http://www.bassfan.com/news_article/...#ixzz50Q0OTx4v
By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
It started on July 9 accompanied by the hashtags #fiftypostsforfiftyyears and #thewayitusedtobe.
Keith Daffron began a Facebook post by reminiscing about his 16th birthday and being invited to work at a Ranger Boats dealer meeting in Grove, Okla.
“Little did I know those 5 days in Grove, OK would change my life forever,” Daffron wrote.
The post included photos of a teenage Daffron fishing with his grandfather, Forrest L. Wood, out of a 25th anniversary Ranger 482VS that had been built exclusively for Wood. The photo is watermarked in the lower right corner noting the date it was taken: AUG 11 ’92.
It was the first in an extensive series of posts Daffron authored as a way to reminisce about his and his family’s deep connection to Flippin, Ark., and the bass boat and fishing industries. It’s been a cathartic exercise, he said. There was one about the fire that destroyed the Ranger Boats plants in May 1971. There were other posts recognizing the men and women who worked behind the scenes at Ranger and others focused on pro anglers whose names became synonymous with Ranger, which is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018. The overarching themes of the posts center on legacy and tradition and the individuals that worked to build Ranger into a premier brand.
Reading through the posts, there was a sense Daffron was building up to an apex and today, in his hometown of Flippin, Ark., a couple miles from where his iconic grandfather guided Ranger for decades and where Daffron served as vice president of sales until two years ago, that moment arrived.
At the outdoor museum bearing his grandfather’s name, Daffron announced he’s heading up the launch of a new bass boat brand called VEXUS, which will operate under the parent company Advanced Marine Performance, LLC. The company’s manufacturing facility is under construction in Flippin and is slated to be completed in the spring. The 115,000 square-foot plant will specialize in the production of both aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats as well as custom-matched trailers.
“The VEXUS brand represents more than a new line of fishing boats,” said Daffron, who will serve as president. “Today marks a historic time in our industry as we continue our revolutionary commitment to product excellence. We’re extremely fortunate to have a great group of industry veterans already working with us. With so many talented craftsmen and committed dealers, and even customers vying for the first completed models, it’s a humbling and exciting time.”
It’s a significant announcement considering the shift toward corporate ownership that has swept through the bass boat business in recent years. Daffron said this venture is extremely personal for himself and others involved with VEXUS’ launch. He and company CFO Mendel Hughes departed Ranger in November 2015, less than a year after Ranger was acquired by Bass Pro Shops’ White River Marine Group.
“I’m a big analogy guy, but I can’t find one for what we’re doing,” Daffron told BassFan in a phone interview prior to the announcement. “From my personal perspective, being born and raised in Flippin, Arkansas, around what is known as a fairly popular place for producing fishing boats, it’s in my blood. Our employees and our team are people I’ve known, literally, my entire life. I either went to school with them or went to school with their kids. To have an opportunity to start again is something in my wildest imagination would not have envisioned. That’s how life is. It’s funny that way, but sometimes it’s doing you a favor and I think in this case, history will probably bear out that’s what happened because it allows us a chance to assemble a team that more closely mirrors what made it work the first time.
“That’s true with anglers. That’s true with dealers. And it’s true with employees. To me, that’s what is exciting about it. We have a shop filled with people who are all pulling the wagon in the same direction and are equally motivated.”
Daffron said the initial response to the brand’s unveiling has been strong. Of the independent dealers who were invited to attend Friday’s ceremony, none declined. Daffron said the company’s primary product introduction will take place at the Bassmaster Classic in March in Greenville, S.C.
“From there, production will start immediately,” he said. “Certainly, we have to be flexible with the weather, but that’s our intention. We’ll end up with a full complement (of models). We’re going to build outboard-powered trailer-able fishing boats. That’s our wheelhouse. If we get outside of that, there’s probably somebody else who will probably do a better job than us.”
Daffron said a handful of models will be available initially followed by a “ramp up that’s as aggressive as I’ve seen in the marketplace,” he added. “I think we have a team that can do that and technology that allows us to be quicker than we’re accustomed to.”
Daffron said there are a couple reasons behind the timing of the VEXUS launch.
“Certainly, it’s a good market. The Dow broke 24,000 (the other day) and while that doesn’t directly correlate to a good boat market, it certainly doesn’t hurt it,” he said. “It’s a pretty bullish market and from somewhat of an experience perspective, we feel like there’s a strong demand from the independent dealer base for a privately-owned boat builder that shares the same passion and isn’t bogged down in the things that can happen with corporate ownership or things of that sort.”
VEXUS already has several employees in place and will grow as demand increases.
“We’re in the teens right, but it’s growing daily,” Daffron said. “The market will ultimately tell us how many employees we need or can support based on what we can sell. It’s not a shade tree operation. We’re building a 115,000-square-foot facility which I don’t remember being done in a new start up before.
“We have a management team with more 500 years of experience,” Daffron added. “That doesn’t mean we’re all old, but it does mean we’ve been there and that means a lot. Tribal knowledge is important in boat building. It’s not unlike anything else in the industry. You can’t take a kid with a degree off the street and expect him to get plugged in. He still has a lot to learn. That’s what will help us a lot. We have guys who already know their roles and how to do it well.”
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Originally Posted by Bassin Bob71
