Tell Congress: Educate Consumers on E15

Most consumers are unaware of the dangers posed by fuels with high levels of ethanol, like E15. Small engines, like those in boats, lawn mowers, and motorcycles can only use fuel with 10% ethanol or lower. Using E15 in these engines destroys them and voids their warranty. Plus, E15 is federally prohibited from use in small engines.
 
Fortunately, Representatives Lois Frankel (D-FL-21), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Charlie Crist (D-FL-13), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) have reintroduced their bipartisan legislation called the “Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act.” This bill would more clearly label gas pumps that contain E15 and better educate consumers about higher ethanol blend fuels. And with year-round sales of E15 on the horizon, we need this bill more than ever.
 
Contact your members of Congress today and tell them to support the Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

Canada Repeals Tariffs on Marine Products

Last summer the Canadian government levied a 10 percent tariffs on U.S.-built boats, causing severe disruptions for US boat builders and their Canadian dealers.

According to the Government of Canada, effective April 30, 2019, all retaliatory tariffs on U.S. recreational boats entering Canada have been removed, marking the most positive development for our industry since this concerning issue first emerged.

The Canadian Marine Trade Associations have been advised that earlier this week, the Canadian government approved the “Order Amending the United States Surtax Order (Other Goods),” which ended the 10 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. boats heading to Canada that was implemented in response to the U.S government’s Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Specifically, this action removes the following boat-related HTC codes from the list of goods subjected to the surtaxes:

  • 8903.10.00
  • 8903.91.00
  • 8903.92.00
  • 8903.99.90

All boats imported on or after April 30, 2019, are no longer subject to retaliatory tariffs (on a forward basis). At this time the government will not issue rebates or refunds for surtaxes paid on boats prior to this action.

This order will be officially published on May 15, 2019 in Part II Canada Gazette. The next few weeks may still have some challenges in sorting through the details; we urge you to continue collaborating and communicating to support the entire industry.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

MRAA Member Testifies in Support of Minnesota Recreation Office

On Monday, May 6th MRAA member John Wooden of River Valley Marine testified in the Minnesota House of Representatives Government Operations Committee in support of HF 2864, a bill that will create a Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Office. Wooden highlighted the economic impact of boating and other forms of recreation in the state, citing a report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that found outdoor recreation responsible for 2.2% of the United States Gross Domestic Product, with $16.7 billion in consumer spending and 141,000 jobs generated in Minnesota alone. He also appealed to the impact that a state recreation office could have on the marine industry’s workforce:

“From a business standpoint, and I speak for nearly every outdoor recreational business in the state and across the country, we are experiencing a tremendous shortage of qualified workers to fulfill our growing employment needs. I currently have more than 20 jobs open across my locations, and that’s just a fraction of the outdoor industry’s current open positions. It is my hope that this new office of outdoor recreation will not only shine a light on the powerful economic contributor that is the outdoor recreation industry, but that it will also help demonstrate the importance of the  economic considerations for our businesses, such as this shortage of employees and the need to create skilled job training opportunities, within the boating and outdoor economy as a whole”.

State outdoor recreation offices have been a focal point of MRAA’s partnership with a large coalition of other outdoor recreation groups, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR). MRAA and the ORR view these state offices as an opportunity to expand recreation opportunities, ensure access to public lands, and educate the public on the impact of the outdoor recreation economy as a whole. These efforts are being pursued in many other states, including Wisconsin, where MRAA members met with the Governor’s Department of Tourism last week.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

Continuous Certification Launches Employee Satisfaction Survey Process

As seasonal dealerships are ramping up for their peak season, the Continuous Certification program has kicked off Employee Satisfaction Survey season.

Dealers in the Continuous Certification program recently received links to their Employee Satisfaction Surveys (ESS). The ESS process allows dealers to survey their employees anonymously to get a clearer view of the culture within their business. The dealership’s entire staff then works together to develop a process improvement plan to address any issues uncovered up by the ESS.

Dealers in the Continuous Certification program are given the entire year to complete the survey. However, those who complete the survey by Sept. 16 are eligible for the 2019 Great Dealerships to Work For Awards, which recognizes the dealers with the highest Employee Satisfaction scores.

Soundings Trade Only Named Dealer Week Official Media Partner

Industry media leader to provide livestream interviews from 2019 event.

Dealer Week, the all-new MRAA Conference and Expo, has named Soundings Trade Only as its Official Media Partner. The organizations have begun collaborating on an all-new livestream video experience to be broadcast from Dealer Week 2019, as well as an expansive marketing and advertising campaign to drive greater awareness of this exciting new event.

