Mercury Marine manufactures and markets a full range of sterndrive engines,
inboard engines, outboard engines and water-jet propulsion systems under the
Mercury, Mercury MerCruiser, Mariner, Mercury Racing, Mercury SportJet and Mercury
Jet Drive brand names. Mercury Marine's sterndrives, inboard engines, water-jet
propulsion systems and a substantial number of its outboard engines are sold
either to independent boatbuilders or to the Company's operations that comprise
the Brunswick Boat Group. In addition, Mercury Marine's outboard engines and
parts and accessories, including marine electronics and control integration
systems, steering systems, instruments, controls, propellers, trolling motors,
service aids and marine lubricants, are sold to end-users through a global network
of approximately 12,000 marine dealers and distributors, specialty marine retailers,
and marine service centers. Mercury Marine, through Cummins MerCruiser Diesel
Marine LLC (CMD), its joint venture with Cummins Marine, a division of Cummins
Inc., supplies integrated diesel propulsion systems to the worldwide recreational
and commercial marine markets, including the Company's Brunswick Boat Group.
Mercury Marine manufactures nine two-stroke OptiMax outboard engines, ranging
from 75 to 250 horsepower, all of which feature Mercury's direct fuel injection'
(DFI)'technology. DFI is part of Mercury's plan to comply with U.S.'Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)'requirements and reduce outboard engine emissions 75'
percent over a nine-year period beginning with the 1998 model year and ending
in 2006. Mercury's product line of low-emission engines includes 13 four-stroke
outboard engine models ranging from 4 to 115 horsepower and one 225-horsepower
model. In 2004, Mercury Marine introduced Verado, a new series of high-horsepower
outboard engines to complement its existing four-stroke product line. Mercury's
OptiMax and four-stroke outboards already achieve the EPA's mandated 2006 emission
levels.
Mercury Marine's sterndrive engines and outboard engines are produced primarily
in Oklahoma and Wisconsin, respectively. Certain small outboard engines are
manufactured in Japan by a Mercury Marine joint venture. In addition, Mercury
Marine sources some outboard engines and some key components from Asian suppliers.
Mercury Marine also manufactures engine component parts at plants in Florida
and Mexico, and has a facility in Belgium that customizes engines for sale into
Europe. Diesel marine propulsion systems are manufactured in South Carolina
by CMD.
In addition to its marine engine operations, Mercury Marine's product offerings
in international markets include a wide range of aluminum, fiberglass and inflatable
boats produced either by, or for, Mercury in Australia, Poland and Sweden. These
boats are marketed under the brand names Armor, Arvor, Bermuda, Legend, Mercury,
'rnvik, Protector, Quicksilver, Savage and Uttern and are typically equipped
with engines manufactured by Mercury Marine and often include other parts and
accessories supplied by Mercury Marine. Mercury Marine has an equity ownership
interest in companies that manufacture boats under the brand names Askeladden,
Bella, Rayglass and Valiant, which are produced in Norway, Finland, New Zealand
and Portugal, respectively. Mercury Marine also manufactures custom and standard
propellers and underwater stern gear for inboard-powered vessels, under the
name Teignbridge, in the United Kingdom.
During 2003, Mercury Marine continued to grow its aluminum metal castings business,
which sells custom products to a variety of industries, including the motorcycle,
agricultural implement and off-road recreational vehicle businesses. The Company
anticipates that Mercury's castings business will continue to grow, and intends
to identify other areas of expertise across its businesses that can be similarly
leveraged in industries beyond the Company's core businesses.
Mercury Marine's SmartCraft system, a total marine electronics and controls
integration system, leverages Mercury's advanced engine technology by linking
all essential boat functions, including power, controls, and internal and external
sensors, to provide synchronized data and control over all essential boat functions.
SmartCraft systems also allow Mercury and its customers to take advantage of
advances in communications, entertainment and navigation electronics by providing
a platform to integrate these technologies to enhance the boating experience.
The Company established Brunswick New Technologies (BNT)'during 2002 to expand
the Company's product offerings in marine electronics, engine controls, navigation
systems, dealer management systems and related equipment for use in both marine
and non-marine applications. BNT is comprised of: MotoTron, which leverages
the Company's expertise in engine controls to non-marine markets; Northstar
Technologies, a world leader in premium marine navigation electronics; and Monolith
Corporation/Integrated Dealer Systems, a leading developer of dealer management
systems for dealers of marine products and recreational vehicles. To complement
BNT's expertise, the Company acquired 70'percent of the stock of Navman NZ Limited,
a New Zealand-based leader in global positioning systems-based products and
marine electronics, in the second quarter of 2003. BNT also acquired New Eagle
Software and Accelerate Performance Products, both software development companies
for marine and non-marine markets, in 2003 to further enhance BNT's product
and service offerings in engine controls.
Boat Segment
The Boat Group manages many of the Company's boat brands, evaluates and increases
the Company's boat portfolio by acquiring recreational boat product segments
in which the Company is not participating, expands the Company's involvement
in recreational boating services and activities to enhance the consumer experience
and dealer profitability, speeds the introduction of new technologies into boat
manufacturing processes and the Company's boat products, and leverages the Company's
extensive knowledge and involvement in boat design, manufacturing and distribution.
