Moving Into The Future

In 1989, OMC purchased some of the holdings of Murray Industries, Inc., makers of
Chris-Craft boats. That same year, OMC sold off Lawn-Boy and Cushman. The sales netted a
combined $248 million in cash for OMC. One portion of the money was used for capital
improvements for its boatbuilding facilities while another portion was invested in building a new
Suncruiser aluminum pontoon boat. Despite the large expenditures, OMC’s decision to focus on
boatbuilding proved to be a good one. OMC was able to pair boats with appropriately powered
outboards and sales of boat packages doubled within a one year timeframe.

Smaller and quieter V-6s were introduced in 1991 in the form of the Evinrude Spitfire
and the Johnson Silver-Star series. These outboards featured a new flushing device that could be
used to flush the engine with fresh water while it was running. The Spitfire and Silver-Star
models also used an infra-red sensor system called Optical Ignition System (OIS 2000). This
system automatically advanced the engine timing to eliminate unwanted timing changes. Other
advancements in 1991 included smaller, more fuel efficient diesel stern drive models. The OMC
Cobra Diesel was a 970 pound, 3.2 liter, six-cylinder monoblock inline powerhouse that
produced 205-hp at 4300 rpm.

Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) was introduced on select OMC drive systems in 1993,
representing the first time that EFI was available to recreational stern drive customers. With the
previous carbureted systems, boaters had to endure a nine-step starting sequence. With the EFI,
boaters had only to turn the key and shift into gear.

By 1993, OMC had more than 20 brands in the marketplace, ranging from canoes to
cruisers. Operations were divided into three groups – the Fishing Boat Group, the Recreational
Boat Group, and the Aluminum Boat Group. Each group was responsible for all manufacturing
and marketing efforts associated with its line of products. The Fishing Boat Group included
Stratos, Hydra-Sports, Javelin and Quest by Four Winns. The Recreational Boat Group was
comprised of 80 models under the brand names Chris-Craft, Donzi, Four Winns, Seaswirl and
Sunbird. The Aluminum Boat Group included Princecraft/Springbok, Suncruiser, Low, Sea
Nymph, Grumman, and Roughneck. Many of these same brands are still in production today