In 1937, Joseph-Armand Bombardier was granted a patent for the first ever vehicle that can travel on snow, developed in his garage in Valcourt, Quebec, through determination and daring. A second, larger vehicle followed, and he founded his own company in 1942: L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limité. Over the years, J.-A. Bombardier refined his design, and launched the Ski-Doo in 1959, already powered by a Rotax motor. This innovative product creates a new sport.
Today in 2021, headquartered in the Canadian town of Valcourt, Quebec, BRP operates manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Finland, and Austria and their products are available in more than 130 countries all over the world. They had annual sales for 6.0 B USD2 and a total workforce of more than 14,500 people.
The BRP riders can be transported on snow, on water, on the ground, and even in the air. His portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive products comprises Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Can-Am on- and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex, Stacer and Savage boats, Evinrude and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts, motorcycles and recreational aircraft. They support their product lines with a parts, accessories and clothing business, to fully enhance the riding experience.
During 2020, their goal was to proactively manage the impact of the pandemic by protecting the employees and the business partners as well as preserving the financial flexibility. They closely monitored developments and public health directives in each of their locations and implemented stringent protective measures. They also reduced their cost base, refocused their Capex plan and enhance their access to liquidity. As consumer demand increased, they supported their dealer network to deliver exceptional retail growth across all their product lines and attracted and nurtured an unprecedented level of first-time buyers.
In October 2019, they launched their Mission 2025 (M25) five-year strategic plan, which rests on four pillars: Growth, Customer Experience, Employee Experience and Lean. However, they are in the process of adapting some of their key initiatives. Further emphasis is being placed on turning new entrants into customers for life and enhancing their purchasing experience; increasing their focus on diversity, equity and inclusion priorities, and further promoting the wellbeing of their employees.
And now, they are entering a new era with electrification. They think this is the normal evolution of technology that needs to take place over time. They have always said that introducing electric vehicles was not a question of IF but WHEN. And that time is now.
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1 Business case made by professors Mona Pearl (DePaul - Driehaus College of Business & Kellstadt Graduate School of Business) & Jesús Lechuga (Tec de Monterrey - MGN Online MBA), based on a company whose data is public and appears in https://www.brp.com/en/about-brp.html, to serve as basis for a hypothetical approach to be worked on as part of a multicultural activity within the framework of Multicultural Experiencia Fall 2021. This case is not intended to illustrate an adequate or inadequate management of a given situation.
2 $6.0 B USD in USA => $6,000 MDD in Mexico