Subject line should have read Wenonah and Current Designs have bought QCC.
http://www.paddlinginstructor.com/industry-stuff/wenonah-canoe-and-current-designs-purchase-qcc-kayaks-4258.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+paddlinginstructor+%28PaddlingInstructor.com%29
Interesting.
Subject line needs a reword…
Did you mean to say Wenonah & CD purchase QCC? I don’t believe QCC purchased itself.
Wenonah buys QCC
Very Interesting! I certain hope they maintain the individual personality of QCC and don’t start manufacturing them in China? I guess Steve at QCC is starting to think about retirement.
Congrat’s Steve!
I have not forgotten how well you treated me.
Yep, but can’t correct subject line.
maybe
Steve will be forced to actually answer an email.
Ryan L.
Now who’s going to buy Bell?
Time for a change
Steve hasn’t updated his boats or web site in years. I just hope the change is for the better.
the boats
Are perfection 
That’s why no update. I knew my warranty wouldn’t last forever.
Ryan L.
More/Same Information
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_cb0622f8-6a3f-11e0-b6a8-001cc4c002e0.html
Glad we've already purchased our QCC's.
Can PBW be far behind in the corporate consolidation of the paddling industry?
Mike
QCC
QCC are some of the best boats I have ever seen. So are Wenonah. QCC has excellent quality and customer service,and they are the first kayaks I recommend to friends. I hope Wenonah doesn’t compromise on that.
It’s the end of an era
I hope I’m wrong but aI see the QCC quality going the way of profit above all else.
SYOTR
Randy
high salaries and fringe benefits?
I may be wrong, but I get the impression that there aren’t many high rollers in the kayak building industry. Current Designs kayaks in my experience are top quality. I see no reason why the quality of QCC designs would suffer, and certainly hope that’s the case. They are probably not so familiar with turning big corporate profits in the kayak industry, but with what they have to produce in order to survive. I don’t mind if they have a handful of folks making a reasonably good living. They seem like a company that would know better than to turn out low quality products. I can’t imagine the QCC owner(s) didn’t desire to see the company remain independent. But I’m sure there were plenty of important priorities to balance. At least it ended up in the hands of a US company that seems to be good at producing the very same thing and surviving. Wenonah is still an independent family owned company as far as I know?
I have a QCC, so I am opinionated.
But the business climate changes, and we are seeing consolodations. QCC’s business model was pretty unique, and it served them and their customers well. When I wanted to buy a glass touring boat in 2002, who but QCC would have shipped a hull to southern WV for me to try out for 30 days? Risk free?
My dealings with Phil (RIP) were absolutely wonderful. I hope that Steve is allowed to continue in the same manner.
When Bell was sold to a conglomerate, I was wary. And look at Bell now. But QCC is going to a company that lives and breathes human-powered watercraft. Sort of “keeping it in the family”.
I wish all involved the best of luck.
Jim
My only concern
is customer service. I look out in the yak shak, and I see 3 CD kayaks, 1 Wenonah canoe, and 1 QCC.
All excellent designs, and workmanship. But the mentality of the corprate to customer relationship has been polar opposites, in my brief experience.
It will be interesting to see if the new owners can value a customer like QCC did.
T
Distribution/price
My guess is that QCC kayaks will become much more popular, as I understand they are good designs, and they may now be available to the whole Wenonah dealer network. This means more people will test-paddle, more people will own them, and the brand will become more of a trusted name, and less of something only we P-Netters hear about.
I also suspect if this happens, prices will go up a bit, as there is now another middle-man or two. Stocking dealers will need to cover their costs. Further, if the boats are as great as claimed, and people find out, the market will bear a greater asking price.
I have seen this happen with Mora knives, which have always been great value, but used to be great value at $9, and are now great value at $19!
Sad for customer service
The rudder holder thing broke on my Current Designs boat. I tried to email them and call with no response. I went to the local CD Dealer and They called them ond ordered a part. CD sent a part for the wrong boat. I ended up having to make my own piece and epoxy it to the hull.
I really like the quality of the boat and the design. But I think the customer service is really bad. I understand that the boats are now made in China so that may be part of the problem as they would not have any parts anywhere near here.
maybe not higher prices
The prices may not go up though. Wenonah may be able to get better prices on materials due to their volume.
direct to customer
Wenonah has said qcc will stay direct to customer. Let’s see how long that last.
Ryan L.
Just like Dell used to sell …
… exclusively direct to customers. When it begins to make sense financially, Dell started selling through a vendor network too. Nothing wrong with either approach and I think they can complement each other if executed well (e.g. not undercut local dealers while still maintaining competitive prices).