Ken Evans – stepping back from ‘the black’

by Bob Wonders on 4 Aug 2009 Ken Evans, for more than 25-years the well-known face of Mercury Marine, is standing down from his full-time role with the company and will take up a consultancy role beginning in 2010.

Evans, currently Director of Outboard Sales and Service, will close the door on his career in January and expects to be involved for only six weeks or so annually.

'It’s been an exciting 25-years, made all the more memorable thanks to the people I have been fortunate enough to work with and the people I have met through all facets of the boating industry,' he said.

'Without any doubt, working for the Mercury Marine and Brunswick organisation has been the highlight of my life.'

I was able to catch up with Ken at the recent Sydney International Boat Show and even though I’ve known him for 25-years there was plenty to learn about regarding both him and his background.

Born in Balmain in 1945, with his blood lines Ken Evans had no option but to become involved with the boating industry; one of his grandfathers served in the Merchant Marine during World War II, and later served as skipper aboard one of the legendary Manly Ferries.

His other grandfather was a Balmain boat builder, Harry Dundon, at a time when the Sydney Harbour side suburb could almost lay claim to being Australia’s boat building capital.

'I guess boating is in the blood, 'Ken admitted, ‘when I was a little bloke I used to cadge free rides on the Manly Ferry and my greatest achievement was finding my way down to the engine room and using a small oil can to lubricate some of the moving parts.'

It may surprise some who think they know Ken Evans to learn that he is a qualified electrician, having completed an apprenticeship and gained a diploma from the Transport Institute when working for NSW State Rail.

He was also ‘military minded’, serving with the Royal NSW Lancers at Parramatta, in what was then known as the Citizen’s Military Forces (CMF).

During his service, in which he rose to the ranks of Warrant Officer II or Squadron Sergeant Major, Ken helped establish the Military Driving School, also at Parramatta and served as its Officer in Charge.

In 1972, in partnership with a friend George McKenzie, Ken Evans became a marine dealer, establishing Western Marine at Blacktown, in Sydney’s outer west, housed in a former service station.

I guess it goes without saying that Western Marine’s initial franchise was…..you guessed it, Mercury outboards.

'And we had Bullet Boats and Brooker trailers, too,' Ken added.

He may not have realised at the time that the two names, Ken Evans and Bullet, would become virtual partners.

Ken had linked with Bullet Boats’ Brian Fleming previously and still holds the world record for a single outboard vee bottom mono hull at 122mph (196km/hr) set in Bullet 1.

'We used a 2.4-litre engine from Mercury Racing, it was an incredible pairing and worked so well together, he recalled.

In the United States, Ken showed he was more than just a run-of-the-mill boat driver when he piloted Bullet I in a seven-hour race on the Colorado River in Arizona.

The Australian was up against factory-backed teams with such legends at the wheels as Renato Molinari and Bill Seebold.

When it comes to boat drivers, Ken rates Sydney’s Bobby Halliday as good as any driver anywhere.

'He’s simply the best and Craig Bailey is another Aussie perfectly capable of mixing it with the best,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Western Marine was proceeding ahead and shortly after its establishment purchased its own premises, a former Ampol service station at Seven Hills.

'It was quite ‘flash’,' Ken explained, 'we even had carpet on the showroom floor, a real dash of class for a marine dealership at the time.'

Ken continued club racing, initially with the Silverwater Speedboat Club, then the Sydney Outboard Club and finally the St.George Motor Boat Club.

'I think I’ll always have a soft spot somewhere for powerboat racing,' he declared.

Around 1978, Ken and his partner had an approach to sell Western Marine, an approach from none other than John Smale, a man probably as well-known throughout the industry in NSW as Ken Evans himself.

The former Mercury dealer than became a Mercury man, joining the company for what would be a two-year stint that took him through to 1980.

Ken recalls being on holiday in the USA when he received a telephone call from Australia with a surprising job offer.

The offer came from Leyland Australia, then owned by the British Government, and it involved Evans setting up a new division within the company.

'Mercury asked me to stay on, but I simply had to tell them it was an offer too good to refuse, so I joined Leyland Australia and stayed there for four-years,' he explained.

'During that time I introduced Tohatsu outboards to Australia, 35hp was the most powerful engine available then, and too sales from zero units to 3600. 'We also handled Thornycroft diesels and other products such as chain saws, gensets and the like.'

In 1984 Ken Evans ‘returned to the fold’, re-joining Mercury Marine as NSW manager, beginning a journey that will near its end in January next year.

Ken finds it difficult to nominate career highlights. 'I guess being a regular award winner is right up there,' he said.

'I’ve won numerous honours for sales, customer service and profitability and a definite highlight would be winning the President’s Award one year which led to spending a week in the Caribbean with the late Jack Reichert, then Brunswick president and an absolutely top bloke.'

In 1991, Theo Wiggill, president of what had in Australia become Marine Power, made the decision for Mercury to ‘get into boats’ and Ken Evans was involved from the start arranging for agreements between manufacturers such as Quintrex and Dunbier trailers.

He was appointed National Manager Mercury Marine Boat Division and headed the division to its eventual sales of more than 2600 craft.

In 1997, Evans was moved back to his first love, outboard engines, and was named Director, Sales and Service Outboards, for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Region.

'It’s been a quite a ride,' he told me, 'and I’ve loved every minute of it.'

During our chat I discovered one thing Ken and I have in common – neither of us has any idea how many boat shows we have attended. 'It must run into hundreds,' Ken said.

Looking back over his time in the industry, Ken rates today’s technology as the greatest improvements he’s seen in engines, along with horsepower and performance.

'And improved technology has led to boats being lighter and stronger, which has improved both performance and fuel economy,' he added.

On the boat show scene, Ken believes some of Australia’s boat shows need some urgent ‘transfusion’.

'Adelaide is the worst boat show in Australia and Melbourne and Brisbane aren’t far behind and Perth is catching up really quick,' he declared.

He had nothing but praise for what he terms the ‘big three’; Mandurah, Sanctuary Cove and Sydney.

'They should be left as is, but the others really need to take a look at themselves,' he said.

So, what does a man do with a load of spare time after spending the better part of his life in the marine industry?

'Mate, Olga (his wife) and I have an RV, a Quicksilver inflatable with a Mercury outboard (I managed to get a good deal on them) and we’re going to take to the open road on a regular basis,' he said.

Personally, after having ‘bumped into’ Ken at boat shows around the world, it’s hard to visualise that he won’t be there at Darling Harbour 12 months from now.

'Ok, ok, I’ll stick my head in, but I won’t be working,' he quickly added.