Company Background
Located in Tampa, Florida, Merit Marine Corporation had been the exclusive Florida distributor of Olympus brand commercial and recreational marine products since January 1976, when John Merit, the company’s president, had acquired the assets of the Olympus Florida franchise. In 1985, the company was closely held by John Merit and some relatives. John Merit himself held a
majority of the common shares. Merit distributed Olympus products to independent marinas across the state and, in addition to the distribution function, ran one of the state’s largest marinas at its headquarters in Tampa.
Since 1948, Olympus had been considered the premier manufacturer of engines and steering mechanisms for boats ranging from pleasure crafts to large cabin cruisers. Olympus products accounted for 90 percent of Merit’s sales in 1984, with remaining revenues generated from sales and service provided at the firm’s Sunshine Marina. (Exhibit 4 gives the distribution of Merit’s sales.)
Merit’s sales of Olympus products to marinas across the state were concentrated in three product lines: drive trains, which included engines and steering mechanisms; Olympia recreational boats; and Olympus replacement parts. Olympus differentiated itself by stressing quality throughout the manufacturing process and by providing the highest level of service in the industry. Through its unique distribution network, Olympus guaranteed marinas one day delivery of replacement parts. The formula had been successful: Olympus controlled over one quarter of the $5-billion marine-products market in the United States.
The previous owner of the Florida franchise, Alex Stalworth, had operated the franchise since Olympus’s inception in 1948. Prior to selling the franchise, Stalworth had been hesitant to make the substantial investment necessary to serve the booming recreational and commercial boating market in Florida. As a result, beginning in 1977, Merit found it necessary to make substantial investments in new fixed assets for the company, climaxing in 1982 with a $14-million addition to the warehouse and the service center. While the investment had been substantial, the new capacity would allow Merit to more than double sales. With the new facility in place, Merit anticipated that capital expenditures over the next several years would be approximately $3 million a year.
Sales for Merit Marine, which had increased at an annual rate of 16 percent between 1977 and 1981, dropped sharply in 1982 and 1983, as shown in Exhibit 3. The decline was a function of a severe recession, high interest rates, and oil prices. The subsequent economic recovery and the decline in oil prices brought a stronger market for Olympus’s products in Florida, which allowed Merit’s 1984 sales to increase 30 percent, to $120 million.