BRP announced that it reorganized outboard engine activities under a single manager.
Québec-based BRP named 17-year veteran Alain Villemure vice president and general manager of its outboard engine division, effective Sept. 4.
He will be responsible for all outboard engine-related activities, including product development and manufacturing operations, as well as North American sales, marketing and after-sales.
Villemure is currently leading the vehicle development and manufacturing operations division, which includes all vehicle-related development, manufacturing operations and supply chain management of Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo PWC and boats as well as Can-Am ATVs, side-by-side vehicles and roadsters.
“The Evinrude brand has been and continues to be a great contributor to BRP’s success,” BRP president and CEO José Boisjoli said. “With Alain at the lead of this new division and with the investments we made last year to integrate product development and manufacturing under one roof, we are well positioned to bring the brand to another level and continue to enhance consumer experience.”
Since acquiring the Evinrude brand in 2001, BRP has revolutionized two-stroke technology with the introduction of E-TEC technology in 2003. In 2004, BRP became the first marine engine manufacturer to receive a Clean Air Technology Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its environmentally friendly Evinrude E-TEC engines. In 2009, E-TEC technology was adapted for snowmobile engines, producing some of the most fuel-efficient engines in the industry.
Last year, BRP announced a $15 million investment to consolidate outboard engine development and operations in Sturtevant, Wis., to create the heart of the Evinrude brand. Regrouping these operations — everything from R&D and production to North American sales, marketing and after-sales — under the same division creates greater focus and synergies between different but complementary business processes.
“When I was vice president and general manager of the Sea-Doo/Ski-Doo division, I really enjoyed working directly with the distribution network,” Villemure said in a statement. “I look forward to joining our team in Sturtevant and developing a close relationship with the network so that together we can raise the Evinrude consumer experience ever higher.”
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. is a privately held company that includes Sea Doo watercraft and boats, and Evinrude & Johnson outboard engines.
