[Jon]

Originally posted by eponymous:n The kind of anglers who buy Sweetgrass rods also wear Orvis waders and fish private water. Just sayin'.

Not necessarily, epo. Asshats who join Spring Ridge own Gillums and Garrisons, though they won't fish them, being ignorant Beaverphiles and all. Sure, some of Brackett's rods will be bought by speculators but they'll be the ones missing out on the whole point.The kind of guy who will buy a Sweetgrass rod is more likely a confirmed cane freak who already has a dozen or more bamboo rods. Many will be well off, but many more will be putting aside a few bucks each payday because they want to own a Brackett rod before Glenn's not making them anymore.

[Dr Strangefly]

Anyone else think Jon is putting aside some money each paycheck for a rod??n Me, I try and put some money away but somehow the fly fishing catalogs have learned my account numbers and take the money anyway.n I'm no cane freak but it sure would be nice to have a rod made by Glenn

[germanbrown]

wonderful article nemo, but i believe it's gary howells that was glenn's mentor, not hughes.

[Glista]

Getting back to Rich Farino’s point about there being two sides to every story, he is absolutely correct. And I’m sure if you put Woody and Glen in front of a non-fly fisherman to tell there argument, Woody would come out on top every time. However, we are fly fisherman (as are Woody’s customers) and most of us have different values than your average consumer. Not being a fly fisherman I don’t think Woody has taken this into account. It’s a classic example of a company not understanding their market. Did Woody make a decision that will save his company money? Sure he did. He’s a good bean counter if nothing else. Did he make a decision that will keep his current customer base and gain him market share and increase his revenue? Judging from the responses on this thread I doubt it. Even the guys that don’t fish boo don’t seem to like it. It will be interesting to see how Winston and Sweetgrass do in the next year or two.

[Smithhammer]

Originally posted by Glista:
Getting back to Rich Farino’s point about there being two sides to every story, he is absolutely correct. And I’m sure if you put Woody and Glen in front of a non-fly fisherman to tell there argument, Woody would come out on top every time. However, we are fly fisherman (as are Woody’s customers) and most of us have different values than your average consumer. Not being a fly fisherman I don’t think Woody has taken this into account. It’s a classic example of a company not understanding their market. Excellent point. :( Did Woody make a decision that will save his company money? Sure he did. He’s a good bean counter if nothing else. Did he make a decision that will keep his current customer base and gain him market share and increase his revenue? Judging from the responses on this thread I doubt it. Even the guys that don’t fish boo don’t seem to like it. It will be interesting to see how Winston and Sweetgrass do in the next year or two. n Was the 'boo division at Winston that much of a financial drag that it was threatening the whole company? That seems to be a central question to the whole deal. I have no idea, but I somehow doubt it. And, as the point has been made - sometimes there are additional, harder to quantify, benefits in keeping a high end division of your company floating, even if your lower end products are helping pay for it.

<small>[ February 23, 2007, 03:22 PM: Message edited by: Smithhammer ]</small>

[Brookwookie]

Originally posted by Smithhammer:n Was the 'boo division at Winston that much of a financial drag that it was threatening the whole company?

Sounded to me like it was currently profitable, but that their magical projections indicated that they couldn't grow. Must have more, More, MORE.

[Jon]

The bamboo rod shop made money, just not enough to satisfy Woody. Winston had a long waiting list under Brackett, clearly the price of the bamboo rods could have been raised considerably if all the management wanted was more $$$.I suspect it was a power struggle more than a profit issue - CEO's don't expect to be told what to do and how to do it by their employees. I bet Woody was seething any time the [/img]one Fishing" sign was on the bamboo shop door.

[mijo]

anyone know the names of the guys currently manning the shop?my understanding was that the doors were closed and the milling machine idle.

[Glista]

Originally posted by mijo:n anyone know the names of the guys currently manning the shop?my understanding was that the doors were closed and the milling machine idle.

Jerry told me that they had planned on moving the Boo production into the Graphite shop. He also said that the Boo shop was turning a profit at the time Woody torpedoed them.

[willie dynamite]

i think the intro of the vapor series and the move regarding the boo division tells a lot of the direction woody is taking the company. that's my 2 cents.

[Glista]

Originally posted by willie dynamite:n i think the intro of the vapor series and the move regarding the boo division tells a lot of the direction woody is taking the company. that's my 2 cents.

Agreed. Just what you would expect from a guy that doesn’t fish.

[Brookwookie]

They're selling a line of rods called "vapor"? Oh this guy's a marketing GENIUS.