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Last week, I had the opportunity to connect with Bill Yeargin (President and CEO of Correct Craft) and Greg Meloon (Nautique's VP of Product Design and Marketing) about what's happening at Correct Craft, their new products and ventures, events, and the future of the company. Below is a transcript of that discussion.
Jeff Carroll: Bill, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for us! It has been almost a year and a half since we last did one of these interviews, and they are always such a good resource for our members and others in the watersports community. PlanetNautique will likely break the 14,000 member mark this week, and I am so excited about how our site is growing! We certainly appreciate the opportunity to get information about the current happenings at Correct Craft directly from you!
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, it is totally my pleasure to do these interviews with you; I appreciate the opportunity to share thoughts with your members and others. Also, as we have done in the past, for this interview I have asked Greg Meloon to join us. Greg is Nautique’s VP of Product Development and Marketing so he will be able to add some of his perspective to the questions.
Jeff Carroll: You and the team are just back from a service project in the Dominican Republic. It is somewhat unusual for a company to do this type of service on the scale that Correct Craft does. It seems like Correct Craft is always doing something service-oriented. Your team does amazing things! Tell us why you feel that this is an important part of the culture at Correct Craft?
Bill Yeargin: Service is a very important part of our culture at Nautique. We support worthy projects both here in Central Florida and around the world as part of our Nautique Cares initiative. Here in Central Florida our employees have served many different organizations including, most recently, Habitat for Humanity. Around the world, besides our recent trips to the Dominican Republic, in recent years we have taken employees to Mexico, the Apache Reservation, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya on trips to serve those who can use our help. This October I will be taking another group of employees to India to serve there.
It is important to me and our team that we have a service culture. We don’t want it to be all about us. We want to not only be thankful for what we have but also use our resources to help others. It makes both our team and each of us as individuals much better. It is not a marketing slogan; truly, Nautique Cares.
Jeff Carroll: What other similar service projects do you have in the works?
Bill Yeargin: Currently we are working with our OWC team to build a house for Habitat for Humanity and I am taking a group of employees to India in October. Interestingly, two of our Nautique athletes, Shaun Murray and Raimi Merrit will be joining the team going to India and we look forward to having Shaun and Raimi with us.
Jeff Carroll: Can you review for us the role that both Christian faith and ethics have at Correct Craft? How do you as president implement this into daily life at Correct Craft while maintaining a balance that keeps everyone of all faiths comfortable?
Bill Yeargin: Thanks Jeff, this is a great question.
First, a little history. Our founder WC Meloon decided to create a faith culture for Correct Craft shortly after the company started. The company has lived out that culture for many years in many different ways including not working on Sundays.
When I came on board, over six years ago, I set out to build on that culture but also demonstrate it a little differently. I wanted to change the focus to living out our faith culture a little less through words and a little more through actions. We started a weekly voluntary Bible Study that about a quarter of our employees enjoy. More importantly, we began developing a culture of service that you asked about in the previous question.
We happily embrace employees of any or no faith. There are no employment benefits to being part of our faith culture. However, I can tell you that on many occasions I have been told by employees who may not embrace our faith culture that they very much enjoy the family friendly environment it creates in the workplace.
Jeff Carroll: Does your faith culture ever create a problem?
Bill Yeargin: It does not create a problem but there are a couple challenges it creates.
First, we are overwhelmed with people asking us to donate to their cause. Many people think that because we have a faith culture we should automatically donate to their cause. We have organizations we do support and we invest a fair bit in the employee service trips but we cannot help everyone who asks. Frankly, it upsets people when we have to decline their requests and it causes them to question the sincerity of our culture.
Secondly, as part of being in business, from time to time we have to make decisions that impact people negatively. Whether it is related to an employee, dealer, or vendor, people who do not like a business decision we make occasionally use that decision to question our culture. People say we cannot believe what we say if we would do something that has a negative impact on them.
Overall, we try our best to live out what we believe and treat people the best we can.
Jeff Carroll: You released a press release in early July saying that Correct Craft is ramping up production and hiring 50 new employees. That’s great news! What has led to this increase in production? How much of it do you attribute to the exceptional work that your team has done over the last few years, and how much is related to other factors, like an improving economy?
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, I have been asked this question a lot since that press release went out. We hired fifty new employees last Fall and we are now in the process of hiring another fifty. Based on our current orders I expect we will hire yet another fifty after the first of the year. We currently have dealer commitments in excess of what we can build and hiring these employees is part of our effort to increase production.
There are a few reasons for this production increase but, first, we attribute very little of it to the improving economy. The towboat market is still less than 50% of where it was before the downturn.
I would attribute the increase to three different factors:
1. Incredible new product – The Nautique G series has been a huge hit. The Ski Nautique 200 is still the best and most popular ski boat on the market. The dealers love the new 210 and 230 and have ordered a lot of them. We have an amazing product development team and they have delivered big time the past few years.
