Vantage Resource Group, Inc. announced today the launch of the marine industry’s first direct dealer-to-dealer resource for locating, selling and purchasing wholesale inventory throughout North America. The Dealer Inventory Exchange portal, found at www.dealerinventoryexchange.com is being provided to dealers across North America free of charge. Watch this introductory video.
“Our management team has over 300 years of combined marine industry experience, and we simply want to be part of the solution for the challenges that our dealers are facing right now,” says Ross Solwold, President of Vantage Resource Group, Inc. “We care about the marine industry and all of our friends who are now challenged in ways that none of us have experienced before.”
When the COVID-19 crisis first set in, the Vantage Resource Group team met to discuss the similarities of this downturn and the needs the industry has today, compared to The Great Recession of a decade ago. They identified that the need for dealers to be able to find inventory that they may not have in stock but which they need in order to make a sale would become paramount; and at the same time noted that some dealers may have too much inventory that they could sell to other dealers. The idea for the inventory exchange was born, and the Vantage team went to work to build the program from scratch.
The www.dealerinventoryexchange.com site has a number of features, including password-protected access for dealers only — notably, it doesn’t matter if dealers are customers of Vantage Resource Group or not. It offers dealers the ability to list inventory for sale, to source inventory that they may want to purchase, as well as to list inventory that a dealer may be in search of. The site provides robust search capabilities, as well as an easy site registration process. And it’s all free.
“I know dealers can feel like they are out there on an island in these situations,” Solwold said. “This is a weird time, and this is just one way we can give back to the industry and our dealers.”
“Ross and his team have shared insights on this new launch with me and our team here at the MRAA as they’ve built it over the last month,” says Matt Gruhn, President of the Marine Retailers Association of the Amercias. “Not only are we thrilled to see this much-needed resource come to market, but we’re blown away by the generosity of Vantage Resource Group in making this significant investment available to the entire industry, based solely on its goodwill. We think this will become a powerful resource for dealers to add to their arsenal of inventory management tools.”
About Vantage Resource Group
Vantage Resource Group first began testing and development of protection film kits in 2009 for the recreational vehicle and marine industries. Our alignment with 3M as a National Market Developer allowed us the opportunity to work with, and test, the highest quality protection and wrap film options in the world. As a dealer and OEM supplier, Vantage Resource Group is recognized as a leader in this segment. Vantage is also recognized as one of the top protective coatings distributors in the U.S. and Canada. Countless testing hours have been logged in various environments to ensure that all Vantage Protection Products will deliver the results that your customers are looking for to protect their investment, while at the same time providing another revenue stream for the dealership.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, contact us at 763-315-8043.
