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The 2009 season is off and running. Aside from the many challenges that the warehouse operations normally face, we are also experiencing an unprecedented down turn in the marine industry. I think that it is safe to say that this is a symptom of the overall economic situation. It stands to reason that many of our customers are simply banking their money, taking a “wait and see attitude”, and holding off on any large-ticket purchases. The upside to this is that there should be a pent up demand that will come to the surface as the overall economy stabilizes. The down side is that, in the meantime, we are dealing with a reduced demand for our products.
You can be confident that all of our Regional Managers and Sales Coordinators are taking a fiercely pro-active approach to handling all facets of the business. We are aggressively pursuing all leads; both retail and dealer based, and are working diligently to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our dealer network. Additionally, we are using every measure to control cost; and keep our operational expenses to a minimum.
On a brighter note, we have recently had some major changes to our warehouse operations. First, we would like to welcome aboard Debbie Schock. Debbie has joined us as the new Sales Coordinator for our Carolinas warehouse. Debbie has recently completed training in Tennessee, and we are counting on her to play a major role in the continued success of our Carolina warehouse.
A huge announcement is the advent of our California warehouse. Scott Mortensen, owner of Fat Cat Sales, has joined us as our newest regional manager. Fat Cat Sales has the distinction of being the oldest authorized HydroHoist dealer. Scott’s father, Gerry, started the business in 1973, and has been with us as an authorized dealer ever since. The name “Fat Cat” was taken from the moniker bestowed upon the family boat. We are very happy to have Scott join us in the capacity of Regional Manager, and we are excited to extend our warehouse operations to the west coast. Scott has an immeasurable amount of both sales and technical experience, and we are very fortunate to have him join our team. Along with Scott, we would like to also welcome aboard Patti Fine as our Sales Coordinator for the new California warehouse. Patti was already working with Scott as his office manager, and she has also completed her introductory training in Tennessee. It is a huge benefit to be able to start a new operation with an experienced team already in place.
All of our warehouse operations have planned and prepared, and we are meeting the challenges of 2009 head on.
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