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2009 served up a lot of twists and turns. Like most industries, the marine industry was heavily impacted by the general economic downturn. C&C and Tartan began the year with a solid backlog of orders from the fall 2008 boat show season, so much so that we wondered what all the fuss was about the downturn. Following the winter shows it became apparent that C&C and Tartan avoid the effects of the worst economy in decades. The past several months have been spent measuring up the expectations and results of the 2009 fall boat shows, and from there, finalizing a production plan that best fits the marine market as it emerges from the great recession of 2008/2009. We are pleased to report that C&C and Tartan has developed a solid sales foundation heading into 2010, our current order backlog has expanded six months and our dealers have few products in stock. We have developed a manufacturing plan that is tailored to allow the factory to be agile enough to respond to the sales and delivery requirements of a marine market that is recovering, but will still have its vagaries. Our production plan is based on a team building approach that capitalizes on the skills and abilities of the pool of boat builders that have been developed by C&C and Tartan in Northeast Ohio. This build program gives very direct ownership of each boat/project to a group of builders that have direct responsibility from lamination and on through the entire assembly process to delivery. In this program, team performance regarding efficiency and quality are easily tracked. This accountability to each product also provides an opportunity for quick feedback to the build team and an opportunity for the build staff to participate through an incentive program when quality and efficiency goals are met. As you might imagine, the team building program also instills a great deal of personal pride in each boat built, a good thing for the builders, the company and the new boat owner. After a tough year, we're happy to be looking forward to a strong future for C&C and Tartan as the brand heads into its 50th year.
Tim Jackett
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