To be held Dec. 8-11 in Tampa, Fla., Dealer Week will feature a Solutions Stage in the center of its expansive expo hall. Soundings Trade Only will conduct live interviews from the Stage, engaging with industry executives, Dealer Week partners and other leaders. This new feature of MRAA’s annual conference will not only provide these individuals with a platform to enhance the on-site experience and takeaways, but the livestream will also deliver the Dealer Week and Soundings Trade Only brands to numerous industry inboxes and social media feeds on an ongoing basis.

“Over the long history of MRAA’s educational events, we have never explored the means for reaching an audience outside of those in attendance at the event,” said Matt Gruhn, MRAA president. “We partnered with Soundings Trade Only so that we can now provide an even greater ROI for our attendees and our partners, as well as being able to reach those individuals who may not be able to attend the conference to show them all Dealer Week has to offer.”

Soundings Trade Only will bring its strong reporting reputation and interviewing expertise to add to Dealer Week, as its editors explore the latest trends and insights on the state of the industry from the Solutions Stage. In its 40th anniversary year, Soundings Trade Only will bring a vast amount of insight to the Dealer Week dialogue as industry leaders will fuel conversations with diverse perspectives.

“Soundings Trade Only is proud to support key industry associations and events that provide tools to push the industry forward,” said Michele Goldsmith, Publisher of Soundings Trade Only. “Thus, we are pleased to collaborate with MRAA to drive attendance of the new Dealer Week event that includes education, networking and more for members of the marine industry eco-system.”

About Trade Only
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Soundings Trade Only is a marine business-to-business news multi-media brand.  It includes a monthly print publication, and digital entities including an e-newsletter, web and social media sites.  Soundings Trade Only’s mission is to reflect, inform and inspire. It offers the latest business news, and information about the brands, products, companies, people, events, trends, statistics, management, manufacturing, marketing, and more impacting the marine industry.  It is part of the AIM Marine Group, which includes other marine consumer publications: Yachts International, Power & Motoryacht, SAIL, Anglers Journal, Soundings, and PassageMaker. The AIM Marine Group is a division of Active Interest Media.  For more information or to order a free subscription, please visit www.tradeonlytoday.com.

About Dealer Week
For more than 40 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week has evolved as MRAA’s rebranded and reimagined annual conference and expo, a profoundly new event experience designed to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. The MRAA envisions a brighter future for marine retail, and Dealer Week is the preeminent means for bringing that vision to life. Learn more at dealerweek.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the MRAA, our team believes that for the marine industry to thrive, the dealers on the front lines of the industry must first find success. With that in mind, we work to create a strong and healthy boating industry by providing dealers with tools, resources and educational programs — such as MRAATraining.com, the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program, and Dealer Week, The MRAA Conference & Expo — and by representing those businesses with a powerful voice. For more information, visit mraa.com.

120 Marine Dealerships Completed Continuous Certification Program in Inaugural Year

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is pleased to announce that more than 120 marine dealerships completed the inaugural year of the association’s Continuous Certification program.

The all-new Continuous Certification program was launched January 2018 as a powerful revamp to the previous “Re-Certification” process. The new program was built specifically for Certified Dealers and not only qualified dealers to maintain their Dealership Certification status, but also strengthen the dealership operations that were addressed in the initial Certification Program.

The 2018 educational curriculum focused on how dealerships could improve their customer relationship management processes, how to create a stronger customer experience, how to develop an accountable workforce and how to decide which growth or stability strategy marine retailers should focus. The courses included:

  • Take Your Dealership from Good to Great with CRM, by Sam Dantzler
  • Improve Loyalty with a Customer Experience Mindset, by Theresa Syer
  • How to Create a High Accountability Dealership, by John Spence
  • Strategy: A Path to Improved Performance, by David Spader

“Each educational course introduced new and challenging lessons and best practices that marine retailers should be integrating into their dealerships, in order to reach their greatest potential,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “The participating dealerships were truly focused on improving their relationships with their customers, bettering their workplace culture and securing the success of their day-to-day dealership operations.”

In addition to the educational curriculum, dealerships participated in the Employee Satisfaction Survey process, which addressed the current culture of their company and encouraged retailers to look into ways on how they could improve the overall satisfaction of their employees. They also assessed their compliance with Certification standards, evaluated their facilities and completed a performance planning process.

“We were thrilled with the level of engagement that was demonstrated by the first year Continuous Certification participants,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Committing to continuing your education year after year is the best way that marine retailers can ensure continued growth and success as a Marine Industry Certified Dealership.”

Enrollment for the 2019 Continuous Certification Program is now open for Marine Industry Certified Dealers. For more information on Continuous Certification or the MICD programs, contact MRAA Certification Manager, Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com.

