By 1985 Mercury Marine had estimated annual sales of $790.8 million, accounting for about half of Brunswick's total sales, along with net income of $126.5 million. The following year, Brunswick made waves throughout the marine industry by purchasing Bayliner Marine Corporation and Ray Industries (Sea Ray), the world's two largest boat companies, giving it the ability to market complete packages of trailers, boats, and motors. Bayliner was acquired for about $425 million, including $375 million in cash, while Ray Industries was obtained for $350 million, $300 million of which was cash.

In 1986, Mercury contributed $949 million to Brunswick's total $1.7 billion in sales, and achieved net income of $153 million. The following year, Mercury Marine's sales increased 24 percent. At that time, the company agreed to acquire BMW Marine, the marine engine operation of German automobile manufacturer BMW AG.

In mid-1987, progress continued as Mercury announced record contracts for 1988 model year MerCruiser stern drives and inboard engines. This record pace continued for the 1989 model year, as orders for MerCruiser stern drives and inboards climbed 8 percent, reaching $1.3 billion. Another key development during the late 1980s was Mercury's 1988 agreement with General Motors to manufacture high-performance V8 engines for certain 1989 Corvettes at the company's plant in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In November 1988, Mercury President Richard Jordan announced his retirement. Replacing him was Thomas R. Weigt, president of the Brunswick division who had previously spent 21 years working at Mercury Marine.

Troubled Times in the Late 1980s

Mercury Marine ended the 1980s on a sour note. In January 1989, concerns were raised by the Wisconsin State Department of Natural Resources concerning carbon monoxide emission problems at Mercury's Fox River engine testing facility. This led the company to install a $250,000 exhaust control system to rectify the problem. Then, a recession that resulted in falling sales and rising retail inventories led to massive layoffs that would continue into the early 1990s. The first layoffs came in April 1989, when more than 200 of Mercury's 3,500 workers were laid off. Amidst these difficult times, Mercury Marine named David Jones as its new president.

In 1990, Kiekhaefer Aeromarine Motors was acquired by Brunswick and named as its high-performance division. In addition, Mercury Powerboats was reorganized as Brunswick Fishing Boats that year. In addition to recessionary conditions, Mercury faced other difficulties, including resistance from boat builders to buy motors from Mercury Marine, which had become a competitor. The layoffs of the late 1980s also continued. Some 1,000 employees had been laid off by January 1990. Overall, Brunswick laid off more than 8,000 workers in 1991, as sales for its Marine Group

I think there are a few other boat companies that were bought and sold, but bottom line is this, Several companies have gone belly up, never to return, some (Like Phoenix), have risen from the ashes of other companies (Bumble Bee), and some manage to keep their heads above water. One thing that seems to ring loud and clear is that some manufacturer's have chosen to be fairly regional, while others want the national stage. It seems to me the downside of the national stage is that the more boats you sell, the more you have to sell, and the company grows, making it that much more susceptible to either being taken over or bankrupted. I know there are a lot of Brand Loyal Ranger, Stratos, and Champion Owners out there who would tar and feather Irwin Jacobs if they could.

im to young to know about stuff that happened in the 80s, sry but i sure hope this industry is on its way back up, or at least is reall soon

I hope your right Cody. Everybody needs to remember this. BASS, and FLW are the only two professional sports that is free to the public, Lets hope they dont set up and start chaging 20 or 30 bucks to watch weigh in. Back to the boat prices, where can you possibly find $70,000 worth the materials or workmanship in any brand of boat? They are that high cause we will pay it, and Im as guilty as anyone for doing it. Ive always said I want a nice pickup and a nice bass boat, and Ive alaways had both, but that might be getting ready to change.

What do you mean that ESPN has done very little for the sport. Have you forgotten that they are still giving us Charlie Moore.