2. Market share increases – you would have to go back to the nineties to find Nautique market share as high as it is now. Of course this is partially driven by product but it is also a result of great marketing and distribution management.
3. International Sales – The past three years we have invested significantly in developing international markets. The past two years have been the best years in our company’s 88 year history for international sales. I personally have travelled to most of the sixty-one countries in which we sell to understand and develop markets and establish key relationships.
Jeff Carroll: You mentioned international sales. What else can you tell us about Nautique’s international initiatives?
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, we try to be a forward thinking company and we see a lot of long-term potential internationally. We are working hard to develop markets and in some cases introduce watersports to markets. We have nearly eighty international dealers in over sixty countries so we are happy with our efforts and the results. We sell a high percentage of boats internationally and expect that percentage to keep growing.
Jeff Carroll: Last year Nautique won the Manufacturer of the Year award and an award for having the industry’s Most Innovative Product. How cool was that?
Bill Yeargin: Obviously it was very cool! We have an amazing team and all the credit goes to them. We were thrilled to be recognized as Manufacturer of the Year but the award we really enjoyed was being recognized as having our industry’s Most Innovative Product. We work hard at innovation and it was fun for our team to be recognized for their effort!
Jeff Carroll: The 2014 210 and 230 have just been released, and they look incredible!
What was behind the redesign of these two models?
Bill Yeargin: Before Greg answers that I again want to throw out kudos to Greg and the Product Development team. At Nautique we talk about not only being market driven but also being market driving. Greg and his team have done both.
Greg Meloon: As you know, Jeff, the Super Air Nautique 210 and 230 have been core to the Nautique brand for many years. In updating these boats it was important to maintain a balance between their traditional market appeal while at the same time delivering a modern design. The new design is accomplished with fresh gelcoat patterns over strong feature lines without relying on the large vinyl graphics we have seen on Nautiques the past few years.
Jeff Carroll: What has changed? What has stayed the same?
Greg Meloon: The original running surfaces served as the starting point for the 2014 redesigns. We kept the good things about the hulls but also made hull modifications to create even better watersports performance. The hull is now optimized for the NSS Waveplates and the chines have been tweaked to further clean up the wakeboard wakes. The all new ballast system is larger than before and creates an even bigger wake than the previous models. Both the 210 and 230 are now deeper in the interior, increasing comfort. The new helm is more stylish and functional. The new packaging now includes popular items like the LINC display, board racks, premium mirror and team steering wheel at a price that matches last year’s starting package. These new boats are now arriving at dealers all over the world so contact your local dealer for an in depth viewing of the next generation of these classic Nautiques.
Jeff Carroll: Do these boats have the NCRS system like the G23 and G25?
Greg Meloon: No, the NCRS was designed in concert with the G series hull. The 210 and 230 continue to use the patented Hydro-Gate technology to fine tune the performance.
Jeff Carroll: There are some specific features that are no longer available on these newly-redesigned models. For example, the flip-up seat on the port side and the reversible rear seat are no longer available. Why were these useful features removed?
Greg Meloon: The execution of these features in the G Series boat set new standards that are difficult to attain in the smaller boats. The slide in lean backs can be removed for complete wrap around seating or rear facing for watersports. The integrated stern seat provides an entry step when the cushion is removed.
It was core to our design of the new 210 and 230 to create a simple, elegant design that is intuitive and comfortable for the passengers. We incorporated the seat hinges from the G Series reducing the number of loose cushions in the boat and improving access to under seat storage.
Jeff Carroll: Some of our members have speculated that certain features may have been left off of these models to enhance the draw of a long-rumored new boat that the world has yet to see. Any truth to that?
Greg Meloon: Hmmm… What would that be?????
Bill Yeargin: As you can imagine, we are constantly looking at the best ways to position our product line to give our customers the broadest range of product that meets and exceeds their needs. Regarding the long-rumored product, I assume you are referring to the much discussed G27?
Jeff Carroll: Ok, let’s just ask directly -- Should we be looking for an additional boat in the G-series lineup later this model year? What can you tell us about that?
Bill Yeargin: Yes, Jeff, we know there has been a lot of rumors and speculation about a new G27. I can tell you directly, that is not currently in the works.
More seriously, we are asked all the time about whether or not we will be adding another G series boat to the G23 and G25. We are not ready to announce anything related to this but I can assure you our Product Development team is constantly working to make or product better and give people what they want. With that said, watch closely for future announcements from Nautique!
Jeff Carroll: When will the rest of the 2014 lineup be available for public view on your website (including the boat builder feature)?
Bill Yeargin: In recent years we have released our new website in the September time frame. I would expect us to do that again this year.