The Boat Group is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and provides shared
services to the following Company boat brands: Hatteras luxury sportfishing
convertibles and motoryachts; Sea Ray and Sealine yachts, sport yachts, cruisers
and runabouts; Bayliner and Maxum cruisers and runabouts; Meridian motoryachts;
Boston Whaler and Trophy offshore fishing boats; Baja high-performance boats;
and Princecraft aluminum fishing, pontoon and deck boats. The Boat Group also
operates a commercial and governmental sales unit that sells products to the
United States Government and state, local and foreign governments for military,
law enforcement and other activities, and to commercial customers for use in
a variety of applications. Sales of Boston Whaler, Baja and various inflatable
boats represent the majority of the Boat Group's governmental and commercial
sales. The Boat Group procures most of its outboard motors, gasoline sterndrives
and gasoline inboard engines from Mercury Marine, and diesel engines from CMD.
The Boat Group has manufacturing facilities in Florida, Maryland, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee, as well as international
manufacturing facilities in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The Boat
Group also utilizes contract manufacturing facilities in Bulgaria and Poland.
Since 2002, the Company has been manufacturing entry-level runabouts at a new
facility in Reynosa, Mexico, where it intends to expand operations in 2004.
Fitness Segment
The Company's Fitness segment is comprised of the Life Fitness division, which
designs, markets and manufactures a full line of reliable, high-quality cardiovascular
fitness equipment (including treadmills, total body cross trainers, stair climbers
and stationary exercise bicycles) and strength-training equipment under the
Life Fitness, Hammer Strength and ParaBody brands.
Life Fitness also sells its products into the high-end consumer markets. Approximately
10'percent of the Fitness segment's 2003 sales were made through Omni Fitness,
a chain of specialty fitness equipment retail stores owned and operated by the
Company since 2001. Omni Fitness sells consumer products for Life Fitness, as
well as fitness products manufactured by other companies. Most of Life Fitness'
remaining consumer sales are to other specialty fitness retailers, including
chains in which the Company has minority ownership interests.
The Fitness segment's principal manufacturing facilities are located in Illinois,
Kentucky, Minnesota and Hungary. The Fitness segment also operates 45'Omni Fitness
specialty fitness retail stores located primarily in the Northeast region of
the United States.
During 2002 and 2003, Life Fitness introduced more than 90 new fitness products,
including new elliptical cross trainers, treadmills, stationary bikes, stairclimbers,
home gym products, commercial selectorized strength training equipment and a
series of cable motion machines
Bowling'& Billiards Segment
BB&B operates approximately 116 bowling centers in the United States, Canada
and Europe, and with its joint venture partner operates 14 additional centers
in Japan. Bowling centers offer bowling and, depending on size and location,
the following activities and services: billiards, video games, pro shops, children's
playrooms, restaurants and cocktail lounges. All of the North American centers
offer Cosmic Bowling, an enhanced form of bowling with integrated sound systems
and glow-in-the-dark effects. To date, 39 of BB&B's centers have been converted
into Brunswick Zones, which are modernized bowling centers that offer a full
array of family-oriented entertainment activities. The entertainment offerings
available at Brunswick Zones are designed to appeal to a broad audience, including
families and other recreational bowlers, as well as traditional league bowlers.
BB&B intends to convert eight additional centers in 2004 into Brunswick
Zones and open two new centers, supporting the Company's strategy to increase
market share. Approximately half of BB&B's bowling center facilities are
owned by the Company and the other half are leased.
BB&B has a 50'percent ownership interest in Nippon Brunswick K.'K., which
sells bowling equipment and operates 14'bowling centers in Japan. In addition,
BB&B has a 50'percent ownership interest in Vulcan-Brunswick Bowling Pin
Company, which manufactures bowling pins in Antigo, Wisconsin.
BB&B's billiards business was established in 1845, and is the oldest business
operated by the Company. BB&B designs and markets billiards tables, billiards
balls, cues and related accessories under the Brunswick brand, and serves the
domestic and international commercial and consumer billiards markets. The Company
believes it has the largest dollar sales volume of billiards tables in the world.
In June 2003, the Company acquired Valley-Dynamo, LP, a leading manufacturer
of commercial and consumer billiards, Air Hockey and foosball tables. In 2003,
BB&B opened a retail billiards store in a northern suburb of Chicago as
a means of expanding distribution and testing retail concepts.
Financial Services
In 2002, the Company established a joint venture, Brunswick Acceptance Company,
LLC (BAC), with Transamerica Commercial Finance Corporation (TCFC). In January
of 2004, GE Commercial Finance, the business-to-business financial service unit
of General Electric Company, acquired the commercial finance business of Transamerica,
including TCFC. Under the terms of the joint venture agreement, BAC provides
secured wholesale floor-plan financing to the Company's boat and engine dealers.
BAC also purchases and services a portion of Mercury Marine's domestic accounts
receivable relating to its boatbuilder and dealer customers.
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