PowerSports Business

April 3, 2017

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www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • April 3, 2017 • 5 Textron and understand what it is we do and who we are, you're talking about a company that develops the V-22, which is the helicopter that takes the warfighter to the places that you don't want to go and takes them out when they're through; the Citation line of planes by Cessna; the Ship-To-Shore Connector by Tex- tron Marine & Land Systems. This is a com- pany that has a very high level of engineering and technical prowess and just makes fantastic products, and we're part of that family." Though Textron just announced last May the new Bad Boy Off Road name and logo, the company is changing direction with the name now that staff has had the opportunity to fur- ther explore the market and learn more about powersports consumers. "As we went out there and we really started talking to customers in the powersports indus- try, users nationwide, and really dealers as well, it was very apparent that the power of Textron and the brand and the story resonated with dealers and customers," Collins explained. "People really intuitively understood the level of commitment and expertise required to design, manufacture and support Textron's high- performance, high-quality, reliable products, whether it's a Beechcraft King Air 350, or Tex- tron Systems Commando, that story resonated with those guys." He added, "We're very proud of the Bad Boy brand, and it was popular in certain segments, but we just determined that drawing a direct association to Textron would more accurately reflect the level of design, precision engineer- ing and manufacturing expertise that goes into our products — and not just the ones we have today, but what we're working on as well — and we just think that that association to a very professional company that has that level of capability is good for consumers; it's good for dealers; it's good for our brand, and that's the direction that we chose." DEALERSHIP PROPOSITION As was presented at the Arctic Cat dealer meet- ing in late February in St. Paul, Minnesota, Tex- tron Specialized Vehicles expects Arctic Cat, E-Z-GO and Textron Off Road to all be brands that dealerships can represent under one roof. "I can see a dealer who has a sign outside that says both Textron Off Road and Arctic Cat. I could see a dealer that would have Textron Off Road, Arctic Cat and E-Z-GO, and that's three very unique value propositions for a dealer and one point of contact, one company providing support, one company doing engi- neering, and I think that's what we can visual- ize is those three brands being on the marquee of dealerships." Though Textron has recently transi- tioned away from the Bad Boy name, the Arctic Cat brand will stick around, Collins said, because Textron sees the value in the 56-year-old moniker. "One of the things that we certainly love about Arctic Cat is their fiercely independent spirit. They've got such a passion around the brand and the products, and those consumers … they just bleed green, and we do not want to lose any of that. That's something that we're very committed to holding on to," Collins reported. "Really the closest brand that I can really point at that has a similar cult following would be Harley guys; there are some guys for who it's going to be a Harley, and I think Arc- tic Cat very much has built that same level of loyalty with a lot of their customers. So I think our financial backing, our combined manufac- turing expertise and engineering prowess will come together for a very good marriage." He added, "We love the Arctic Cat brand. We've still got some work to understand what happens to Textron Off Road, what happens to the branding on their dirt products, what happens to snow. Certainly Arctic Cat will always be the snow brand, and we just have to figure out what the overlay is with Textron Off Road products, the Arctic Cat products and the snow products. We plan to continue a very consistent, very aggressive level of investing into Arctic Cat, into the combined brands, the combined products and really bring a value proposition to dealers that we weren't able to do alone, so it just really makes a lot of sense when you just sit back and think about these two companies coming together." PSB JOHN COLLINS TEXTRON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Textron Specialized Vehicles announced it is transitioning away from Bad Boy Off Road and toward Textron Off Road for its ATV and side-by- side products.

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