Greg Meloon: Our current marketing materials are supporting the 2013 models available at your local dealer. The website is also featuring the new 210 and 230 and your local dealer also has a product specific brochure on these boats.
Jeff Carroll: Wakesurfing is becoming a HUGE sport! I can tell you that I have probably spent as much time surfing behind my G23 this year as I have wakeboarding. The NSS system is amazing! Is there any chance of the NSS being retrofitted onto other models, like the Sport 200, or the 210 or 230 from 2011 and prior?
Bill Yeargin: Wakesurfing has become huge and people love the Nautique Surf System. If you compare it to anything else offered in our industry it is clearly the best product available. With a system fully integrated into our hulls that provide an adjustable wake which transitions from side to side quicker than any other system the NSS clearly stands out above the rest. I know I love using mine on my 210.
Greg Meloon: The hull features of the Sport 200 are not compatible with the NSS Waveplates. Future products will be designed to integrate NSS in a similar way to the new 210/230. Pre-2012 models are challenged by the lack of a control system.
Jeff Carroll: The G23 and G25 have been huge hits! Everyone who sees them seems to love them. One little issue that I keep hearing about on PlanetNautique is the fact that there are only racks for four wakeboards on the tower, while the boats hold 16 and 19 people respectively. Even with a Z5 Cargo Bimini, there is only room for 7 boards on the tower. Is there a plan to allow for additional board racks on the G-series boats in the future?
Greg Meloon: We currently do not have that in our product plan for the current Flight Control Towers.
Jeff Carroll: The Byerly Icon Edition 210 and the Mapple Icon Edition 200 are all sold out. Do you have any plans to create future Icon Edition boats?
Bill Yeargin: Well, Jeff, I was going to surprise you later but I guess we will announce it now. We have the Jeff Carroll Icon edition coming out this Fall!
Greg Meloon: Hmmm… I probably should know about that… That’s pretty soon; we better get that on the product plan.
Bill Yeargin: Actually Jeff, it is a question we get asked a lot. There will not be another Icon Edition in the immediate future but we sure have plenty of people associated with Nautique who would deserve one. I am pretty sure we will do another edition and I have an idea who it will honor but that’s all we will say for now!
Jeff Carroll: Lately we have been hearing rumors that other boat manufacturers are buying G-series boats to reverse-engineer them and try to build something better. Do you have any thoughts on that? Is this something that happens often in the boating industry?
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, I have heard of at least three of our competitors buying G23’s to try and figure them out. Frankly, I don’t blame them. The G series boats are clearly the best in the industry and the fact that our competitors are buying them and trying to figure out how to compete with us is a huge compliment.
I cannot speak for how often others buy competitive boats to check them out but I can say that in the six years I have been at Nautique we have never done that. We don’t want to copy what someone else is doing, we want to innovate. That is one of the reasons our industry voted Nautique as having the “Most Innovative Product”, and award of which we are very proud!
Jeff Carroll: Right now, Nautique undeniably has the best ski boat as well as the best wakeboard boat on the market. How can Nautique stay on top? You obviously have other manufacturers targeting these boats as “the ones to beat”. How do you stay ahead of the competition?
Greg Meloon: We have the most aggressive new product plan in the history of our company. We will not be satisfied; in fact we are just getting started. Just wait and see...
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, it really comes down to a mindset. The fact that others buy our boats in an effort to copy what we do says a lot. We are obsessed with innovation and creating the best product the industry has to offer. We will not be content; we are 100% committed to continuous improvement of our product. By the time someone else copies and catches up we will be on to something else.
Jeff Carroll: The newer Nautiques have an extreme amount of ballast, and require lots of power to move through the water. Does Nautique have anything planned to address the always-growing power requirements of these heavier boats?
Greg Meloon: Jeff, that question is something on which we frequently focus. The G Series 409 and 450 engines have been coupled with a 2:1 v-drive for the 2014 model year. This change will allow us to use a 17x17 propeller to maximize performance.
Jeff Carroll: The stereo equipment offered by the factory is getting better and better. Even so, many users prefer to remove all of the factory equipment and replace it with custom equipment from third-party vendors. Do you have any plans to work directly with other vendors such as Wet Sounds or Exile, or offer more options from Roswell or other marine audio manufacturers to allow for more customization? What about offering a no-stereo option at a reduced price?
Bill Yeargin: We understand that some people will always want to modify something we are doing and stereos are a great example of that. They are highly subject to personal preference. However, we will continue to watch the market and include systems that we believe provide the best product for the highest number of customers.
Greg Meloon: For the 2014 model year, we have introduced an all new Polk Stereo Unit which includes Bluetooth connectivity and optional Sirius antenna. Our tower speakers are designed to integrate with the tower and bimini. All tower accessories have to pass extensive testing on our shake test table to ensure that the entire package works well together.
