Mettawa, IL, Feb. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Continuing its positive momentum from January’s successful CES (Consumer Electronics Show), Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC) followed up with another award-winning Miami Boat Show this year. Mercury Marine, Sea Ray, Boston Whaler and Bayliner all showcased new products while Freedom Boat Club announced that it had added additional franchise locations including a new company owned club in Ft. Lauderdale.
For the second straight year, Mercury Marine displayed a record number of engines in Miami, showcasing 115 more engines than any other outboard manufacturer at the show and accounting for almost half of all the outboard engines on display. This marks four consecutive major Florida saltwater boat shows where Mercury has not only had record share but displayed more engines than any other manufacturer and continues to be the engine brand of choice for a growing list of OEM partners. Mercury also set records at both the 2018 and 2019 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. In addition, Mercury Racing won the 2020 Innovation Award in the outboard category for its 450R.
Brunswick Boat Group made headlines with three of the most well-known brands in the marine industry this year in Miami. Boston Whaler reported sales growth from a year ago while showcasing six of their award-winning models in addition to the 325 and 405 Conquest as well as the 280 Vantage -- all making their Miami debut.
Sea Ray capitalized on a strong showing at CES showcasing the SLX- R400e and the SLX- R 310 for the first time in Miami in addition to an elevated consumer experience that has become a staple of their brand transformation. In addition, Bayliner launched their new Trophy series in Miami, the brand’s first launch at the show in over five years. Combined sales of Brunswick boat brands also increased from a year ago.
“We are very energized and optimistic after another successful Miami Boat Show for Brunswick and our brands,” said Dave Foulkes, Brunswick Chief Executive Officer. “We laid out our strategic initiatives and growth plans during our annual investor meeting prior to the show, and we are confident in our vision and our plan to achieve those goals. Brunswick will continue to define the future of the marine industry and that was evident again this year in Miami.”
Along with the success of the Brunswick brands on display, the company showcased key elements of its ACES (Autonomous, Connected, Electrification, Shared Access) strategy throughout the show. Boston Whaler and Mercury Marine partnered with Raymarine to feature the latest assisted docking technology on two Outrage models available for customers to demonstrate at the show. This technology continues to advance towards a commercial solution available in MY 2021 on select models.
Connectivity was also prominent for all Brunswick brands as many boats were equipped with many of Brunswick and Mercury’s connected solutions such as NAUTIC-ON, Vessel View Mobile and the all-new 1st Mate safety solution.
Sea Ray’s Innovation Award for the SLX-R 400e featured the revolutionary Fathom system from Mastervolt which made its debut at CES and showcased Brunswick’s leadership position in electrification.
Rounding out the ACES strategy, Freedom Boat Club not only signed up new members, but also provided training courses to prospective members while promoting their South Florida locations.
“We are the most innovative marine company in the world, and I think we showed that again this year in Miami,” said Foulkes. “Our engine capacity has increased to meet the growing demand for our high horsepower outboard engines, our P&A business is growing, and our Business Acceleration group continues to attract new consumers to boating, while our boat group is on a pace to launch almost 100 new products over the next 18 months. The future looks bright for Brunswick.”
Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about Brunswick’s business and by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “target,” “plan,” “seek,” “estimate,” “believe,” “predict,” “outlook,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forwardlooking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations as of the date of this news release. These risks include, but are not limited to: the effect of adverse general economic conditions, including the amount of disposable income consumers have available for discretionary spending, tight consumer credit markets, and the level of consumer confidence on the demand for our products and services; our ability to successfully implement our strategic plan and growth initiatives; our ability to integrate targeted acquisitions, including the Global Marine & Mobile Business of Power Products; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with these transactions; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from these transactions will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; having to record an impairment to the value of goodwill and other assets; changes to U.S. trade policy and tariffs; the inability to identify and complete targeted acquisitions; negative currency trends, including shifts in exchange rates; fiscal policy concerns; adequate financing access for dealers and customers and our ability to access capital and credit markets; maintaining effective distribution; adverse economic, credit, and capital market conditions; loss of key customers; attracting and retaining skilled labor, implementing succession plans for key leadership, and executing organizational and leadership changes; inventory reductions by dealers, retailers, or independent boat builders; requirements for us to repurchase inventory; actual or anticipated increases in costs, disruptions of supply, or Brunswick Corporation January 30, 2020 Page 11 of 21 (more) defects in raw materials, parts, or components we purchase from third parties, including as a result of new tariffs on raw materials, increased demand for shipping carriers, and transportation disruptions; higher energy and fuel costs; our ability to protect our brands and intellectual property; absorbing fixed costs in production; managing our manufacturing footprint; outages, breaches, or other cybersecurity events regarding our technology systems, which could result in lost or stolen information and associated remediation costs; managing our share repurchases; competitive pricing pressures; our ability to develop new and innovative products and services at a competitive price, in legal compliance with existing rules; maintaining product quality and service standards; product liability, warranty, and other claims risks; legal and regulatory compliance, including increased costs, fines, and reputational risks; changes in income tax legislation or enforcement; certain divisive shareholder activist actions; joint ventures that do not operate solely for our benefit; international business risks; and weather and catastrophic event risks. Additional risk factors are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2018 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Brunswick does not undertake any obligation to update them to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or for changes by wire services or Internet service providers.
About Brunswick
Headquartered in Mettawa, Ill., Brunswick Corporation’s leading consumer brands include Mercury Marine outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; Mercury global parts and accessories including propellers and SmartCraft electronics; Power Products Integrated Solutions; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood, Garelick, and Whale marine parts; Land ’N’ Sea, BLA, Payne’s Marine, Kellogg Marine, and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris, Lowe, Lund, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Thunder Jet and Uttern boats; Boating Services Network, Freedom Boat Club, NAUTIC-ON, OnBoard Boating Club and Rentals. For more information, visit https://www.brunswick.com.