Who builds what boats?
Large conglomerates like Brunswick Corp., Genmar Holdings and Tracker Marine Group are a significant part of the recreational boating industry and have dominated the scene ever since the economic recession of the late 1980s forced many small boat-builders to sell out or shut down. A newcomer entered the field in late 2005, when industry veterans Godfrey Marine and Rinker Boat Co. announced they had merged. Brunswick, Genmar and Tracker have succeeded because they build a model for nearly every boater, in just about every price range and it is clear that the new Godfrey/Rinker family hopes for similar results. THE ‘BIG FOUR’ A case in point is Brunswick. The self-described “world’s largest builder of recreational boats,” this Lake Forest, IL, corporation has long been synonymous with bowling and billiards, as well as other recreational equipment. Brunswick’s boatbuilding empire began in 1986 with the acquisition of mainstream marques Sea Ray and Bayliner (see table, at right). Over the
