tracker marine buys crystal pierz marine

[primetime49]

just reading it it trades only

should really confuse the brands sold now???????/

at least we all know its a solvent dealership now

[gregg52]

ahhh i noticed all the inventory was gone here i winder how many stores they are going to reopen

[primetime49]

crystal pierz isnt commenting

web sites are pulled

contact was forum publications fargo

what is Links going to sell if tracker has its own stores now or will they also sell or QUIT

[marine_man]

Here's the article from the Forum:

Minnesota-based Crystal-Pierz Marine has sold its boat dealerships to Tracker Marine Group, a Tracker spokesman said Monday.

Larry Whitely said he couldn’t comment on the transaction or how it might affect the Crystal-Pierz dealerships, including the one at 3825 Main Ave., Fargo.

More information wasn’t available Monday.

A recorded phone message at the Fargo dealership said the store was closed for the season.

An employee at Crystal- Pierz’s offices in Brainerd, Minn., referred questions to the company’s owner, Myron Kujawa, who didn’t return a phone message seeking comment.

The Crystal-Pierz Web site was closed Monday.

Springfield, Mo.-based Tracker Marine sells several boat brands through dealers nationwide, according to its Web site.

The Fargo Crystal-Pierz store opened in 2002.

In 1984 Kujawa began selling boats as a sideline at his auto parts dealership in Pierz, Minn., according to Forum records.

The sideline went so well that he eventually went into boat sales full time and began adding dealerships.

In 1997 he purchased a dealership in Crystal, Minn., and later renamed his company Crystal-Pierz Marine.

The company, citing slumping sales caused by high oil prices and the soft economy, closed six of its 12 dealerships in the summer of 2008, according to published reports.

marine_man

[gregg52]

hmmm interesting

i'm hearing rumours about nisswa marine here maybe shuttin it doors to

410 lakes in crow wing county and no where to buy a boat

plus the deal in little falls

[LMITOUT]

Bass Pro reels in Crystal-Pierz Marine stores

The Missouri company bought five Crystal-Pierz Marine stores -- including three in Minnesota --

Bass Pro Group, a huge boat and outdoor retailer, has acquired five Crystal-Pierz Marine stores, including three in Minnesota.

The company will retain the Crystal-Pierz name but will stock its own aluminum and fiberglass boats in the stores before spring arrives, Bass Pro spokesman Larry Whiteley said Tuesday.

[gregg52]

i didnt know there where stores in other states

[primetime49]

wisconsin and fargo

[marine_man]

I wonder which store didn't get sold to Tracker then... I thought they had 4 remaining in MN yet...

marine_man

[gregg52]

will they handle anything else besides tracker i wonder ??

they make that tundra to dont they

[JohnMickish]

The Tundra was discontinued. When they first came out there was a problem with some of them breaking the transom off. They did fix the design but for some reason never really sold well after that, go figure. Tracker, along with Nitro and the other boat lines are known for having a very competitively priced product. They are not known for a very high quality product like Lund and Ranger are.

I think if they fix the quality and keep the price they might be able to compete in this market but us people up here have been very spoiled by the quality of the boats we have been around for our lifetimes. Time will tell if this is a good move or not.

[gregg52]

I think if they fix the quality and keep the price

i guess that kinda says it all

[primetime49]

they are keeping Gull Lake and Walker and will keep 10 employees

CRYSTALPIERZ

TRACKER

tracker will sell Tracker,Nitro,Tahoe in other stores

not stated but hope they put gear in also

[LMITOUT]

They quit making the Tundra? Didn't know that. I always thought it was a great concept.....formed hull like fiberglass but the light weight of aluminum. They would really haul across the lake and do it quite well in rougher waters too. I knew there were some issues though.

[snowman678]

I think they have just quit making them this past year, as the Parsons', Keith K, and Jim Carroll were all running new ones at all of the AIM tourney's last year, and Pete Maina has an '09 for sale right now. Nitro actually has a fish/ski (the 290) that with a few tweaks looks like it could be a pretty sweet fishing set-up (ie. rod storage etc). I looked at one quite a bit before I bought my Ranger, but ended up going w/ a slightly smaller boat to fit in my garage (and budget). I believe some of the pro's I mentioned above are probably going to be running this 290 next year if they are still w/ Tracker/Nitro.

[gregg52]

could be a good thing for nitro if they get parsons and kieth

in boat they will help them make it a better boat and you will see whats it made out of cuz kieth k is nuts in a boat

if the boat stays together for him its built well

[TR21HP]

It will be interesting to see what they will be driving as Nitro is strictly a bass boat and the largest walleye boat made by Tracker now is an 18 ft Targa, and frankly I can't see any pro in anything less than a 20 footer.I know Parsons and K are both sponsored by Bass Pro Shops. Maybe they will keep their Tundra.

[gregg52]

ya you dont see to many of those tundras

[JohnMickish]

They will be in Nitro boats for the 2010 tournement season. One more thing to consider when looking at a Tracker, and it's a big deal to many, is that you can only get a black motor on it.

Tracker does build a ton of boats, down south where the labor rate is cheaper and the hazardous material disposal laws are more lax that our beautiful Minnesota.

I'm not saying anything bad about Tracker because they do come it at a great price but if you look at it it's a pretty small motor on the back. When you option them up they get right in there with the other boats. It will be interested if they can get a foothold here in the upper midwest.

[TR21HP]

mnfishinguy, You think they will be in the 290?

Seems like a fish and ski instead of a tournament walleye boat but maybe thats the only choice they have?

[Bassinbob84]

Isn't there a 21' tundra? I thought there was.

[Larson15]

I heard that Nitro will be introducing fiberglass walleye deep v's in 2010

[TR21HP]

Larson15, Thats supposedly what the 290 is. The Tundra is no longer being made.

[snowman678]

I spent quite a bit of time discussing the 290 w/ Gary P when I was shopping for my boat, he actually has already spent a lot of time w/ Nitro on the devolopment of the 290, and was actually considering running it for some tournaments last year (that's what he told me anyhow). As far as I know, he ran his Tundra all year (at least in the tournies I was at or watched). My guess would be that they will do some additional development with the 290 to create a walleye boat to replace the Tundra in the next year or two. They have done some pretty cool things with the hull on this boat, that made me take a pretty serious look at it, but as someone else mentioned Tracker/Nitro has a tendency to advertise their prices with the smaller motors, and when you start putting the bigger power on, the price moves them right into the same range as the rest of the big glass boat companies. In the end, once I decided to go w/ the 18.5' boat instead of 20', and compared apples to apples as far as motors, I ended up finding the lowest price on a Ranger (go figure).

[JohnMickish]

TR21, yes, that is the boat he will be running. There was a big thread about Tracker ditching the Tundra on a Walleye tournement site. From the sounds of it they are going to try and make the 290 into a competitive walleye boat, ala Ranger 620. Last year there was a 21' Tundra that sank (yes, sank) in a marina when it came in with a detached transom! Yikes! This was during a tournement and if I remember right the co angler was holding onto the kicker motor to help keep the transom in place so they could get back. Tough to sell a boat with pictures of that.

I'm sure if you did a google search you would find the pics.

Yes, in theory the design behind the Tundra was great, but with great theories you need great engineering, great manufacturing and great quality control, which they did not have.