Jeff Carroll: Can you offer any information on the new exhaust system we have been seeing? It appears similar to a Fresh Air Exhaust, but there seem to be some differences. What is this system, how is it installed, and can it be retrofitted to older boats?
Greg Meloon: The Surf Pipe has been designed by the Nautique team to deliver the exhaust into the prop stream without increasing back pressure to the engine. It will also be available to retrofit 2013 G Series boats.
Jeff Carroll: Correct Craft has been getting heavily-involved with the cable park industry over the past couple of years. How are things going with OWC? What about BSR and the others? How do these two watersports disciplines (cable and boat) complement each other from a business perspective?
Bill Yeargin: Yes, Jeff, we have been getting more involved in the cable industry.
First, things are going great at OWC. It is an amazing park and we have been steadily working to make improvements with many more to come. We love OWC and I personally enjoy getting out on the cable in addition to riding behind the boat.
We recently announced a new relationship with BSR which is an amazing place. They will have Nautique boats on site and we are proud to be aligned with them. We encourage everyone to check them out. Additionally, as you know, for many years we have worked closely with McCormick’s Park in Tampa.
Purchasing new cable parks has been slower than we would have liked but we are still very committed to the cable business. Some of my peers think I am crazy and cannot understand why we would promote cable but I see it totally differently. We believe cable will bring many new customers into the wake industry and we want Nautique to be part of that.
Jeff Carroll: Is Correct Craft actively looking for other opportunities for business partnerships?
Bill Yeargin: Sure. Almost all of our effort in this area is focused on cable but we are opportunistic and would consider other opportunities that are synergistic with what we are already doing.
Jeff Carroll: Nautique has been a proud sponsor of a number of watersports events around the world, and the number seems to be growing. There’s the Big Dawg, Moomba Masters, US Masters, Wake Games, Nationals, and plenty of others. Why is it important for a boat company to sponsor these events. Do you plan to increase the number of events sponsored in the future?
Bill Yeargin: Events are very important to us and we have been steadily increasing our investment in them all over the world the past few years. We have turned the Big Dawg into a global series and we sponsor the Asian Championships, the Middle East Championships, the UK Championships and many others. Just recently we were the official towboat for the World Games, an amazing event in Colombia.
We love our events like the US Nationals and the Wake Games that have such a grass roots and family atmosphere. It is so much fun to watch all the families enjoying Nautique events.
Finally, we are working hard to produce events that introduce people to wakeboarding. Last year I travelled through the Middle East while Nautique put on events in multiple countries there to introduce people to watersports. We love bringing people into our industry!
Jeff Carroll: Some of our members are still very loyal to the Correct Craft name and wonder if you plan to use it in the future.
Bill Yeargin: We too are VERY proud of the Correct Craft name and legacy. Correct Craft is the parent company of a few other entities now including Nautique Boats, Aktion Cable, OWC, an events company, an IP company and a few others. When I came to Correct Craft six years ago there was quite a bit of confusion in the market place about the difference between Correct Craft and Nautique so we decided to focus on the Nautique name. We could begin using it as part of Nautique Boats again or someday start a new boat line under the Correct Craft name. In the meantime please know Correct Craft is very much alive and we are proud of our legacy. And, I am very proud to be CEO of Correct Craft!
Jeff Carroll: What about Ralph Meloon? How is he doing?
Bill Yeargin: Ralph will be 96 later this year and for his age he is doing amazingly well. He is in the office often and we love having him here. He is an incredible encouragement to both me and our team!
Jeff Carroll: We saw the announcement that you will be spending more time in Washington DC serving on the Manufacturing Council. Sounds cool but how does that help Nautique?
Bill Yeargin: The Manufacturing Council is a group of 26 business leaders who advise the new US Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker. I met Penny a couple weeks ago and I believe she is interested in helping US businesses. We also had the opportunity to meet with a Congressional delegation at our last meeting to discuss various business issues. If I can play a small role to help US businesses and our industry it will certainly help Nautique and I am happy tom do it. Keep your fingers crossed that we can have a positive impact.
Jeff Carroll: And finally, one last question. What boat will be in Bill Yeargin’s boathouse for 2014 and why?
Bill Yeargin: Well, Jeff, this past Spring I got a new Super Air Nautique 210 so I will have that for a while. We love the 210 and it Is perfect for the way we use our boat in Lake Pickett behind our house.
Jeff Carroll: Bill and Greg, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! It is great to have an opportunity to get clear information directly from you both! Is there anything else you would like to share with the PlanetNautique community?
Bill Yeargin: I would just like to thank everyone for their loyalty. We do not take your loyalty lightly and I assure you we are doing everything possible to make you proud to be associated with Nautique.
