New Ownership -- Since Last Fall

I would eventually like to see a dealer network, and production so that people are not waiting many months for a camper. Part of that effort will be getting away from 100-percent custom products. For efficiency and quality more of the build process needs to be standardized, as does our option list.

That's not going to make some people happy.
 
When Don Put the property in Chehalis up for sale a number of years ago, it was just a matter of time. The only reason to move and upgrade the facility was in prep for a sale...it fit nicely....this is the first article I've seen about it....but rumors ran around for a long time.

The company's been sold a few times but this is the best position they've been in for the market.....with alot of Baby Boomers looking at them it just made sense to ramp up production and start up a dealer network....looking forward to the future!!!

AND....this site does a very nice job of spreading the word.....guys....well done!

nice photos in the article

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8075-a-sign-of-the-times/?hl=%2Balaskan+%2Bsale
 
I am happy that Brian and the crew are staying with them. Sounds like the new owner doesn't want to reinvent the wheel just make it easier to make a few extra :)
 
craig333 said:
I would eventually like to see a dealer network, and production so that people are not waiting many months for a camper. Part of that effort will be getting away from 100-percent custom products. For efficiency and quality more of the build process needs to be standardized, as does our option list.

That's not going to make some people happy.
Click to expand...
I just hope they make exceptions...


Happyjax said:
I am happy that Brian and the crew are staying with them. Sounds like the new owner doesn't want to reinvent the wheel just make it easier to make a few extra :)
Click to expand...
I'm glad too. That they kept it quiet for 6 months suggests they are moving slowly.
 
I certainly hope they still do customization which is a big reason they are on top of the list....
 
With appropriate scheduling and time allotments for specific functional stations there's no reason they couldn't incorporate "full custom campers" as they have been doing and full on production as well....

it doesn't have to be one or the other....keeping customers happy with the product is the goal....any well done production schedule should be able to accommodate both ends.

For a very long time I built very custom, high end homes on a production schedule with every bell and whistle you could imagine offered....constant monitoring and realistic allotments for particular tasks is the key.......

everyone has to pay close attention....and there doesn't have to be a pressure cooker environment either
 
That's a great perspective Rusty. Alaskan already has custom (any size, shape, or layout) vs. semi-custom; there is probably a "package" that would satisfy many many buyers.
 
Whenever a company is sold, the possibility of the new owners doing a better or worse job of production looms. If Brian & the crew remain then the quality of the STAFF will not be the issue here....just the MANAGEMENT deciding to offer a menu of fixed features vs. a truly "custom" approach from a list of options.

I fully understand the wait problem for some people....while the boomers are more likely to be content to "order" their AK and wait for a few months for it the millennial types want it yesterday and may go elsewhere if there is a long wait.

Such is business I guess....

If you look at enough pics of AKs around here and on the web, there are very few that are exactly alike so it seems the custom feature approach coupled with that effecting the total cost of a new AK does mean that people like/want to order exactly what the want or they feel they need and do not want five models in three lengths with take-it-or-leave-it features.

I get the feeling that won't happen with the AK line though, it is build (pun intended) on the customer designing and ordering what they want and then waiting for it to be completed in a certain amount of time.

In shopping for an older 8 ft AK CO front dinette, in the last five months I have searched the west coast almost daily for them. I have seen some too far gone for my talents, some too new/expensive...but rarely do they have the same features in them. If I only Had Mr. Peabody's Way-Back Machine to go back and order one and have been able to keep it stored indoors all these years I'd be a happy camper!

Oh well...Maybe tomorrow I'll find one...
 
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