Don't know what will or won't happen, just saying it's worth considering various angles on something like this, including the impact on consumers. There may be cost-savings related to shared production and marketing costs. At the same time, more competition leads to innovation and cost advantages for consumers, that's basic economics. So it's not off the wall to raise an inquisitive eyebrow and look at both sides when moves like this occur.

Ranger may be the exception, since it doesn't really have an apples-to-apples competing brand within the new group (besides maybe Triton), and it does have legitimate competitors from outside the new BPS family in both the bass and deep-v boat markets. Of course, it will be very interesting to see the impact when Nitros and Rangers are on the same showroom floor at BPS retail dealerships (and those Nitros are dang nice boats at a good price). KVD says he's sticking with Nitro, but like everything else with this move the promises of "staying the same" are all followed by the caveat, "for now."

Looking instead at the entry- and mid-level bass boat market, that's an awful big share all under one ownership group now. For example, Stratos offers small bass boats specifically designed, marketed, and priced to compete with Tracker's dominance of that entry segment. What happens here? Will this change lead to more features, options, incentives and discounts, or less? Or, will prices go even lower and pull buyers away from independent regional brands?