Also, please visit us in Orlando. We have tours almost every day and we would love to show PlanetNautique members around our factory. Ask your tour guide to stop by my office; I would love to meet you!
Jeff Carroll: Bill, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for us! It has been almost a year and a half since we last did one of these interviews, and they are always such a good resource for our members and others in the watersports community. PlanetNautique will likely break the 14,000 member mark this week, and I am so excited about how our site is growing! We certainly appreciate the opportunity to get information about the current happenings at Correct Craft directly from you!
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, it is totally my pleasure to do these interviews with you; I appreciate the opportunity to share thoughts with your members and others. Also, as we have done in the past, for this interview I have asked Greg Meloon to join us. Greg is Nautique’s VP of Product Development and Marketing so he will be able to add some of his perspective to the questions.Jeff Carroll: You and the team are just back from a service project in the Dominican Republic. It is somewhat unusual for a company to do this type of service on the scale that Correct Craft does. It seems like Correct Craft is always doing something service-oriented. Your team does amazing things! Tell us why you feel that this is an important part of the culture at Correct Craft?
Bill Yeargin: Service is a very important part of our culture at Nautique. We support worthy projects both here in Central Florida and around the world as part of our Nautique Cares initiative. Here in Central Florida our employees have served many different organizations including, most recently, Habitat for Humanity. Around the world, besides our recent trips to the Dominican Republic, in recent years we have taken employees to Mexico, the Apache Reservation, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya on trips to serve those who can use our help. This October I will be taking another group of employees to India to serve there.
It is important to me and our team that we have a service culture. We don’t want it to be all about us. We want to not only be thankful for what we have but also use our resources to help others. It makes both our team and each of us as individuals much better. It is not a marketing slogan; truly, Nautique Cares.
Jeff Carroll: What other similar service projects do you have in the works?
Bill Yeargin: Currently we are working with our OWC team to build a house for Habitat for Humanity and I am taking a group of employees to India in October. Interestingly, two of our Nautique athletes, Shaun Murray and Raimi Merrit will be joining the team going to India and we look forward to having Shaun and Raimi with us.
Jeff Carroll: Can you review for us the role that both Christian faith and ethics have at Correct Craft? How do you as president implement this into daily life at Correct Craft while maintaining a balance that keeps everyone of all faiths comfortable?
Bill Yeargin: Thanks Jeff, this is a great question.
First, a little history. Our founder WC Meloon decided to create a faith culture for Correct Craft shortly after the company started. The company has lived out that culture for many years in many different ways including not working on Sundays.
When I came on board, over six years ago, I set out to build on that culture but also demonstrate it a little differently. I wanted to change the focus to living out our faith culture a little less through words and a little more through actions. We started a weekly voluntary Bible Study that about a quarter of our employees enjoy. More importantly, we began developing a culture of service that you asked about in the previous question.
We happily embrace employees of any or no faith. There are no employment benefits to being part of our faith culture. However, I can tell you that on many occasions I have been told by employees who may not embrace our faith culture that they very much enjoy the family friendly environment it creates in the workplace.
Jeff Carroll: Does your faith culture ever create a problem?
Bill Yeargin: It does not create a problem but there are a couple challenges it creates.
First, we are overwhelmed with people asking us to donate to their cause. Many people think that because we have a faith culture we should automatically donate to their cause. We have organizations we do support and we invest a fair bit in the employee service trips but we cannot help everyone who asks. Frankly, it upsets people when we have to decline their requests and it causes them to question the sincerity of our culture.
Secondly, as part of being in business, from time to time we have to make decisions that impact people negatively. Whether it is related to an employee, dealer, or vendor, people who do not like a business decision we make occasionally use that decision to question our culture. People say we cannot believe what we say if we would do something that has a negative impact on them.
Overall, we try our best to live out what we believe and treat people the best we can.
Jeff Carroll: You released a press release in early July saying that Correct Craft is ramping up production and hiring 50 new employees. That’s great news! What has led to this increase in production? How much of it do you attribute to the exceptional work that your team has done over the last few years, and how much is related to other factors, like an improving economy?
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, I have been asked this question a lot since that press release went out. We hired fifty new employees last Fall and we are now in the process of hiring another fifty. Based on our current orders I expect we will hire yet another fifty after the first of the year. We currently have dealer commitments in excess of what we can build and hiring these employees is part of our effort to increase production.
There are a few reasons for this production increase but, first, we attribute very little of it to the improving economy. The towboat market is still less than 50% of where it was before the downturn.
I would attribute the increase to three different factors:
1. Incredible new product – The Nautique G series has been a huge hit. The Ski Nautique 200 is still the best and most popular ski boat on the market. The dealers love the new 210 and 230 and have ordered a lot of them. We have an amazing product development team and they have delivered big time the past few years.
