Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

Dear Born Free Family,

First of all, thank you for the encouragement, well-wishes, and warm welcome you continue to show me. I truly appreciate your support for Born Free and for me as its’ new President and CEO.

For those of you whom I haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet, let me tell you a little about myself.
I was born and raised in Indiana and have a wonderful wife and three children. My wife and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in March of this year. This is truly an exciting time in our family and they all are very supportive. Professionally, I began my career in the RV industry in Indiana in 1985, straight out of college. Nearing my last semester, I approached a professor for advice on where to look for a job and he asked, “Have you considered working for an RV company? That’s really an up-and-coming industry with all the baby boomers.” I didn’t know anything about RV’s at the time, but I took his advice and secured a job designing cabinets at Gulf Stream Coach. Later, I moved on to an opportunity with Monaco Coach where I spent a 15 year career honing my skills and leadership while that company grew. My career there took me to Oregon where we lived for 14 years and where my youngest child was born. I left there only for an opportunity with Country Coach in operations where I was promoted to VP for my efforts. My career has been centered around the luxury end of the market. After the economic collapse of 2008 – 09 I found my way back to Indiana and just finished a 4 year career with Dynamax. I’m pursuing my new position with the same focus and passion for the industry that I learned long ago.

Over the last 30 years, I have been involved in virtually all facets of the RV Industry, including having worked many FMCA and factory rallies. I have made friends while at the shows who I continue to keep in touch with. We’ve shared engaging conversations and laughter. My engineering background has given me a unique understanding of the industry that has been crucial to my growth as a leader. I’ve enjoyed success with nearly every RV manufacturer that I’ve worked for in growing and expanding their operations and I look forward to doing the same with Born Free.
Born Free has a long and valuable history of quality products and customer service. I’m committed to maintaining that and am excited to build on this foundation to grow the business and the brand. There are great opportunities here at Born Free and the team here in Humboldt all appreciate your continued support and loyalty.

Thank you for the vote of confidence you made in Born Free when you purchased one of our motorcoaches. We will work hard to continue to earn your confidence as we move forward.

There are great things in store for Born Free!

Sincerely,
Jeff Butler

NOTE: At the request of Brandon Dodgen, the above letter was posted by Website Admisitrator (bfadmin-2)

Over the last 30 years, I have been involved in virtually all facets of the RV Industry, including having worked many FMCA and factory rallies. I have made friends while at the shows who I continue to keep in touch with. We’ve shared engaging conversations and laughter. My engineering background has given me a unique understanding of the industry that has been crucial to my growth as a leader.

Dear Jeff Butler:

I think BF industries and the current users and potential buyers would be more comfortable if you were listing your engineering qualifications/achievements rather than you success in organizing factory rallies and making friends. Your self-assessment as a leader needs to be proven in some way, instead of self-proclaimed.

Most of the members of this forum feel pampered by the high quality of the BF coaches and the factory responses to their needs. I hope that your hopping from company to company (the best and most proven way to advance your pay) will end with BF and that your eventual dedication to this particular company and maybe even your professional skills (?!) would help the company bottom line and all of us.

Good luck!

I'll follow the lesson I learned from my southern mother. Be nice! Southerners smile, joke and are polite while quietly observing and carefully listening to what is said and unsaid to form an opinion. This is what I plan to do.

I wish you well Jeff, and suspect your enthusiasm and background will maintain and further enhance the Born Free experience. And probably with some twists and turns along the way, as you gain experience dealing with industry as an owner, and especially dealing with the demographics of your buyer: grumpy old successful men. Maybe a trip to chat with the Hinckley people up in Maine would be enlightening and an example of a successful approach with a somewhat parallel product.

I look forward to seeing how Born Free will continue to be the leader in the Class C motorhomes. My fear is that jeff may want to join the over saturated field of Class A motorhomes.
I hope that the emphasis will be on the 20ft. to 28ft. length of Class C types of superior quality!
This is where Born Free will shine.
I would like to hear what his position on this is.

Jeff,

Not all of us are grumpy old successful men, some of us are women !! And speaking of women, it will serve you well to remember that behind every grumpy old successful man is usually a very tolerant and decisive woman

Welcome to Born Free...


Curt and Jo

I'll repeat my comment from another conversation for the benefit of Mr. Butler:

I always thought BF should/could be an iconic brand like Airstream (which has been sold many times). Hopefully the infusion of cash can make good things happen for the company.

[quote="charlesbell"]I'll repeat my comment from another conversation for the benefit of Mr. Butler:

I always thought BF should/could be an iconic brand like Airstream (which has been sold many times). Hopefully the infusion of cash can make good things happen for the company.[/quote]

What cash?

I have no insite into particulars of Born Free management, or the investment company which purchased Dodgen Industries. Since all parties apparently are privately held, there may be no public information available. Investment companies which buy publicly or privately held businesses do this for one reason. That is the intent to "fix up" and either resell or to issue in IPO to put the company in the public realm. Both as an owner and having had some association with John Dodgen Sr. and others in Humboldt, I wish all the Dodgens and Born Free employees the best and fervently hope for the long term success and independence of the company and it's products. Just don't count on much altruism behind any coming changes at the company.
JMO
Ralph

I missed the announcement such as it is. Almost nothing on the buyers is out on the web except possibly that its base is Austin TX. This seems to indicate a small fund with limited Operating experience and resources. The expression "plans to grow the business" is a boiler plate one that is used in every acquisition that is not a liquidation. So its conceivable (if not probable) that this growth will have to be accomplished using the BF cash derived from cost and spec cuts with price increases. Also a common strategy that more often than not results in another sale. I am glad I got mine before the passion evaporated.

I have owned 2 Born Frees I purchased new since 2007. I was just looking at getting another new one and looking at the website and found out that BF had been sold. I have a Foretravel as well and it was sold to an investor group and the passion left. I guess, I will either buy a new one soon before they change too much or wait and see what they do and decide then. I have been looking at a class B as an option as well. I love my Born Free and have to say over the years they have both worked very well with very little issues. I think I spent a total of 300 dollars on repairs over the whole 7 years of ownership. That does not count regular maintenance but that is not a repair.


I have always thought that BF is one of the best built coaches out there and I hope they keep that.

I am guessing here but after John (snr's) big C, I think the family dislocation was so extensive that they probably did all of the above: brand, company and assets. That they were not picked up by another brand is probably because their market share is very small and when you factor in the F Series which no one wants (except me) it does not move the needle. Very few of the PE firms are able to build the brand as they are much like public equity and only live for the "flip".

I have never had better service from any company, anywhere, than I have had from BF and would gladly do it again!

My RV is 25 years old. This announcement has zero impact on me. Good luck to Dodgen's and the new owners and leaders of Born Free. Change is good. Sometimes Bad, but usually good. You need change to keep you fresh in any market.

The content of this post was deleted by website administrator bfadmin-2.

Amen !