- Joined
- Sep 16, 2010
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 7
I just read the most recent Apogee newsletter and found this issue very insightful. https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter395.pdf Our hobby is relatively small and we are dependent on a small group of vendors for our "fun".
Using the newsletter as an "Economic Leading Indicator" I would say things are looking good. Almost by definition somebody has to sell at full retail. In my opinion that somebody is Apogee. They don't apologize for this either. If things are growing for them then the industry as a whole appears to be growing.
Tim uses phrases like: "Growing", "Out of floor space", "Adding more employees", "Investing heavliy",etc. A good company doesn't use these words unless they truly believe that things are improving.
The only thing that really concerns me is the "Harley Davidson" problem. https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/21/us-harleydavidson-boomers-analysis-idUSBRE95K0GU20130621 The average age of the Harley consumer has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Harley so far has not been as able to grow the youth market to replace the older market. I see this in rocketry as a lot of you do as well. I am an over 50 BAR. As long as our youth are at least exposed to rocketry there is hope that they too will become a BAR like me.
thoughts?
Jim
Using the newsletter as an "Economic Leading Indicator" I would say things are looking good. Almost by definition somebody has to sell at full retail. In my opinion that somebody is Apogee. They don't apologize for this either. If things are growing for them then the industry as a whole appears to be growing.
Tim uses phrases like: "Growing", "Out of floor space", "Adding more employees", "Investing heavliy",etc. A good company doesn't use these words unless they truly believe that things are improving.
The only thing that really concerns me is the "Harley Davidson" problem. https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/21/us-harleydavidson-boomers-analysis-idUSBRE95K0GU20130621 The average age of the Harley consumer has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Harley so far has not been as able to grow the youth market to replace the older market. I see this in rocketry as a lot of you do as well. I am an over 50 BAR. As long as our youth are at least exposed to rocketry there is hope that they too will become a BAR like me.
thoughts?
Jim