On September 25, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources passed the bipartisan National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnership Act (H.R. 1747), introduced by Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Marc Veasey (D-TX), which would authorize public-private partnership programs to conserve fish habitats across the United States. Specifically, this bill would fund dam removals, […]
MRAA News
BoatPAC Breaks 2019 Record, 100% of MRAA Board Contributes
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) and National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) joint political action committee, BoatPAC, had its highest single-year fundraising total, raising over $252,000 from 392 unique donors. This is up from the $202,000 raised by 348 unique donors in 2018. BoatPAC has contributed over $190,000 to pro-boating champions this election […]
Dealer Week Announces First 10×10 Series Speakers
Event will feature 10 short educational talks from thought leaders both inside and outside the industry. Dealer Week just added three new speakers, among the most respected voices in the marine industry, to the already impressive lineup of presenters at this year’s event. These speakers will be featured as part of the event’s 10×10 Series, […]
Confirming what we know: Recreational boating a major contributor to economic activity
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released data proving what we already knew: recreational boating is a major generator of economic activity across the nation. Outdoor recreation generates $778 billion in gross annual input, or 2.2 percent of annual U.S. GDP, while supporting 5.2 million jobs. This makes the industry larger than […]
Hagedorn and Van Drew Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Vocational and Skilled Workforce
Last week, members of the MRAA team had the chance to discuss the bill with Congressman Jim Hagedorn. Today, Congressmen Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Ron Estes (KS-04) and Paul Mitchell (MI-10) introduced the “American Workforce Empowerment Act,” a bipartisan solution to address the growing shortage of skilled workers to fill job openings […]
MRAA Launches Marine Retail Lifetime Achievement Award Nomination Period
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has opened the nomination period for the 3rd Annual Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes marine retail professionals who have made fundamental, significant and sustained contributions to the marine industry. Applications are due October 18th, 2019. Last year, Gary Briggs of Wayzata Marine, Wayzata, Minn., was […]
MRAA Promotes Dealer’s Voice on Capitol Hill
The MRAA Advocacy team is hard at work for you. Newly appointed MRAA Government Relations Manager, Adam Fortier-Brown is working with members of Congress to address concerns with improving E15 labeling, and strengthening the U.S. labor force and the trades. To do this, he met with members on both sides of the aisle in the […]
MRAA meets with NOAA about Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary expansion
Our MRAA advocacy team met with members of NOAA to discuss the agency’s proposal to expand the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary, found here. The team will continue to engage with NOAA to ensure that the dealer’s voice is heard and considered through this process. Locations for public comment begin at 6PM EST at the below […]
BoatPAC to Hold Florida Events with Elected Officials and Industry Champions
BoatPAC, the joint political action committee of NMMA and MRAA will host two events in Florida in the coming weeks with key members of Congress and industry champions. On October 1, BoatPAC will host an event in Tampa during IBEX with key industry champions at Jackson’s Bistro from 5:30pm – 8:30pm. Then, BoatPAC will head […]
MRAA Strengthens Dealer Voice in Washington, D.C.
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has strengthened the voice of the marine dealer in Washington, D.C., with the appointment of Adam Fortier-Brown as MRAA’s Government Relations Manager. Fortier-Brown, whose family owns and operates Clark Marine, a Manchester, Maine-based boat dealership, graduated from the University of Maine magna cum laude, with a Bachelor’s degree […]
