Great time at the 2010 Ranger Factory Tour inc talks by McKinnis and Fennel

[djkimmel]

Had a great time touring the Ranger factory complex, test driving new hulls and motors, hearing some inside scoop and eating too much food the past two days!! I have more pictures and video including frank talk from FLW Outdoors head Kathy Fennel and new B.A.S.S. owner Jerry McKinnis.

Lots of pros, TONS of changes with all of the following now being built in one factory complex here in the little burg of Flippin - Ranger Boats including many new models and hulls, Stratos Boats, Stratos Elite boats (formerly Champion Boats) and even Triton Boats!! Talk about some change!!

In a very brief summary, overall, things are different and probably never will be the way they were for the bass and fishing boat industry, and the tournament industry, but the new order appears to be one of hope, positive change and great possibilities, and it showed this week!

If you're on Facebook, you can check out a smattering of (hopefully interesting) pictures here for now that I uploaded as things were happening: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45026&id=1842625639

I'll tell you this, I've come away once again feeling I made the right choice for myself a long time ago by choosing to fish from a Ranger Boat. Check out their sharp new website design if you haven't already.

[djkimmel]

Here's a couple pictures from the Friday tour and product knowledge sessions.


Very interesting and informative - Ranger Boats invited the heads of B.A.S.S. and FLW Outdoors to come down and speak to us and both accepted. This is new B.A.S.S. owner Jerry McKinnis (seated front) and FLW Outdoors president of operations Kathy Fennel (seated right rear) waiting for the respective turns to address us.


If there ever was a person who was more universally recognized as the face (or profile) of a company than Ranger Boats founder Forrest L. Wood, I don't know who that would be! Here's his lovely bride Nina and Forrest signing autographs.

[djkimmel]

Jerry McKinnis talking about young anglers qualifying for the 2011 Elite Series including a particular angler known already as JVD!