Kevin Roggenbuck is the President and CEO of Lake Union Sea Ray. After working for a boat dealership in high school and college, he knew that the marine industry was where he saw a future. Many years later he and his family moved to Seattle and opened his first dealership. Today, Kevin oversees three locations in Northwest Washington. We had a chance to ask a Kevin a few questions in order to learn more about him and what keeps him motivated.
Q: Tell us how you got your start in the boating industry?
Roggenbuck: I grew up boating and spent the summers on Hayden Lake in northern Idaho. When I was in high school and college, I had the opportunity to work for a boat dealership in Spokane. I loved the atmosphere and the boating community. Some years later, I moved my family to Seattle to open a Sea Ray dealership.
Q: What’s the most interesting decision you’ve had to make since you’ve been in the industry?
Roggenbuck: Just before the “downturn”, one of my biggest competitors, who was celebrating 50 years in the marine retail business, was not doing so well and became available. Never did I think I’d end up buying the company and all of the assets. Since then, Lake Union Sea Ray has accelerated quickly, running on all cylinders. Eight years later, Lake Union Sea Ray employs 80 men and women, sells seven brands of boats with three dealerships and three parts and service facilities. As a team we continue to receive industry accolades that highlight our hard work and continued customer care.
Q: You’re in a region and even on a lake with a lot of great dealers. How do you find your niche and differentiate your dealership?
Roggenbuck: From the very beginning, it was important to me that Lake Union Sea Ray built a reputation for integrity, professionalism and great customer care. Every employee knew what was expected of them. Additionally, we have been blessed by offering some of the best brands in the business, who supported both the dealer and the buyer of their boats.
Q: In 2016, your company was named one of Washington State’s Top 50 family owned businesses. What’s your secret formula for success?
Roggenbuck: Integrity, professionalism, and great customer care.
Q: In addition to being an award-winning boat dealer, you also won a Formula 1000 national championship. Tell us about that.
Roggenbuck: I’ve been racing for over five years. When I was younger, I was involved in racing, but it took me decades to get back into it. I started competing in Open-Wheel Formula racing at the national level two years ago. In my rookie year, I qualified second in the national race. Unfortunately, I didn’t even make it around the second lap due to my car catching on fire. No one was hurt, thankfully. That just gave my team and me the motivation to come back stronger the year after, which is the year we took first in the national race. My team consists of six people—technicians, engineers, and a team manager. We travel from Seattle up and down the west coast—all the way to Daytona.
Q: How does your drive to be successful racing cars carry over to your drive to run a successful business?
Roggenbuck: Like in racing, I always strive to be in the front. Any successful business or racecar driver has a passion for what they do and strive to be the best, go the fastest, and outperform everyone. It takes a tremendous amount of planning to get to the top. When racing, you must be active in every part of the planning process and the race itself. If you make sudden changes while going 175 MPH on a racetrack, you are going to hit the wall or have trouble staying on course. The same goes for business. If we make sudden changes in what we do, we won’t be able to perform at our best and we might spin out of control. Only with careful planning and execution can big chances be made successfully.
Q: What are you doing differently today versus this time last year that has helped you stay competitive?
Roggenbuck: We have made a concentrated effort to expand our training of all Lake Union Sea Ray employees in their art (sales, service, parts, and administration) and their skill. We’ve recently brought in a full-time Executive Performance Coach who is available to all employees. This coach will be able to help employees achieve their goals and get where they want to be in their professional lives here at Lake Union Sea Ray.
Q: What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve received during your career?
Roggenbuck: This may not be considered advice, but it proved to be a great motivator. When I first moved to Seattle, a competitor told me that I would never make it in Seattle. It became my mission to prove them wrong. Another piece of advice I live by is “take care of your customers and they will take care of you.”
Q: What are 5 things that people may not know about you?
Roggenbuck: I’m pretty much an open book, so I doubt there’s much to disclose here other than maybe a few minor things:
- I almost never have a desire for pizza or fast food; but, maybe a really good chocolate chip cookie once in a while.
- I sometimes feel a little embarrassed when a customer writes a big check for a new boat and says, “thank you” before I have the opportunity to thank them first.
- One of my goals is to leave the largest carbon footprint of anyone I know.
- With no desire to ever retire, I want to continue being a part of the boating community for a long, long time.
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