What actually is the outcome of this Press Release? Is there an actual Press release on the whole story of Champion boats, not just stuff about Skeet?? Thanks

Sounds like it's Stratos and their top of the line models will be Champion Elites. Good news, thanks for the info .

[swimbait]

Better than Stratos Champion

Picture you just bought your new 210 and someone asks you what you bought. What do you say? "Yeah dude I just bought a Stratos Champion 210". Or you say, "I just bought a Champion 210 by Stratos" Those names just don't sound right. They should just ditch the word Stratos. If anything it dilutes the brand.

fwiw I do drive a Champion. A Champion 198 Elite. That sounds nice

[Rick G]

The story Bill is this: Champion along with some of the other Genmar brands, Ranger and Stratos were bought from BK by Platinum Equity group of Beverly Hills. The Stratos/Champion factory in Tenn. was closed and now the boats are being made at the Ranger Factory in Flippin, Ark. Only 3 of the old model Champions are going to be made any longer and are now called "Champion Elite Series by Stratos". The Ranger Mgmt is in charge of them now and the current Ranger Rep, Keith Tripp is now the Ranger/Stratos rep. There is no more independant Champion brand, they are now the bigger Stratos models which will do 2 things, sell more 150hp plus boats for Stratos and keep the Champion hull molds in the marketplace. Same boat/new stickers and better built than ever. Hope I did not make it more confusing. Rick G.

[Aba Bill]

No you didnt that makes sence. Thanks Very Much Rick

[ACP]

Rick,

I always thought that the Champion brand was a superior brand with a better reputation than the Stratos brand. I would be curious to hear why the chose the Stratos Brand name over the Champion name? Most people I know associate the Stratos brand as one of the lesser brand bass boats on the market that aren't near the quality of say Champion, Ranger, Skeeter, etc.

[BassManDan]

Hey, enough bad mouthin' the Stratos!!

Really look at the big picture and Stratos is a big name throughout the rest of the county, it just doesn't hold as much water here out west.

[ACP]

Relax! I didn't bad mouth anyone or any brand but from a marketing stand point I would be interested in how they came up with their decision. They are the experts not me but I would be interested in how the came to their decision.

[Rick G]

Because the bottom line is they have always sold way more Stratos's than Champions, and the Stratos brand was and still is very popular in Bass Fishing's mothership, the deep south. When the Ranger guys took over the Stratos line it was to have a entry level brand to compete with BPS/Tracker and the smaller Stratos entry level boats are very popular as you can get a glass boat for the price of an aluminum one. This is something Ranger never had. Now they get to try and sell some larger models by using the Champion molds which still sell way better than the larger Stratos models do. The Ranger/Flippin factory is state of the art and has some robotic assembly and the best R and D in the industry. If you all get a chance, take the factory tour there and you will see bassboat building at its finest. Times have changed folks and some Champs are way better than no Champs. Rick G.

[buddy brown]

Better than Stratos Champion

Picture you just bought your new 210 and someone asks you what you bought. What do you say? "Yeah dude I just bought a Stratos Champion 210". Or you say, "I just bought a Champion 210 by Stratos" Those names just don't sound right. They should just ditch the word Stratos. If anything it dilutes the brand.

fwiw I do drive a Champion. A Champion 198 Elite. That sounds nice

+1... Champion owners are loyal to the brand Champion...

[DaveH]

Good news for now Rick, least the molds are being used, thou kinda like when AMF Voit took over Harley Davidson back in the late 70's I believe, I just hope the quality will stay with them, good times...

[Rick G]

Relax! I didn't bad mouth anyone or any brand but from a marketing stand point I would be interested in how they came up with their decision. They are the experts not me but I would be interested in how the came to their decision.

They had a marketing firm from New York look at all the sales trends for the last few years and talked to the dealers that are loyal to the brand and came up with this decision. They would have never sold the brand off for someone else to have used them to compete. The models they kept were the best selling ones. Getting Skeet was also very key in the decision. Now they have a face to promote the brand moving forward. They were not going to have a stand alone boat company and all the expence that goes with it that only has 3-4 popular models. Be glad we have what we have. I still have 5 of the Tennessee built Champions in stock if anyone out there needs one! Rick G.

[DAKINE198]

Now I know why my tax bill this year is so low

[TonyM]

Champion made a damn nice boat. Most of us are loyal to our brand, but to talk about Stratos like they're not a good boat is ridiculous. Stratos recently found a niche in the affordable, small boat market, but they've been building fast, good riding, well built boats for many years. The Champion 210 and Stratos 201 are my two favorite boats.

[ACP]

[quote="Rick G"][quote="ACP"]Relax! I didn't bad mouth anyone or any brand but from a marketing stand point I would be interested in how they came up with their decision. They are the experts not me but I would be interested in how the came to their decision.[/quote]

They had a marketing firm from New York look at all the sales trends for the last few years and talked to the dealers that are loyal to the brand and came up with this decision. They would have never sold the brand off for someone else to have used them to compete. The models they kept were the best selling ones. Getting Skeet was also very key in the decision. Now they have a face to promote the brand moving forward. They were not going to have a stand alone boat company and all the expence that goes with it that only has 3-4 popular models. Be glad we have what we have. I still have 5 of the Tennessee built Champions in stock if anyone out there needs one! Rick G.[/quote]

Thanks Rick! That's the answer I was looking for.