Robert Ullberg joins Bertram

Great news - time to put back the American design flavor in Bertram

Hope they go back to their classic signature broken/stepped sheer line that Bertrams have always been so recognized by. Look at the portfolio today, there is not even consensus on the sheer line throughout the product range......

Not to split hairs but Bertram is a production builder- not really considered a custom builder. Great to see the addition however- I think they needed a big name to help lift the company.

Yeah, then they screwed up the classic lines they're trying to achieve on that new model. I think the 64' with that ugly sort of diamond shaped window on the side of the hull.......

I think there's nothing that's going to bring back the styling that we're all so fond of.

I wouldn't say they have to go back to all classic lines, but they could certainly integrate a key design feature into the next generation - they have to carve out the right brand recognition given all the issues Bertram has recently delt with. MAny Sf' are starting to follow the car design world where given market segments all look "alike".

"Not to split hairs but Bertram is a production builder- not really considered a custom builder. Great to see the addition however- I think they needed a big name to help lift the company. "

Not quite sure where you are going with this, Cabo has Michael Peters, Hatteras consults with Donald Blount (as well as others) and Viking has their own in-house team. Bamboo - who would be a big name Engineer/Designer that has an American Sportfish pedigree? I certainly do not think that all the custom SF experience that Ullberg has would be an issue, take for example Garlington, which is a semi-production SF AND a big-sea-eating-beast

^^^^^^^^

Not sure which part is confusing to you Pac. Does Bertram need a big name to help lift the company after the delamination issues they've had? They needed something IMHO.
Is Bertram a custom builder? I guess you've have to define "custom" builder. I don't think they are a custom builder anymore than Viking or Hatteras is- and if they are custom builders then there are basically no larger "production" SF builders.

Who would you suggest as the "big name" to re-image the company other than the current CEO and the new VP of Engineering and product Development?

It seems to me that along with the new location, the new image plan is well underway....

It's kind of hard to create a new image when you've been building boats that self destruct for the last decade. I would think that if you started building boats like they used to be build prior to the last ten years, it would be the best start. And even that way it would take a long time to create a better image and for people to see that the build quality is structurally sound.

Remember Lee Iaccoca , Chrysler and the K-Car? People are forgiving and Bertram will pull themselves through (with the right management team) and make themselves "boon docks" tough again

People are forgiving?!

I'm am in way over my head on the technical stuff, but remember Iaccoca was the CEO, a marketing wizard, and the K car was marketed as "revolutionary." I suspect that with the acquisition of this new designer with a proven pedigree, that Bertram is trying to demonstrate it will be building boats that will stay together. Hopefully it gets that message thru quicker than Ocean did with its own keel problems. Sport fishers are in a tough market with a shrinking constituency. A little of an unfair comparison, but I would suspect that Azimut, on an anuual basis has any of the quality SF production builder's beat on production numbers; that styling seems to have a great appeal. I wish them all very good luck, including my very favorite -Post

Yes, other US companies had some issues, and handled them. But the issues weren't nearly as wide spread. Bertrams issues were basically most of the hulls they built for a long period of time. I personally was running a 57' where all of the bulkheads broke free from the stringers in it's first 6 months. I personally know of about a dozen others that have had major structural issues.

The president of Betram is interviewed in the current issue of "Soundings". What I got from the article was his approach to designing and marketing the boats is going to be 'customer driven', and that because of the new materials available, he doesn't see a "bad boat" out there. Just saying, that's what I got out of the read.

The two high profile hull failures combined with other talked about events pulled the reputation down. It matters not who owns the company.

It's is obvious that Bertram has a strategy in place as they go forawrd, the workmanship/structural issues can certainly be overcome. Relocating to a new manufacturing plant and a new labor pool along with new technical people will certainly go a long way in improved new product releases.

For those of us with longer memories (pre-internet) we are certainly aware of other SF competitors having and overcoming workmanship/structural issues. This was usually in a world before internet forums or you-tube videos that would go viral. The problems were handled with less public scrutiny and the companies have survived.

The big three, Viking, Hatteras, Bertram are still in business while the lower tier production builders (Ocean, Post, Egg Harbor, Luhrs and more) have struggled as they always have.

The biggest change over time has been the growth of the custom Carolina SF guys, as production and custom price have converged for various reasons and the "pie" has been sliced into smaller pieces.......

pacblue

I don't believe anyone here is "dissing" Bertram. In fact, I suspect we are all rooting that it makes a comeback - it has great brand recognition and pedigree. But, you have to admit, its had some pretty significant maunfacturing issues in the past few years. And your insight into the world on instant messaging is right on point. But the internet is a two way street, and hopefuly Bertram will include an internet savy PR company in its recovery.