38 JUNE–JULY 2019 | International Boat Industry ibinews.com
Strategy & Finance
Q&A | BRUNSWICK/FREEDOM BOAT CLUB
FBC president John GiglioTHE ACQUISITION OF FREEDOM BOAT CLUB GIVES THE US BOATBUILDER A
TRUE NATIONAL FOOTPRINT IN THE GROWING BOAT RENTAL MARKETWORDS: TONY ESPOSITOW
hen Brunswick Corporation (BC)
launched its OnBoard Boating Club
in October of last year, Cecil Cohn,
president of Brunswick Boating Services Network,
said the company would need 100 to 150 locations
to have a true national footprint in the growing
boat rental trade. BC achieved that and more
with the purchase of Freedom Boat Club (FBC),
the company that essentially started the “sharing
economy” model some 30 years ago. FBC has 170
locations in 30 US states, Canada and Europe.
IBI talked with Cohn, Brenna Preisser, president- Brunswick Business Acceleration, and FCB
president John Giglio shortly after the acquisition
was announced to employees on 17 May 2019.Will OnBoard and Freedom be separate operations
and concepts or will they be merged into one unit?CC: “We’ve forged a number of really important
partnerships through the OnBoard platform. As an
example, our partners at Suntex [Marinas] have been
instrumental in us learning more about the space
and helping us gauge how attractive this segment
was, and so we intend over time to figure out in a
very thoughtful manner how we can best integrate
everyone moving forward and that will require some
conversations with partners and with John and his
team. I think there are a number of different avenues
where we can execute that, so there’s not one right
answer. There are going to be many right answers
on that front. But this acquisition is clearly the
foundation for our strategy moving forward.”John, does being acquired by the likes of BC validate
your platform and what you saw when you bought
the company in 2011?JG: “Historically the boat clubs have always been
on the outside of the mainstream industry, so it’s
not just validation but it’s also recognition that
the industry is changing and I think Brunswick’s
acquisition here is going to continue to help grow
the industry, and that’s the big thing for me. Their
forethought, not only initially with OnBoard, but
the fact that they are putting so much effort into
this space is really the direction and the future of the
industry, I think.Complete Climate Solutions: Heating, Cooling & Roofs
FREEDOM BOAT CLUB