The Deal
is done…Lendal is now in good hands:)
it will rise from the ashes…I am very pleased
Best Wishes
Roy
good news
Thanks for the good news!
I’m (hopefully) picking up some NOS Scottish Lendal blades this week.
U?
U take it over, Roy? Hope so after seeing pictures of your take apart Greenland work!
Best,
~wetzool
it was
A Much better paddler than I am:)
today is a good day for the paddling community
Best Wishes
Roy
Deal not yet "final"
I have been working on the front end of this deal for some months facilitating getting the parties to talk. Just heard from JOI that the other party has signed an agreement to buy Lendal, but it is not final, as no cash has changed hands.
Let’s hope it gos through. I think it will, and if it does it will be terrific news for Lendal.
Can’t say more.
what’s with you and MBA’s?
I don’t have one myself but many of my friends have them and yes, I work in a corporate setting and am also a pretty avid paddler. Like everything else, there are good MBA graduates and bad ones.
Oh and I’ve heard the news about Lendal’s potential sale and while I’m not particularly fond of Lendal paddles, I am glad to see them out of JO’s hands. The potential buyer… is this a secret? Am I not allowed to say it?
I have seen MBA’s ruin companies
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over and over. Reason would dictate that there are good one's, and one of my mentors is a Harvard MBA. I got up this morning intending to delete this post, as I slept on it and deemed it too harsh. Then I read Kocho's thoughts below, and think them worthy. I especially agree with the last part. It is a systemic problem, and much larger than the individual MBA.
I spoke out of frustration with that system that promotes margin over value, growth over sustainability, and outsourcing many jobs to enhance a few.
What happened to Lendal is a classic example of big business commodity thinking applied to a specialty, cottage industry brand.
Fair comments Kocho.
Bingo, Salty. nm
Old Town…
As a New Englander that used to enjoy Old Town products, I have to say that Johnson Outfitters has completely ruined the OT kayaks.
Lousy quality, and even lousier customer service…I speak from first hand experience. I can’t believe what a mess they have made of that company!
What about Necky?
I cancelled an order for a Necky composite boat a couple of months ago because the rep dropped the ball completely and I thought I had a Plan B, but that fell through so I’m thinking about trying again. Is Necky’s composite production still looking good?
Necky composites right now are
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made in Thailand by Cobra Int. Same guys who make 80% of worlds wind surfers, Surftech boards, auto parts for Audi, Ferrari etc. World class stuff, and yes, the kayaks they build for Necky are insanely tough and state of the art. Far in excess of normal kayak manufacturing.
That's the irony eh? If JOI had tossed Lendal to Cobra........
Outsourcing bugs me, but in JOI's case it had to happen with composite kayaks.
Thanks
Back to the dealer today…
Which model?
Stick with the glass version. Carbon version is pretty, but no real world added value. The glass epoxy boats can withstand crazy impact. Epoxy post cured lay-ups. Strongest kayak I’ve ever owned. If you like the model get one before they decide to mess with a winning thing… This is a window of opportunity.
Chatham 16
If I can get the rep to actually put the order in…
Awesome coastal play boat!
if you have trouble email me privately and I’ll put you in touch with the new Director of Watercraft. You’ll get your boat! I bet there are some in stock.
Cool, thanks
Part of the problem last time was getting the order through–in stock would help.
a bit OT
Not about kayaks or paddles, but about axing Buell motorcycles, a bit of boutique motorcycle.
If you don’t care about Buell motorcycles, read the comments that follow. There is one that present good management decision scenario 
http://motorcycledaily.com/15october09_hddiscontinues.htm
Almost puked
reading the press release. Yeah CEO knows shit about motorcycles but is full of the buzzwords. The commentary below the release is mostly right on IMO.
Same shit played out, same story, same rhetoric, same failure. This is another example of failed leadership. HD is in trouble with this leadership team. Make no mistake.
Sadly, the $ for HD…
… is mostly from licensing the brand/logos. At this point, for the bean counters, the bikes are mostly a necesary evil to keep the brand image viable.
slightly ON Topic
I saw the new Lendal logo last week and it was pretty nice. They did a good job of integrating parts of the old Lendal logo with the new parent company’s existing logo.