[Rhodes22-list] Contest!

Sat Aug 2 09:03:22 EDT 2008

Art,

I think that you missed my point when I responded as follows to Ed:
    "Isn't it bad enough that GBI made such a long lasting boat that it may
    go out of business waiting for repeat business?  Now you want to 
chastise
    Stan for choosing Triad to make his trailer?  They may be rusty, they 
may
    be 30 years old, but they are still safely transporting an R22!"

I was not predicting a demise of GBI but rather making an observation that
the trailer, like the boat it carries, was overbuilt by traditional 
marketing standards.  Most modern industries attempt to limit the life of 
their products to encourage replacement business in a decade or less, rather 
than build the longest lasting product possible.

It is an unfortunate consequence of such designs that the financial rewards 
of manufacturing are tied to quantity and not quality.  As long as there are 
enough customers who appreciate the design of the R22 and wish to own the 
best product available, GBI will not go out of business.

Your point that many of us found GBI quite by accident is well taken. 
Promotion of GBI is something that Stan has wrestled with for many years. 
Recently, he has certainly taken steps to increase the exposure of the R22 
through a certification program and the recognition by major sailing 
magazines through articles.  GBI has outlasted many of its competitors 
mostly by concentrating on improving the design and production of a single 
boat in a niche market.

Helping GBI "get the word out" or trying to expand their product line may 
not be the best thing that we can do to assist Stan and company.  While I am 
always quick to suggest that a person interested in sailing take a look at 
an R22, the best way that some of us can help is to respond to questions on 
"da list."  Attempting to second guess Stan's marketing may not help his 
efforts.  We all know that a successful manufacturer needs a good customer 
service department and Stan refers the questions here.

Mike
s/v Shanghaid'd Summer ('81)
       Nissequogue River, NY

From: "Arthur H. Czerwonky" <czerwonky at earthlink.net>Sent: Friday, August 
01, 2008 9:11 PM
> Mike,
>
> As you know, the buyer makes the choice between painted and galvenized. 
> Even for a lake bound R22, the galvenized trailer is far better on resale. 
> Many potential buyers eventually want to sail salt water.  Macgregor has 
> been supplying aluminum trailers with their boat, versus the painted 
> metal, due to corrosion complaints.
>
> Re. GBI going out of business for lack of business, many of us found out 
> about the Rhodes 22 by dumb luck.  I really think some form of media 
> exposure would get more potential buyers aware and curious - most sailors 
> are - and GBI could have much greater potential volume.  On the same 
> track, GBI delivered a racing R22 a few months ago - I haven't seen or 
> heard anything about it, even on this list.  There have to be at least a 
> few of us, GBI promoters that we are, maybe second owners (like the owner 
> of the boat that was built) that would like to know, maybe even buy.  Does 
> anyone have a picture, even know who the skipper is and what his/her 
> impressions are on the boat?
>
> Many years ago I worked for Uniroyal Industrial - what a technically 
> superb organization it was.  It eventually faltered in spite of their 
> technical talent, for lack of effective marketing gusto.  There was no 
> conveyor belt with the quality of their USFLEX, yet ineffectively 
> promoted. For those familiar there were other important factors also, but 
> communication within the market was so, so weak.
>
> Maybe some of us have good ideas about how Stan could get the message out 
> that would build the volume, assuming that is his goal.  Ideas?
>
> Again, I'd really like to get some news of the racing R22.
>
> Art
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: "Michael D. Weisner" <mweisner at ebsmed.com>
>>Sent: Aug 1, 2008 8:22 PM
>>To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Contest!
>>
>>Ed,
>>
>>Isn't it bad enough that GBI made such a long lasting boat that it may go
>>out of business waiting for repeat business?  Now you want to chastise 
>>Stan
>>for choosing Triad to make his trailer?  They may be rusty, they may be 30
>>years old, but they are still safely transporting an R22!
>>
>>Mike
>>s/v Shanghaid'd Summer ('81)
>>       Nissequogue River, NY
>>
>>From: "Tootle" <ekroposki at charter.net>Sent: Friday, August 01, 2008 6:01 
>>PM
>>>
>>> Folks,
>>>
>>> We have now seen two Rhodes' 22 trailers.  Now we have a contest, who 
>>> has
>>> the rustiest trailer.  Submit pictures to list and let Elle judge 
>>> pictures
>>> as which one has the most rust.
>>>
>>> Maybe we can get John to post picture on web site?
>>>
>>> Ed K
>>> Greenville, SC, USA
>>> attachment:  http://www.contemplator.com/canaus/rantroar.html
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> View this message in context:
>>> http://www.nabble.com/Contest%21-tp18783353p18783353.html
>>> Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>>>
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>>
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