Not all snowmobile turbos, or those companies which make turbos, are alike. After spending part of a day with Steven Marlenee, marketing and sales director for BoonDocker, it was easy to see that this Idaho Falls, ID, company has a great passion for the snowmobile industry with a unique and very successful business plan. Here are 10 takeaways from our visit.
1) Testing. The BoonDocker R&D team is constantly testing the product on the snow. As soon as a new snowmobile model is introduced by the OEMs, BoonDocker is looking to get a development sled. Usually starting in March/April BoonDocker is figuring out the changes they will need to make and begin working on a prototype to fit the new technology. Once it’s determined what changes are necessary to make the system work with the turbo, BoonDocker starts to tweak the design to make it fit for a nice, easy installation. BoonDocker also begins to spend hours in the testing and tuning process—usually spending four days a week on the snow until the snow is gone.
Keep in mind, there is usually snow somewhere, even as late as July/August … it just means you have to drive higher up the mountain or to areas that keep snow late in the summer like Colorado, Cooke City or British Columbia. BoonDocker has even gone as far as South America … where it’s winter in July … to find snow for testing.
Then, when the first snow starts to fall in September/October, BoonDocker is back on the snow for final tuning. This testing is done with multiple snowmobiles and multiple riders to ensure that the kit will work properly when the OEM production sleds roll off the line. BoonDocker also uses rider athletes and racers to gain firsthand feedback on how its products perform in harsh conditions. This allows BoonDocker to constantly improve existing products and develop new products.
2) Tuning.