By Jason Walz, MRAA Director of Programs Every year you work to grow your dealership. Chances are you’ve been successful at doing just that, coming off of a spectacular three-year run that featured fast-moving inventory and high demand. However, the market is shifting, so now it’s time to pause and take a closer look at […]
MRAA Blog
MRAA Advocacy Engages Avalon-Tahoe Dealers
As the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) continues to grow and work with all sectors of the industry, meshing directly with boat manufacturers is becoming an increasingly important method to engage new dealers. Presenting at dealer meetings is a great way for our team to meet potential members and highlight MRAA Membership benefits, […]
The Service Shuffle
A look at service department pain points and potential solutions from MRAA’s recent Pulse Report. To be an elite dealership, you need your Service & Parts Departments to follow and maintain a tight, structured schedule, yet remain flexible to effectively upsell and schedule future work to add cash flow. However, it’s not easy to be […]
The Rational Walk to Success: Embracing the Pre-Owned Boat Market
By Bob McCann, Lead MICD Program Consultant When I made the walk from the automotive industry to the marine industry in 1999, two areas of concern jumped out at me. A Missed Opportunity: Neglecting Customer-Pay ServiceThe observation of a missed opportunity in service was mostly my ignorance of the enormity of the dealer’s role in […]
Cautiously Optimistic at ‘Cliffside’
• Lenny Sims, VP Business Development/Strategy – Specialty Vehicles for J.D. Power and the MRAA Discuss Insights on the 2023 Q2 Marine Market Drew Mick, MRAA: April saw a small decline across all boat types in traffic views. Is there any reason for that dip? Lenny Sims: When we look at the data, there’s all […]
4 Tips to Help Your Dealership Manage Inventory
It’s been a wild ride for your business these past few years. For a while there, the boat market was incredibly favorable (when you could get boats in inventory), and you were enjoying some healthy profit margins. But today, it’s time to face the reality of a changing market. If you’re anything like your peers, […]
Response to the Beer vs. Boats Game
This guest MRAA Blog was authored by Parker Stair, Co-Founder of Radian IoT and represents his opinions on dealers and manufacturer inventory management, in response to MRAA President Matt Gruhn’s column on the same topic in the July issue of Soundings Trade Only. Hello Matt, In the July issue of Trade Only you presented a fantastic article […]
Advocacy & Boating Safety
As a dealer, customers look to you as a leader within the recreational boating community, and for that reason it is important you champion safe boating practices and compliance with all state and local laws and regulations. Ultimately, we want you to feel confident as a business owner and your customers to feel the same […]
Victory for Boat Dealers: Florida Amends Livery Insurance Requirements
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on June 12, 2023, signed SB 418 repealing insurance requirements for boat liveries and absolves them from purchasing insurance to cover rental customers. This is a victory for Florida boat dealers. During the 2022 legislative session, the 2022 Florida Boating Safety Act (HB 493) passed, requiring boat rental facilities to insure […]
Oversight Hearing on NOAA’s Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule
A significant Oversight Hearing was held today by the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) proposed Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule. The hearing addressed the potential impact of the proposed rule on both marine wildlife and the recreational marine industry. The […]
