Dear Valued Partners,
A couple weeks ago, I sent a letter addressing where we are as a company, some of the challenges we have faced, and the responsibility we have to improve the experience we provide each of you. I appreciate the feedback and conversations that have followed. Rather than spend this monthly update repeating those same points, I want to give you a better look at what is happening inside our business today, where we are making progress, and what you can expect from us over the next several weeks.
August has been a challenging production month, primarily because of component availability. We currently have several Supreme boats delayed as we wait on key components, and we continue to work closely with our vendor partners to get those parts in and the affected boats completed as quickly as possible. At the same time, we continue to make progress with the new Centurion RS Series. We currently have several RS boats already sprayed, with additional boats continuing through the production schedule. Several of the remaining components we need are expected toward the end of August/early September, which should allow us to begin moving these boats through completion and into dealerships during the end of September. While these shortages have impacted our ability to finish and ship boats, we have continued building upstream rather than slowing production, which should position us for a significantly stronger September as components arrive and we work through the boats currently in process.
While getting boats out the door is important, we also know that simply producing more boats isn’t the answer if we aren’t continuing to improve the product and the experience that comes with it. We continue to work aggressively on several product issues that have created frustration for both our dealers and customers. One of those areas is our actuator system, where we are transitioning away from the Smart Ram configuration on applicable models and moving back toward a more proven standard actuator solution. Our team is working through the software, harness, and retrofit requirements necessary to support boats already in the field.
That same focus must extend beyond the boat itself. Parts availability, technical information, communication, shipment accuracy, and response time all play a major role in your experience with us. We know we have opportunities to improve in each of those areas, and they continue to receive significant attention from our leadership team. One area where we are making an additional investment is technical product support. We are in the process of adding resources specifically focused on providing greater technical support to our dealer network and strengthening the connection between issues experienced in the field and our teams here at the factory. Our goal is to give your service teams better support, improve how quickly information makes its way back into our organization, and ultimately provide a better experience for both our dealers and customers.
Despite some of the challenges we have worked through, there is a lot happening within our product lineup that I am excited about. The RS Series is an important addition to Centurion, and we continue to see strength in Ri and Nv. One of the lessons we are carrying forward is the importance of better aligning product development, manufacturing readiness, and product introductions. We want to create excitement around new products, but more importantly, when we show you something new, we need to be prepared to build it consistently and get it into your dealerships.
We also recognize the environment all of us are operating in. The tow boat market continues to be challenging, field inventory remains higher than any of us would like, consumers are cautious, and earning every retail sale requires more effort than it did several years ago. We can’t control every part of the market, but we can control the kind of partner we are to you. Our responsibility is to provide great products, reliable boats, accurate shipments, available parts, strong support, and clear communication so your teams can focus on selling boats and taking care of customers.
As I said a couple of weeks ago, I don’t expect confidence to change because of a letter or a monthly update. Confidence is built through what happens after those words are said. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I believe we are moving in the right direction, and our team understands the importance of executing on the commitments we are making. Judge us by what happens next.
Thank you for your continued partnership, your candid feedback, and everything you do to represent Centurion and Supreme in your markets.
God Bless,
Daniel Indelicato
President – Centurion & Supreme Boats