Changes with RAT

Pig9r

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Kansas City, MO USA
Got this email forwarded to me from the local RAT chapter. Apparently it was sent out to all of the RAT pack leaders regarding changes.

I just wanted to send a quick note to all of you with an insider update on the 'world of R.A.T.'
As some of you may already know Matt Weinert has been promoted to the Clothing Product Manager for Triumph. We are very happy for him, and wish him well with his new responsibilities. That said, I am sure you are all wondering who's the new RAT guy? Well the answer is; ALL OF US!
Triumph will be splitting the major RAT responsibilities among our staff. This will allow you the opportunity to get to meet a few other members of our hardworking team, not just 'The RAT guy.' For starters, I will be finalizing the plans for all the remaining 2007 RAT raids. You will see me at most of the events this year. As such, I will typically be at the event a day or so before it begins. Feel free to meet up with me and say hello if you come early; however, we will not be holding any 'formal' pack leader meetings at the Raids this year. Also, as in the past, I will still be a point of contact for any dealer related questions about RAT.
Our Customer Relations Manager, Mr. Peter Carleo will be addressing all membership issues, comments, and concerns for our loyal Triumph owners. In addition, Peter will be a major player in helping at the RAT events this year.

Finally, keep your eyes open for a few new faces at the events this year. We'll have some 'behind the scenes' Triumph representatives from all over company helping to make 2007 the best season yet!
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Take Care,
Tia Robinson
Marketing Coordinator
Triumph Motorcycles (America), Ltd.
Phone: 678-539-8766
Email: tia.robinson@triumphmotorcycles.com

I don't know you everyone noticed the last Torque magazine you got wasn't Torque, it was just a Triumph Magazine. No RAT info in it like in past issues. I wonder if this is the beginning of the end of Triumph running RAT. Will it be at the local level only?
 
Rat Trap?

The RAT coordinator for France and francophone Switz. was given the boot 2-3 months ago and has not been replaced. I heard speculations, mosty concerns, about what's going on, e.g. Triumph trying to rid itself of RAT affairs and/or trying to delegate them to its dealers... but nothing conclusive thus far:( .

Jamie
 
I don't get what you mean Pig, I am sitting here looking at Spring 2007 issue of Torque, and on pages 32-35 is 'News From the Riders Association of Triumph. Are you sure you have the right mag.
 
Interesting, I guess

Pig9r:

You are right, it don't have the coverage it had before. Interestingly, I tried to renew my RAT membership online about 5 different times and it denied me every time. I guess I have to buy a bike a year to keep my membership....right.

If Triumph is going to divest itself of RAT and turn it over to the dealers, I look at it as a cost cutting move to bolster the bottom line. It costs plenty to publish the magazine and mail it. Our USCA magazine, published and mailed bi-monthly is around 1000 bucks with every issue and it's on glossy stock but with no color photo's and it's only around 650 copies. All the admin, editing and stories come gratis from the paid membership and the paid advertisers offset the cost somewhat. Considering how many RAT members there are all around the world, I imagine the cost is pretty steep. Having said that, I wonder if the rag is going to go south too?

Personally, my opinion is that whomever is managing Triumph, LTD is counting pennies and is indifferent to the marques continued sales increases. One of the posters on the NTBF is the editor of Motorcycle Dealer News and an ex employee of Triumph, America. In the past I read some interesting posts about the Newman, Georgia facility if you want to call it that. He implied on more than one occasion that basically the Newman, Georgia facility was a receptionist, a couple of phones and a couple of offices and that was it. I don't know if that's true today but a few years ago it sounded like TA was operated on a shoestring.

Of course, back in the old days when Norton's were around, Berliner Motors, Hasbrouk, New Jersey was the importer and Berliner was a small retail dealer acting as sole importer, basically a phone, a couple of bikes and a freight forwarding agreement.

I guess we'll see where this all goes. We now have Thaiumphs and maybe previous issues of Torque will become collectors items.
 
Last year in Torque they said Triumph has less than 1000 employees worldwide. Whether that is true with the Thai factory open I don't know.
 
Last year in Torque they said Triumph has less than 1000 employees worldwide. Whether that is true with the Thai factory open I don't know.

Pig9r:

In our computerized world with all it's non entities, I bet you'd be surprised to learn that probably 90 percent of the steel companies in this country are nothing more than a phone and a desk. The other 10 percent are the mills and processers. The mills pour and roll the slabs into hot or cold rolled steel bands (that's what a steel coil is actually called), processors, like my former employer process the steel bands and either sell the steel products (flat rolled, speciality (like galvanized, electro or hot dip) or slit coils directly or do business in processing products for, you guessed it, the other 90 percent.

I'd not be surprised about the 1000 employee count worldwide. From what I surmised from reading the posts on the other site, Triumph, NA is a staff of less than 5 persons. Pictures of facilities, office interiors, even production facilities can be fictitous and all good commercial artists have access to programs that make photoshop look primitive.

I saw that 'photo re-touching' blatantly used in my former employers brochures. Our plants never looked as though they were represented in the propaganda. It's all about projecting 'image' not reality.

Lead 'em down the 'yellow brick road to the wizard of oz'.
 
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