Bombardier Recreational Products now officially "BRP"

By IBI Magazine/Michael Verdon

Bombardier Recreational Products is now officially calling itself "BRP" and has launched a multimedia show on its new www.brp.com web site to mark the occasion. Sporting a futuristic new logo that is reminiscent of the old Bombardier "spoke" logo, the company says it is charting a fresh new look for its future, without entirely abandoning its Bombardier past.

"The new BRP brand is based on a combination of astute leveraging of its rich heritage of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation," read a press release, "and a renewed focus on the BRP experience, providing consumers worldwide with uniquely crafted products that anticipate their needs and generate their passion and enthusiasm."

"We have a unique opportunity to start anew without having to start over," said José Boisjoli, President and Chief Executive Officer in the release. "We are determined to use it to lay claim to every playing field - snow, water, off-road, on-road, or in the air."

The company, according to Boisjoli, will also make good on "a new and superior promise - the BRP 'ultimate fun' experience," for its consumers. The multimedia presentation, which went through its multiple product lines, said that BRP's employees are "not only engineers and innovators" but also "enthusiasts, adventurers and pleasure seekers whose mission it is to thrill the world."

Listing its values, BRP also said that it is "customer-focused, innovative, respectful and socially responsible; committed to generating value for its business partners and shareholders; committed to fulfillment of employees and prosperity of their community; committed to environmental protection and safety."

"We are seizing the exceptional opportunity of our new company to create a distinct brand personality that reflects our vision and our ambition to be more accessible, customer-oriented, youthful and global. This is a key formula to ensure that our company is very successful in the competitive recreational products global markets," added Boisjoli.

BRP employs over 7,000 people in manufacturing facilities in four continents, and claims to be the leader in many of the recreational industries in which it competes, including Sea-Doo personal watercraft and Sea-Doo brand sportboats. It also manufactures the Johnson/Evinrude line of outboards.

Bombardier Recreational Products, which was divested from Bombardier, Inc. on December 19, 2003, posted revenues of $2.5 billion Cdn. for its most recent fiscal year ended January 31, 2004. That was about even with the previous fiscal year. Its net income, however, fell from $114.8 million Cdn for the previous year to $12.7 million Cdn. for last year.

(15 June 2004)