Charlie Moore

Can U Say <PAA> In Less then 2 years this will be the Major Tournament Tail

I will be crucified for saying this but I hope they all fail! To see these guys make $100k up to $500k just for fishing a tournament is just ridiculous, I liked it better when people used to fish for fun and some money isn't horrible; but those high boat prices are partly caused by giving those pros sponser ship money. No, I'm not jealous of how much they make, I just feel like things were more personal when you fished for pride or to kick another anglers butt! O.k let those fingers slam me.

Lol I can appreciate that you have an opinion and voiced it....but like you I know whats coming lol

I hate to see it go the way deer hunting has gone,especially here in TX. If you don't have the money for a ranch hunt or have hundreds of acres to farm yourself,you better know somebody who does. It's gonna get so you can't afford a boat to get on the water with.

I concur.

The PAA seems to lack the funding to do much on the National scene, but who knows? Lip Grip has, at least in my opinion, a valid point, but at least for now, the waterways are free to whoever wants to use them for a small launch fee. Grout-Scout, I'll be the first to slam you because there is absolutely nothing preventing anyone from fishing for fun, or the challenge of whipping your co-angler's butt. That said, were it not for these professional anglers, the advances that have been made in terms of boats, motors, and electronics would not have been made. I've been fishing competively for 25 years now, and the latest boat, compared to my first boat, is more technologically advanced, than my first car to my latest car. In my opinion, if the same advances had been made in automotive technology as have been made in marine technology, we would all be driving by wire in cars that got 60 mpg.

I have been saying for a while that if the sport is to grow at a professional level, that the PAA is the place it has to. BASS and FLW are in it to make money. They use sponsorship $$$ and entry fees to do this. You don't see professional golfers paying entry fees. They pay their PGA dues, if they are good enough they are invited to play in the biggest events. The PAA is in it to grow the sport and it's anglers, similar to the PGA.

All of us have more baits than we could throw in a life time of fishing, but yet most of us make 1-2 trips a month to BPS and Cabs to buy even more. Have to have the next color, the next bait. I saw KVD win an event at Okochobee on a Red Eye Shad, better get me 10 of those. I saw Tim Horton catch an 8lb fish at Guntersville on an Excalibur Rattling bait, better get me 10 of those. I don't live anywhere near Okochobee or Guntersville, but if they work their....Now I have 20 new rattle trap type of baits to go with the 50 I already own. I can only throw 1 at a time and rarely loose those baits. That is who we are as fisherman. Look 3 years in the future, Lucky Craft offers Tim Horton double what Excalibur would pay him and he gets to design his own Rattling Bait. So he switches to Lucky Craft, helps design the next big thing in rattling baits, one that is unique and is the 'only bait' that does flips in the water, and now you have to go out and by 10 of those to go with the 70 rattling baits you already own, 68 of which have yet to see the water. And the trend continues.

There will always be a market for boats that are not 'BMWs'. There is a market for those top of the line boats just like there is a market for Beemers. It is a different price point. Nobody is putting a gun to anyones head when you sign the paper work for a 12 year loan on a $60K boat purchase. I guess that would be the main difference. You can't buy a Beemer on a 12 year loan (lol). If someone wants to buy a $50K boat on a 12 year loan, paying over $78K for that boat 12 years later, that is OK with me. I am sure that is OK with the boat/motor manufacturer as well. It sure isn't for me, but is for others and that is great. But for most, they are not looking at getting into a morgage situation with their boat, so I don't see it ever escalating to the only choice being a top of the line boat.

Pro tournament fishing will never have the sponsorship dollars that golf has because tournament fishing is not the spectator sport that golf is. Same with Nascar. I've never been to a PGA or Nascar event, but I would guess that people are charged to attend those events, so that brings in revenue to bank roll an event. Companies are going to put money to where they get the most exposure. Just look at all the non-emidemic sponsors that have pulled out of FLW. Its great that FLW was able to do that for a while, but one downturn in the economy and they are like rats jumping a sinking ship. I think alot of that just comes down to companies with falling revenues have to figure out the best places to put their advertising dollars, and fishing tournaments probably do not give the "bang for the buck" in advertising.