2. Market share increases – you would have to go back to the nineties to find Nautique market share as high as it is now. Of course this is partially driven by product but it is also a result of great marketing and distribution management.
3. International Sales – The past three years we have invested significantly in developing international markets. The past two years have been the best years in our company’s 88 year history for international sales. I personally have travelled to most of the sixty-one countries in which we sell to understand and develop markets and establish key relationships.
Jeff Carroll: You mentioned international sales. What else can you tell us about Nautique’s international initiatives?
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, we try to be a forward thinking company and we see a lot of long-term potential internationally. We are working hard to develop markets and in some cases introduce watersports to markets. We have nearly eighty international dealers in over sixty countries so we are happy with our efforts and the results. We sell a high percentage of boats internationally and expect that percentage to keep growing.Jeff Carroll: Last year Nautique won the Manufacturer of the Year award and an award for having the industry’s Most Innovative Product. How cool was that?
Bill Yeargin: Obviously it was very cool! We have an amazing team and all the credit goes to them. We were thrilled to be recognized as Manufacturer of the Year but the award we really enjoyed was being recognized as having our industry’s Most Innovative Product. We work hard at innovation and it was fun for our team to be recognized for their effort!
Jeff Carroll: The 2014 210 and 230 have just been released, and they look incredible!
What was behind the redesign of these two models?
Bill Yeargin: Before Greg answers that I again want to throw out kudos to Greg and the Product Development team. At Nautique we talk about not only being market driven but also being market driving. Greg and his team have done both.
Greg Meloon: As you know, Jeff, the Super Air Nautique 210 and 230 have been core to the Nautique brand for many years. In updating these boats it was important to maintain a balance between their traditional market appeal while at the same time delivering a modern design. The new design is accomplished with fresh gelcoat patterns over strong feature lines without relying on the large vinyl graphics we have seen on Nautiques the past few years.
Jeff Carroll: What has changed? What has stayed the same?
Greg Meloon: The original running surfaces served as the starting point for the 2014 redesigns. We kept the good things about the hulls but also made hull modifications to create even better watersports performance. The hull is now optimized for the NSS Waveplates and the chines have been tweaked to further clean up the wakeboard wakes. The all new ballast system is larger than before and creates an even bigger wake than the previous models. Both the 210 and 230 are now deeper in the interior, increasing comfort. The new helm is more stylish and functional. The new packaging now includes popular items like the LINC display, board racks, premium mirror and team steering wheel at a price that matches last year’s starting package. These new boats are now arriving at dealers all over the world so contact your local dealer for an in depth viewing of the next generation of these classic Nautiques.
Jeff Carroll: Do these boats have the NCRS system like the G23 and G25?
Greg Meloon: No, the NCRS was designed in concert with the G series hull. The 210 and 230 continue to use the patented Hydro-Gate technology to fine tune the performance.Jeff Carroll: There are some specific features that are no longer available on these newly-redesigned models. For example, the flip-up seat on the port side and the reversible rear seat are no longer available. Why were these useful features removed?
Greg Meloon: The execution of these features in the G Series boat set new standards that are difficult to attain in the smaller boats. The slide in lean backs can be removed for complete wrap around seating or rear facing for watersports. The integrated stern seat provides an entry step when the cushion is removed.
It was core to our design of the new 210 and 230 to create a simple, elegant design that is intuitive and comfortable for the passengers. We incorporated the seat hinges from the G Series reducing the number of loose cushions in the boat and improving access to under seat storage.
Jeff Carroll: Some of our members have speculated that certain features may have been left off of these models to enhance the draw of a long-rumored new boat that the world has yet to see. Any truth to that?
Greg Meloon: Hmmm… What would that be?????
Bill Yeargin: As you can imagine, we are constantly looking at the best ways to position our product line to give our customers the broadest range of product that meets and exceeds their needs. Regarding the long-rumored product, I assume you are referring to the much discussed G27?
Jeff Carroll: Ok, let’s just ask directly -- Should we be looking for an additional boat in the G-series lineup later this model year? What can you tell us about that?
Bill Yeargin: Yes, Jeff, we know there has been a lot of rumors and speculation about a new G27. I can tell you directly, that is not currently in the works.
More seriously, we are asked all the time about whether or not we will be adding another G series boat to the G23 and G25. We are not ready to announce anything related to this but I can assure you our Product Development team is constantly working to make or product better and give people what they want. With that said, watch closely for future announcements from Nautique!
Jeff Carroll: When will the rest of the 2014 lineup be available for public view on your website (including the boat builder feature)?
Bill Yeargin: In recent years we have released our new website in the September time frame. I would expect us to do that again this year.
