Members of the House and Senate tax-writing committees are putting together legislative drafts that may determine the fate of one of our most prized tax benefits, the second home mortgage interest deduction. In addition other key tax deductions, such as, property tax write offs and capital gains exclusions are on the table for elimination too. […]
MRAA News
Applications sought for Kevin Lodder Scholarship
MINNEAPOLIS — The MRAA Educational Foundation is seeking applicants for the 2013 Kevin Lodder Scholarship. The Kevin Lodder Scholarship Fund, which was founded in memory of Kevin Lodder of Lodder’s Marine in Fairfield, Ohio, provides a full scholarship to attend a week-long Spader Business Management Total Management 1 Workshop to an employee of a Marine […]
My-Villages Named Partner Member
MINNEAPOLIS — My-Villages, a web and mobile technology company and developer of The Boat Village, has been named a Partner Member of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “My-Villages and the MRAA have a lot in common,” says My-Villages Founder and CEO Kevin Hutchinson. “We both have a passion for providing resources, tools and […]
MDCE Dealer Registrations up 31 percent
MINNEAPOLIS – Dealer registrations for the 2013 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo are up 31.7 percent over the same time last year, which represents a new record for the event. More than 270 dealers have registered so far for the MDCE — up from 205 last year on this date — with nearly three weeks […]
Sonja Moseley named MRAA Director of Certification & Benefits
MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it has named Sonja Moseley as its Director of Certification & Benefits. Sonja, who recently earned a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Studies, joins the MRAA having most recently served as the Executive Director for the Arizona Parks & Recreation Association. At the APRA, […]
Marine Retail University on track for expansion
MINNEAPOLIS — Almost a year after kicking off the first in a series of seven regional Norman-Spencer Marine Retail University educational and networking events, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Dominion Marine Media are preparing an expanded line-up for year two. On the heels of overwhelmingly positive feedback from the more than 320 […]
MRAA Educational Foundation names executive director
MINNEAPOLIS — Liz Walz has been named the Executive Director of the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation created in 2004 to provide the recreational marine trades with financial support for education, training and professional development. “We see an opportunity to infuse the foundation with some fresh ideas and direction,” says Ed Lofgren of […]
Harris Marine Group Celebrates 10TH Anniversary
Stevensville, MD – Robin Harris is proud to announce her tenth anniversary as a premier marine finance services provider to dealers in the Mid-Atlantic states. The Harris Group was formed initially to provide modest sized boat dealers with a highly experienced and effective finance outsource facility. Harris then branched out to include direct public financing, […]
Conversion to Sub-octane Gasoline Threatens Boating
A member of MRAA sent staff a note with great concern about significant increases to the price that distributors will be charging for gasoline beginning on September 16. According to the material supplied to the MRAA office, the primary driver of the conversion to sub-octane (typically 84-octane) gasoline is the Renewable Fuels Standard passed by […]
Washington Policies Continue to Hamper Business hiring and growth
The US Chamber of Commerce’s recent small business survey found that Washington policies hamper job growth, with over a quarter of small businesses saying they have lost employees in the past year. According to the survey, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is a top concern increasing by 10% since June 2011. Seventy-one per cent of […]
