by jhull413 » Fri Jul 02, 2010 7:24 am
The following came off of a competitor boat company's message board:
I have been monitoring this thread for the last couple of days and as always the folks here and on the Crownline site are very complimentary of our efforts. It never fails to humble us to see the appreciation that is expressed even by folks that don't own our product.
We have worked soooooo many hours over the last 15+ years to build a product and reputation that would stand the test of time. Your suggestions, compliments and comments have been instrumental in our family very nearly reaching that goal. We could not have done it without you and for that we give a very heart felt thanks.
I have the utmost respect and love for my parents. Their roots are some of the most humble of beginnings and their success has been acheived by dedication and drive born of the leanest of times.
For all of our determination and pure ole' hardheaded German/Dutch stubborness, we have reached an impasse....a barrier that we cannot breach.
The combination of the current perfect economic storm and the strangle hold by the financial sector in our industry, has depleted our resources to the point that a decision had to be made, to insure our parents security.
Affective yesterday, Prestige Trailers, Inc. has sold all of our assets, sans the building and land, to Heritage Custom Trailers.
When the decision was made to sell, we sent out invitations to (9) trailer manufacturers, with the collective hope that Heritage would be the one to make the purchase.
We felt that our two companies were very similiar, both in the quality of the product and the dedication to service. We also recognized that Jason and Mark Knight were good down home folk that lived their product, every day. We respect them as competitors and co-dreamers, and knew that they would embrace our dealers and retail customers.
Well, the lump in my throat is making it hard to see the screen..........here is my fathers' letter to our dealer network. If you read between the lines, you will feel the pride, the sadness, and the relief that comes with making this decision.
"4/7/09
It’s time to put all the rumors about Prestige Trailers to rest.
I am 68 years old, tired of this economy, and ready to retire. Though I have had several inquiries to purchase the company, I have decided to sell the assets of Prestige Trailers to the owners of Heritage Trailers.
I feel that Jason and Mark Knight of Heritage Trailers is the best fit for the continuation of the Prestige brand that my family has spent 15 years building. They are committed to build the Prestige style trailer to which you are accustomed and to maintain our current dealer pricing through at least the 2009 model year. It will be only a short time before their facility is ready to produce our style of trailers.
For your current and future trailer needs please contact the sales team at Heritage Trailers at 618-439-9626.
Thank you for your business and loyalty to Prestige Trailers. It was a great 15 years!