Case Overview
The Yellowtail Marine, Inc. case combines corporate and industry data with an "in-basket" exercise. It focuses attention on the difficulties of Robyn Gilcrist – the newly appointed President – to efficiently managing the company’s daily operations while at the same time developing a corporate strategy. Robyn Gilcrist has taken over as CEO a few days after the death of Olaf Gunerson, Yellowtail’s founder and former owner. Therefore, there was no proper hand-over for Gilcrist.

Appointed by the company’s new owner, Charles Boswell, the plan was for Robyn to have 12 months working with Gunerson before his retirement, but death intervened. Now Robyn must learn the business in a fast pace and keep it running without him. …show more content…

4. Potential business for used – boat market.
5. Potential states (based on the U.S. Coast Guard report, Boating Statistics) : Michigan, New York and California. One state, Florida is open up and opportunity rises as there is new investor interested with Yellowtail’s product. Florida state contribute 4.3 % of the total market in the US. The first three states mentioned are contributing 25.5% of the boat sales. Winning the market share in this four states will help Yellowtail’s business.
6. New prospective dealer to run East Coast market (Chris Craft in Florida).

On top of the above considerations, Robyn also needs to consider some serious internal problems to overcome the challenges in developing a strategic vision. These internal considerations are :
1. No direction for the company’s product-market-customer-technology.
2. Problem with outboard boat quality at the boat yard.
3. Legal case with the EPA
4. Offer to take over another boat companies.
5. OSHA recent investigation.
6. Last but not least, Gilcrist should be able to see that the Yellowtail Marince inc. has a company values that was inherited from Olaf Gunerson the founder and last CEO. Olaf was very passionate to the product and looking from the long years of employees working there, it is apparent that Olaf put family value as an important factor for Yellowtail.

Top management’s view and conclusions about the company directions and the product –