Greg Meloon: Our current marketing materials are supporting the 2013 models available at your local dealer. The website is also featuring the new 210 and 230 and your local dealer also has a product specific brochure on these boats. Jeff Carroll: Wakesurfing is becoming a HUGE sport! I can tell you that I have probably spent as much time surfing behind my G23 this year as I have wakeboarding. The NSS system is amazing! Is there any chance of the NSS being retrofitted onto other models, like the Sport 200, or the 210 or 230 from 2011 and prior?
Bill Yeargin: Wakesurfing has become huge and people love the Nautique Surf System. If you compare it to anything else offered in our industry it is clearly the best product available. With a system fully integrated into our hulls that provide an adjustable wake which transitions from side to side quicker than any other system the NSS clearly stands out above the rest. I know I love using mine on my 210.
Greg Meloon: The hull features of the Sport 200 are not compatible with the NSS Waveplates. Future products will be designed to integrate NSS in a similar way to the new 210/230. Pre-2012 models are challenged by the lack of a control system.
Jeff Carroll: The G23 and G25 have been huge hits! Everyone who sees them seems to love them. One little issue that I keep hearing about on PlanetNautique is the fact that there are only racks for four wakeboards on the tower, while the boats hold 16 and 19 people respectively. Even with a Z5 Cargo Bimini, there is only room for 7 boards on the tower. Is there a plan to allow for additional board racks on the G-series boats in the future?
Greg Meloon: We currently do not have that in our product plan for the current Flight Control Towers.
Jeff Carroll: The Byerly Icon Edition 210 and the Mapple Icon Edition 200 are all sold out. Do you have any plans to create future Icon Edition boats?
Bill Yeargin: Well, Jeff, I was going to surprise you later but I guess we will announce it now. We have the Jeff Carroll Icon edition coming out this Fall!
Greg Meloon: Hmmm… I probably should know about that… That’s pretty soon; we better get that on the product plan.
Bill Yeargin: Actually Jeff, it is a question we get asked a lot. There will not be another Icon Edition in the immediate future but we sure have plenty of people associated with Nautique who would deserve one. I am pretty sure we will do another edition and I have an idea who it will honor but that’s all we will say for now!
Jeff Carroll: Lately we have been hearing rumors that other boat manufacturers are buying G-series boats to reverse-engineer them and try to build something better. Do you have any thoughts on that? Is this something that happens often in the boating industry?
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, I have heard of at least three of our competitors buying G23’s to try and figure them out. Frankly, I don’t blame them. The G series boats are clearly the best in the industry and the fact that our competitors are buying them and trying to figure out how to compete with us is a huge compliment.
I cannot speak for how often others buy competitive boats to check them out but I can say that in the six years I have been at Nautique we have never done that. We don’t want to copy what someone else is doing, we want to innovate. That is one of the reasons our industry voted Nautique as having the “Most Innovative Product”, and award of which we are very proud!
Jeff Carroll: Right now, Nautique undeniably has the best ski boat as well as the best wakeboard boat on the market. How can Nautique stay on top? You obviously have other manufacturers targeting these boats as “the ones to beat”. How do you stay ahead of the competition?
Greg Meloon: We have the most aggressive new product plan in the history of our company. We will not be satisfied; in fact we are just getting started. Just wait and see...
Bill Yeargin: Jeff, it really comes down to a mindset. The fact that others buy our boats in an effort to copy what we do says a lot. We are obsessed with innovation and creating the best product the industry has to offer. We will not be content; we are 100% committed to continuous improvement of our product. By the time someone else copies and catches up we will be on to something else.
Jeff Carroll: The newer Nautiques have an extreme amount of ballast, and require lots of power to move through the water. Does Nautique have anything planned to address the always-growing power requirements of these heavier boats?
Greg Meloon: Jeff, that question is something on which we frequently focus. The G Series 409 and 450 engines have been coupled with a 2:1 v-drive for the 2014 model year. This change will allow us to use a 17x17 propeller to maximize performance.
Jeff Carroll: The stereo equipment offered by the factory is getting better and better. Even so, many users prefer to remove all of the factory equipment and replace it with custom equipment from third-party vendors. Do you have any plans to work directly with other vendors such as Wet Sounds or Exile, or offer more options from Roswell or other marine audio manufacturers to allow for more customization? What about offering a no-stereo option at a reduced price?
Bill Yeargin: We understand that some people will always want to modify something we are doing and stereos are a great example of that. They are highly subject to personal preference. However, we will continue to watch the market and include systems that we believe provide the best product for the highest number of customers.
Greg Meloon: For the 2014 model year, we have introduced an all new Polk Stereo Unit which includes Bluetooth connectivity and optional Sirius antenna. Our tower speakers are designed to integrate with the tower and bimini. All tower accessories have to pass extensive testing on our shake test table to ensure that the entire package works well together.
