September 1971 will be 40 years, one ownership, one company…

September will bring Bass Cat into its 40th (fortieth) year of producing Bass Cat Boats and a heritage of boat building that started in April of 1971 with Incorporation of the company. Bass Cat remains the only production bass boat company that is under that original family ownership and management. Some place a perception out there that they work in the offices daily, and others try to express their heritage. Though most of our competitors have ownership that lives elsewhere in most cases, just ask them where they live full time. Then again often you wont see the owners in public or shows also, no matter where they reside. We try hard to be a full package! The Pierce family touches most every boat at some point and while we all make mistakes, we have a dedicated staff to build them and take care as best we can of things. We handle parts for old and new and many of the folks you speak to have been at BCB longer than 20 years. Most of those started at BCB very young and this has been their only major job and source of income. They were trained here to do it the BCB way! Most companies that spun off molds built by other failed companies. Some acquired their starter mold and present designs from other failed companies, others bought their brands or molds from flawed marketing concepts that ran out of gas. Some folks we knew when they were doing something else and decided this might be fun. Then there are those that bought those at auction we compete against. The fingers on one hand represent the number of boats for bass anglers, which are owned by the original ownership. That includes ranges from lightweight go fast to BCB. Kudos to those few still in this business and making it in their niches as best they can.We remember those marketing gimmicks of a couple of companies. One by a company that was less than two years old starting a five year hull warranty. That company has been bankrupted twice, sold once legitimately and auctioned twice. Then along came another company with a Lifetime hull warranty. The company at the time was less than two years old, so we guess to them a Lifetime then was about two (2) years? That company has since been sold twice, and leverage sold the last time to the corporate owners of another company. Those now owners did not grow up grinding fiberglass. They did not grow a heritage in this sport, they leveraged their way into it. Last week we asked the supervisors when have you heard us in a staff meeting say that we need to build a previous or present boat cheaper, or cut something for less and save money. The answer was clear that they have not ever heard us say we need to cut something without a reason, and never to cheapen it or increase profits.We try every day to do it better! Sure we all fall short somewhere, though we try not to. It would be different if we built an inferior product, though that is far from the case. We have edged on revolutionary concepts since the company started. This is the 25th year for the Owners Invitational and then it will be the 40th year for Bass Cat Boats and it is the oldest bass boat company in this business owned by the founding family. The only one without failure for that length of time and the only one with that consistency. Are we passionate about Bass Cat, bass fishing and our sport or industry, you da__ed right! (pardon)We know many of our owners are younger than Bass Cat. There is no way for a 28 year old to really understand the course our company has taken, or the paths of those we compete against. To have known this you are either close to 60 years old, or more, or you learned this through your parents, or grandparent(s) who owned Bass Cat prior. They dont know a difference of time others do otherwise. All we do is build Bass Cat Boats for fishing. We try hard to do well! In this time of bass fishing industry turmoil, we would appreciate everyone considering one of our boats. We can not build them all and we dont intend to try, though we can build them better and that we do intend to try every day to do that! Thanks to those in Mountain Home building them and to those of you who support those efforts daily! Hope to see you folks all somewhere this spring. And we would appreciate it if you would consider our boats for you next one, though as we always say above all else select the one that will make you happy.Rick PierceLast edited by Rick Pierce on March 18th, 2011, 5:14 am, edited 5 times in total.