Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/387334
30 | Boating Industry | October 2014 www.BoatingIndustry.com [ 2014 Movers & Shakers ] ALAIN VILLEMURE, VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER MARINE PROPULSION SYSTEMS DIVISIONS, BRP STURTEVANT, WISCONSIN As one of the oldest brands in the marine in- dustry, Evinrude has weathered World Wars, the Great Depression, recessions, bankruptcies and more. Those challenges (especially the 2001 OMC bankruptcy) left the brand bruised, but Evinrude is now positioned better than ever to take ad- vantage of today's market, said Alain Villemure, who has led BRP's marine propulsion systems division for the last two years. "Starting with the bankruptcy, we had quite a challenge with quality issues at the time and a brand that suffered in terms of perception be- cause of that," he said. The company also lost much of its business with boat builders during the transition. A key goal for Villemure – and one that is still ongoing – was building on Evinrude's successful repower segment with more package business. Villemure, a longtime BRP employee now on his second stint with Evinrude, believes the company's blend of product innovation and cus- tomer focus will lead to long-term success. "Coming back as the GM, one thing that strikes me from a market perspective is the con- sumer delivery," he said. "You have the boat builder, you have the control manufacturer, you have the engine manufacturer, but who owns the consumer experience?" FINALISTS "It's a sea of sameness out there, so we came up with something that is drastically different." — Alain Villemure