Confluence Watersports has hired 41 new employees, bringing their total workforce to 217 people. In an exclusive interview with SPORTS EXECUTIVE WEEKLY, Kelley Woolsey, Confluence VP of Sales and Marketing, said these new employees are long overdue.

Woolsey said 100% of the new employees are in manufacturing, and will produce 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“This should have happened in late 2002… we are still struggling to catch up… In 01 & 02 the market was flat, and our sales were flat-there was oversupply for the demand… The market is still flat, but we have gained a huge market share,” said Mr. Woolsey.

He estimates that Confluence currently has 20% of the market share while small independent boat-makers hold 10%. That leaves 70% for Johnson Outdoors and Watermark.
Even with the new employees, current production capacity is affecting the pre-season/fill-in order ratio, according the executive.

“Our pre-season is a little bit higher than we would like. We want 50/50, but right now it’s more like 60% (pre-season) and 40% (fill-in). We would like to have the production capacity to fill 60% of our orders during the season, but with the way demand is now it’s just not possible,” said Woolsey.

Confluence was forced to outsource about 10% of their kayak production this past year, and Woolsey is planning on seeing that number grow next year.

“I see contract work as a temporary solution… We are also looking at more floor space, more ovens and more molds. Let’s put it this way, we left a lot of money on the table in ’03, we won’t do that in ’04,” he said.

The big question we posed to him was one that is on the minds of many in the paddle sports industry this week. What is Confluence going to do about the 20%across-the-board mark-downs offered by Watermark?”

Woolsey was a bit blunt on the matter, quipping, “People ask me how I’m going to react… I don’t have to react, my product sold through. I can’t build boats fast enough!”

When asked about the future of the industry on a whole, Woolsey had some insightful comments.

“One of the best things that could happen in this industry is for one of the smaller guys to take off and keep the big three – Confluence, Watermark, and Johnson Outdoors – on their toes.”


>>> We couldn’t have said it better…

>>> Sounds like an opp for the right product..