Jeff Carroll: Can you offer any information on the new exhaust system we have been seeing? It appears similar to a Fresh Air Exhaust, but there seem to be some differences. What is this system, how is it installed, and can it be retrofitted to older boats?
Greg Meloon: The Surf Pipe has been designed by the Nautique team to deliver the exhaust into the prop stream without increasing back pressure to the engine. It will also be available to retrofit 2013 G Series boats.
Jeff Carroll: Correct Craft has been getting heavily-involved with the cable park industry over the past couple of years. How are things going with OWC? What about BSR and the others? How do these two watersports disciplines (cable and boat) complement each other from a business perspective?
Bill Yeargin: Yes, Jeff, we have been getting more involved in the cable industry. First, things are going great at OWC. It is an amazing park and we have been steadily working to make improvements with many more to come. We love OWC and I personally enjoy getting out on the cable in addition to riding behind the boat.
We recently announced a new relationship with BSR which is an amazing place. They will have Nautique boats on site and we are proud to be aligned with them. We encourage everyone to check them out. Additionally, as you know, for many years we have worked closely with McCormick’s Park in Tampa.
Purchasing new cable parks has been slower than we would have liked but we are still very committed to the cable business. Some of my peers think I am crazy and cannot understand why we would promote cable but I see it totally differently. We believe cable will bring many new customers into the wake industry and we want Nautique to be part of that.
Jeff Carroll: Is Correct Craft actively looking for other opportunities for business partnerships?
Bill Yeargin: Sure. Almost all of our effort in this area is focused on cable but we are opportunistic and would consider other opportunities that are synergistic with what we are already doing.
Jeff Carroll: Nautique has been a proud sponsor of a number of watersports events around the world, and the number seems to be growing. There’s the Big Dawg, Moomba Masters, US Masters, Wake Games, Nationals, and plenty of others. Why is it important for a boat company to sponsor these events. Do you plan to increase the number of events sponsored in the future?
Bill Yeargin: Events are very important to us and we have been steadily increasing our investment in them all over the world the past few years. We have turned the Big Dawg into a global series and we sponsor the Asian Championships, the Middle East Championships, the UK Championships and many others. Just recently we were the official towboat for the World Games, an amazing event in Colombia.
We love our events like the US Nationals and the Wake Games that have such a grass roots and family atmosphere. It is so much fun to watch all the families enjoying Nautique events.
Finally, we are working hard to produce events that introduce people to wakeboarding. Last year I travelled through the Middle East while Nautique put on events in multiple countries there to introduce people to watersports. We love bringing people into our industry!
Jeff Carroll: Some of our members are still very loyal to the Correct Craft name and wonder if you plan to use it in the future.
Bill Yeargin: We too are VERY proud of the Correct Craft name and legacy. Correct Craft is the parent company of a few other entities now including Nautique Boats, Aktion Cable, OWC, an events company, an IP company and a few others. When I came to Correct Craft six years ago there was quite a bit of confusion in the market place about the difference between Correct Craft and Nautique so we decided to focus on the Nautique name. We could begin using it as part of Nautique Boats again or someday start a new boat line under the Correct Craft name. In the meantime please know Correct Craft is very much alive and we are proud of our legacy. And, I am very proud to be CEO of Correct Craft!
Jeff Carroll: What about Ralph Meloon? How is he doing?
Bill Yeargin: Ralph will be 96 later this year and for his age he is doing amazingly well. He is in the office often and we love having him here. He is an incredible encouragement to both me and our team!
Jeff Carroll: We saw the announcement that you will be spending more time in Washington DC serving on the Manufacturing Council. Sounds cool but how does that help Nautique?
Bill Yeargin: The Manufacturing Council is a group of 26 business leaders who advise the new US Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker. I met Penny a couple weeks ago and I believe she is interested in helping US businesses. We also had the opportunity to meet with a Congressional delegation at our last meeting to discuss various business issues. If I can play a small role to help US businesses and our industry it will certainly help Nautique and I am happy tom do it. Keep your fingers crossed that we can have a positive impact.Jeff Carroll: And finally, one last question. What boat will be in Bill Yeargin’s boathouse for 2014 and why?
Bill Yeargin: Well, Jeff, this past Spring I got a new Super Air Nautique 210 so I will have that for a while. We love the 210 and it Is perfect for the way we use our boat in Lake Pickett behind our house.
Jeff Carroll: Bill and Greg, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! It is great to have an opportunity to get clear information directly from you both! Is there anything else you would like to share with the PlanetNautique community?
Bill Yeargin: I would just like to thank everyone for their loyalty. We do not take your loyalty lightly and I assure you we are doing everything possible to make you proud to be associated with Nautique.
Also, please visit us in Orlando. We have tours almost every day and we would love to show PlanetNautique members around our factory. Ask your tour guide to stop by my office; I would love to meet you!
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