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, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

MRAA Joins Center for Sportfishing Policy Membership

The Marine Retailers Associations is honored to announce that the association has joined the Center for Sportfishing Policy (CSP) membership. We look forward to supporting CSP and working together to maximize opportunity for saltwater recreational anglers and the industry, as a whole.

“MRAA has always recognized the significance of recreational saltwater fishing to the marine industry, and we are excited by the opportunity to partner with CSP and advocate for anglers and dealers at a much higher level,” says William Higgins, MRAA Public Policy Manager.
 
CSP is a coalition of leading advocates for marine recreational fishing and boating. The Center works to maximize opportunity for saltwater recreational anglers by organizing, focusing and engaging recreational fishing stakeholders to speak with one voice to shape federal marine fisheries management  policy. The organization is non-partisan and focuses on having an impact in the national political arena, principally Congress and federal regulatory agencies, to promote a quality recreational fishery and improve angling and boating access.

“The Center for Sportfishing Policy is proud to represent the millions of Americans for whom saltwater recreational fishing is a way of life,” said CSP President Jeff Angers. “We are thrilled to welcome these members to our family.”

 

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

Lake Union Sea Ray Changes Name to Union Marine

Seattle, WA: Lake Union Sea Ray announced today that its name will change to Union Marine effectively immediately. At the same time, the company unveiled a new identity and website at www.unionmarine.com.
 
The new site prominently features the company’s inventory sales & service departments at their three locations in Seattle, Fife & Bellingham. The redesigned site allows customers to shop with ease and find services quickly.  In addition, the Seattle Lake Union Service Center is expanding to a larger facility so they can accommodate more customers and boats.
 
Kevin Roggenbuck, President and CEO stated “Lake Union Sea Ray, has been and continues to be an iconic brand for over 32 years, not only in the Pacific Northwest, but around the country as well. I’m incredibly proud of what we have built over the years. However, as we continue to grow at a rapid pace, I felt it important to address the diverse brand offerings we currently offer the boating public here in the Northwest. After extensive time and energy testing many new names, Union Marine has emerged as the clear winner. It fits nicely within our current identifiers, provides a name that is less geographically centered (For current and future growth), and allows our strong brand offerings to speak for themselves. I felt it was past time to make this exciting change”.
 
Founded in 1986, Lake Union Sea Ray – Now Union Marine, is one the largest independent boat dealers in the nation, featuring three locations in Seattle, Fife and Bellingham. They offer boat sales, marine service centers and accessories sales at each location. The company’s portfolio features the best brands in boating including Sea Ray, MasterCraft, Bayliner & Heyday, Monte Carlo Yachts, Boston Whaler and Lowe Boats. In January 2019, the company acquired Pacific Nautiques, the largest Nautique dealer in the Pacific Northwest.

Time is Running Out: Tell the EPA to Stop Year-Round Sales of E15!

The EPA recently announced their plan to move forward with year-round sales of E15 – putting millions of Americans at risk.
 
Year-round E15 fuel sales are dangerous for anyone who operates machinery with small engines – including boats, chainsaws, and lawnmowers – because most don’t know the damage it causes or that it’s federally prohibited to use in their engines.
 
With 3 in 5 Americans trusting their local gas stations for all of their fueling needs – including these small engines – the last thing we need is more E15 at the pump. That’s why the MRAA and the recreational boating community has been fighting for increased consumer protections and is pushing the EPA and administration to stop year-round sales.
 
We need your voice in the mix. Tell the EPA to stop year-round sales of E15, and to protect boaters like you!

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.

Minnesota Office of Outdoor Recreation Close to Becoming Reality

MRAA and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable are working to establish outdoor recreation offices in state capitols around the country, and they are close to crossing the finish line in Minnesota. Legislation to create a state level government office in charge of promoting and advancing outdoor recreation has been introduced by Representative Jim Davnie (HF 2220) and Senator Carrie Ruud (SF 2237). MRAA has worked closely with the legislature and the MN Department of Natural Resources on this endeavor.

Outdoor recreation is a vital part of the economy, generating 2.2 percent of total U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). In Minnesota, outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse, that generates nearly $16.7 billion in consumer spending, contributes $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenue and supports 140,000 Minnesota jobs. An Outdoor Recreation Office in Minnesota would provide a focal point for all stakeholders to engage a new and diverse generation of Minnesotans with the outdoors while focusing on growing local economies and communities through recreation.

In the House, the bill passed through its respective committees and was included in the House Environment and Natural Resources omnibus bill (HF 2209) put forth by Chairman Hansen. Last week, the omnibus bill passed through appropriate finance committees and is ready to be brought to the House floor. In late April, the omnibus package will be brought before the House and is expected to pass, sending the bill to be conferenced with the Senate. The conference process is expected to begin late April or early May.

If you have questions, please contact MRAA Public Policy Manager, Will Higgins.