Dometic buys Atwood

[Chris_Bryant]

Well, I didn't see that one coming-

Dometic has signed an agreement to purchase Atwood Mobile Products for an undisclosed amount, a deal the company expects to broaden its product line and North American customer-base, the companies announced Tuesday.

http://rv-pro.com/news/dometic-acquires-atwood-mobile

[Dutch_12078]

Francesca Knowles wrote:
Well, Dometic can't do any worse with the company than its present owners have. According to the article linked to above, Atwood's sales were about 200 million last year. Compare that to the 330 million it enjoyed the year before it was acquired by Insight Equity in 2007! More than a thirty percent decline in sales, even without allowing for inflation.Source of numbers

Sadder still:

When acquired by those "Insight" guys, Atwood employed about 1900 people. All but 775 are gone now. I s'pose working at their local Mcdonald's. Classic case of acquisition of a company for the sole purpose of gutting it, then passing along the wrung out bones to the next guy. Let's hope Dometic breathes some life back into the corpse!

Are you totally overlooking the fact that Insight bought Atwood just before the economy (and the whole RV industry) went in the dumper? Given the number of RV related companies that didn't survive at all, the fact that they're still around and attractive to a buyer like Dometic says a lot.

[portscanner]

Anyone want to join me and create a company that makes quality RV products at a competitive price all the while paying an army of lawers and accountants to deal with the EPA, IRS, DOJ, DEA, DOE, and the rest of the GOV?

[FlatBroke]

Too bad. Everything I've had Atwood has been superior to Dometic.

[robatthelake]

And the next step will be when The folks who own this forum take over Dometic!

[opnspaces]

They bough Atwood. Come on, try to keep up here. 😉

Sorry, that was truthfully my attempt at humor, no slight intended.:)

[Dutch_12078]

ScottG wrote:
That doesn't sound good for the industry. It means even less competition on already junky parts. And Dometic customer service is below par as well. They ruined the great support Fantastic Fan once had.

How did Dometic ruin the Fantastic Fan support when Atwood owns it?

[Chris_Bryant]

I have a much better relationship with Dometic on the service side, though my Atwood road rep sales droid is good (sorry, Rex :)}. I just worry about what will happen to product overlap- will the Atwood Helium refrigerators and Australian sourced rooftop air conditioners just be orphaned?
That has happened before- Atwood made a refrigerator and rooftop air conditioner in the '80's.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Well, Dometic can't do any worse with the company than its present owners have. According to the article linked to above, Atwood's sales were about 200 million last year. Compare that to the 330 million it enjoyed the year before it was acquired by Insight Equity in 2007! More than a thirty percent decline in sales, even without allowing for inflation.Source of numbers

Sadder still:

When acquired by those "Insight" guys, Atwood employed about 1900 people. All but 775 are gone now. I s'pose working at their local Mcdonald's. Classic case of acquisition of a company for the sole purpose of gutting it, then passing along the wrung out bones to the next guy. Let's hope Dometic breathes some life back into the corpse!

[cwit]

I thought atwood was owned by lippert.

[tvman44]

Nothing like the only game in town to pedal your junk. 🙂

[ScottG]

That doesn't sound good for the industry. It means even less competition on already junky parts. And Dometic customer service is below par as well. They ruined the great support Fantastic Fan once had.