This is an interesting read. From another forum.
As somone who worked with AC before, and during textron, They are ignorant and arrogant, absolutly refused to listen to anyone who knew the industry, their dealers, or their customers. There is not 1 single aspect of the business they didn't make worse, or more difficult.
1) The dealer situation was caused by textron, they canceled/forced out hundreds of dealers to ensure that tracker wouldn't have competition.
2) Build to order doesn't work very well, textron has done that already with AC.
3)The catalyst development was underway when textron took over. They got rid of the staff working on it, and shelved the project along with countless other projects.
a)The blast has almost 0 unique parts. Its a "parts bin special" and exists because AC had already developed a snow bike, and the engine for that was used in the blast (rest of the bike was sent to the crusher)
b)Under development with/for the catalyst was also a direct injection system for the new engine (not used because textron refused to fund development)
c)Under development with/for the catalyst was also a turbo system for the new engine (not used because textron refused to fund development) Gunnar Kleveland told a handfull of the top performing dealers they would be releaseing a turbo 600 years ago
d)Under development with/for the catalyst was also a new rear suspension design that used composite leaf style springs instead of metal springs/arm(s) (not used because textron refused to fund development) (and Brian Dick was fired)
e)Under development was a 4 stroke chassis, it being countless years behind was a major bone of contention between them and yamaha to the point yamaha was going to walk away more than once before they actually did. I've heard that in a meeting of hight ups in TRF Heidi McNary told yamaha if they don't like how long its taking they should design and build their own.
f)Under development were at least 2 new 4 stroke offerings (n/a and turbo) to be used in both dirt and snow sides of the business (I expected them to be seen at haydays last fall)
4) The major attraction for a buyer is the manufacturing facilities. The cost to replace/relocate would be a factor of 10 more that the sale price of the entire company. There may be enough room in TRF to move the production equipment from st cloud, but they built st cloud so they could have access to more/better skilled employees. Digi-key pays more than AC, and has significantly better benifits, after gutting the majority of empoloyees textron had a difficult time re-filling those positions. The majority of line workers the last few years are/were folks that lost their job in the poultry industry when the flocks had to be culled, most don't speak english.
5) Dirt should be the proffit center, its the side of the industry that has been experienceing growth these last several years
As somone who worked with AC before, and during textron, They are ignorant and arrogant, absolutly refused to listen to anyone who knew the industry, their dealers, or their customers. There is not 1 single aspect of the business they didn't make worse, or more difficult.
1) The dealer situation was caused by textron, they canceled/forced out hundreds of dealers to ensure that tracker wouldn't have competition.
2) Build to order doesn't work very well, textron has done that already with AC.
3)The catalyst development was underway when textron took over. They got rid of the staff working on it, and shelved the project along with countless other projects.
a)The blast has almost 0 unique parts. Its a "parts bin special" and exists because AC had already developed a snow bike, and the engine for that was used in the blast (rest of the bike was sent to the crusher)
b)Under development with/for the catalyst was also a direct injection system for the new engine (not used because textron refused to fund development)
c)Under development with/for the catalyst was also a turbo system for the new engine (not used because textron refused to fund development) Gunnar Kleveland told a handfull of the top performing dealers they would be releaseing a turbo 600 years ago
d)Under development with/for the catalyst was also a new rear suspension design that used composite leaf style springs instead of metal springs/arm(s) (not used because textron refused to fund development) (and Brian Dick was fired)
e)Under development was a 4 stroke chassis, it being countless years behind was a major bone of contention between them and yamaha to the point yamaha was going to walk away more than once before they actually did. I've heard that in a meeting of hight ups in TRF Heidi McNary told yamaha if they don't like how long its taking they should design and build their own.
f)Under development were at least 2 new 4 stroke offerings (n/a and turbo) to be used in both dirt and snow sides of the business (I expected them to be seen at haydays last fall)
4) The major attraction for a buyer is the manufacturing facilities. The cost to replace/relocate would be a factor of 10 more that the sale price of the entire company. There may be enough room in TRF to move the production equipment from st cloud, but they built st cloud so they could have access to more/better skilled employees. Digi-key pays more than AC, and has significantly better benifits, after gutting the majority of empoloyees textron had a difficult time re-filling those positions. The majority of line workers the last few years are/were folks that lost their job in the poultry industry when the flocks had to be culled, most don't speak english.
5) Dirt should be the proffit center, its the side of the industry that has been experienceing growth these last several years
