Interior Prioritizes Recreation Access with New Secretarial Order

Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt signed a secretarial order directing that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adequately weigh public access for outdoor recreation – including hunting and fishing – when determining the appropriateness of the disposal or exchange of public lands. Identifying lands as available for disposal or exchange is required under federal law.

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) directs the BLM to identify lands for potential disposal or exchange, using a public process and with state and county involvement. BLM has carried out these provisions revising land use plans and disposal since 1976. However, the BLM’s criteria do not require the agency to weigh public access considerations for outdoor recreation (fishing, hunting, hiking, etc.).

Secretarial Order 3373, Evaluating Public Access in BLM Land Disposals and Exchanges directs the BLM to – for the first time ever – formally consider what impact the disposal or exchange of any BLM land will have on the public’s ability to access federal lands for recreation.

“This order will help ensure that the Bureau of Land Management considers public access to public lands,” said Acting Secretary David Bernhardt. “It requires that before the BLM exchanges or disposes of any land, they must first consider what impact the disposal or exchange of land will have on public access. The Trump Administration will continue to prioritize access so that people can hunt, fish, camp, and recreate on our public lands.”

“Sportsmen and women across the West will benefit from this Interior Department action to sustain and enhance recreational access to BLM public lands,” said Whit Fosburgh, President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “In some places, there are small parcels of BLM land that serve as the only means of nearby access to hunting and fishing or as the only access points to adjoining public lands managed by other agencies. The Secretarial Order will ensure that key parcels are valued for this recreational access and help keep these lands in the public’s hands.”

About Secretarial Order 3373
Secretarial Order 3373 directs the BLM to ensure that when identifying BLM-managed public lands as available for disposal the increase or decrease of public access for outdoor recreation – including hunting and fishing – will be one of the factors considered in determining the appropriateness of the disposal or exchange.

Secretarial Order 3373 directs the consideration of public access opportunities in all ongoing Resource Management Plan (RMP) revisions to ensure recreation access is evaluated using the following criteria:

  • If a tract of BLM land is contiguous to public lands managed by another Federal agency or state, BLM will consult with the respective management agency to coordinate how best to ensure continued or improved public access to the adjoining tracts;
  • The BLM will evaluate the benefits of public access when considering future disposal actions, making it a requirement to identify alternatives to the public access that would be lost as a result of the BLM’s final action;
  • When a tract of BLM-managed land being is considered for disposal and has been identified as providing public access, the public access will be characterized for evaluation purposes as one of the value criteria supporting retention; and
  • The BLM will ensure recreational public access to existing public lands is a factor when considering parcels resulting from an exchange.

Secretarial Order 3373 directs the BLM, when preparing documentation supporting the disposal or exchange of a tract of land, to include a discussion of the following in any decision document:

  • Existing recreational access that is utilized by the public or provided by road, trail, water, easement, or right-of-way, on the tract of BLM-managed public land being considered for disposal or exchange;
  • The impacts from the BLM-managed public land disposal or exchange decisions on recreational access to adjacent tracts of publicly accessible lands, including lands managed by other federal, state, and county agencies; and
  • Potential increased public recreational access to existing public lands resulting from an exchange.

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

Dealer to Dealer: March 2019

How has boat show season impacted your outlook for the prime selling season and remainder of the year ahead?

I found the show season to be good, but not stellar. The major price increase due to tariffs in Canada has caused sticker shock to potential boat buyers. High end product is selling, whereas mid-range product is struggling. Also, we are finding it hard to create a sense of urgency. – Robert Rule, Maple City Marine

The boat selling season is starting off RED HOT in Vermont! – Mark Saba, Saba Marine, LLC.

Boat show season told me, although we are okay now, the season ahead will be shaky, retail-wise. The boat tarriffs, currency and a slowing global economy are definitely having a negative impact on the the consumer and sales opportunities. – Andy Blenkarn, Desmasdon’s Boat Works

We had a good start considering the weather has been terrible, however, I am seeing head winds building from interest rates, price increases and the up coming election year.  It think it will slow significantly as we enter the fall season. – John Ladner, Breath’s Boats & Motors

MRAA Enlists Three Top Industry Trainers as 2019 Dealer Week ‘Education Hosts’

The Hosts will serve as guides throughout the event’s educational sessions

Dealer Week, the MRAA’s all-new annual conference and expo, announced today that it will divide its education into three main classrooms, or Education Pathways: The Dealership, The Customer and The Employee. Each of these Pathways will feature sessions, case studies, workshops, dealer-to-dealer interaction — and a top marine industry trainer as host.

These dedicated “Education Hosts” will act as guides throughout the week to help draw connections, provide deeper context and ultimately move dealers toward implementation.

The 2019 Dealer Week Education Hosts are:

  • The Customer Pathway: Sam Dantzler, Wheelhouse College
  • The Dealership Pathway: David Spader, Spader Business Management
  • The Employee Pathway: Jim Million, Million Learning

“We are thrilled that three of the most requested trainers from previous MRAA events have agreed to take on this expanded role with Dealer Week,” said Mike Davin, Director of Education at MRAA. “Not only will each of these experts present material during the conference, they will be like personal guides for the dealers and ensure that our educational programming builds toward a greater whole.”  

The Education Pathways were selected because they represent the three pillars of MRAA’s education strategy. They were also designed to engage a cross-section of dealership employees.

“Our hope is that representatives from departments across the dealership will attend these sessions together,” Davin said. “We’ve built in additional time for discussion to give attendees time to process and discuss what they’re learning with the help of their peers and the Education Hosts.”

Sam Dantzler is a sought-after keynote speaker, 20-Club moderator and workshop trainer throughout in the U.S. and abroad for the marine, powersports and bicycle industries.

David Spader has served as a lead trainer and consultant for Spader Business Management for 18 years. He specializes in leadership development, succession planning, strategic development, company culture and effective hiring practices.

Jim Million has worked with dealerships for the past four decades as a salesperson, service writer, sales manager, facilitator, developer, writer, speaker and consultant. He has experience in both automotive and marine and works closely with MRAA as a Certification Consultant.

Also announced was the Dealer Week schedule, which can be viewed at DealerWeek.com/schedule. In addition to the new education pathways, the event will kick off with an optional field trip and feature an evening Dealer Week Industry Celebration. Additional details on both of these new events will be available in the near future.

For a video introduction to Education Hosts from MRAA Vice President Liz Walz, check out the MRAA’s latest Facebook Live video.

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 evolves 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.

It’s Time To Starting Preparing For Your New Hires

If you are north of the Mason Dixon, like the MRAA headquarters, it is hard to imagine a day that the sun is shining and you can be outdoors with out navigating piles (and piles) of snow. But, as it does each year, winter leaves and springtime starts.

For many of you, springtime is hectic. You start prepping for boating season by following up with boat show leads, prepping boats, AND hiring new teams members. All at the same time.

Did you know that MRAA membership includes access to the MRAA Career Center that holds resources to help simplify the hiring process? Check out the following links as you prepare to grow you team.

  1. Marine Job Database. Use this database to find qualified job seekers or upload your job posting for professionals in the marine industry to view.
  2. Job Descriptions. Nearly 50 job descriptions for common positions around the typical dealership are available for MRAA members. Use these temples as they are or use the documents to help craft your own job description.
  3. Employee Handbook. Download the MRAA Employee Handbook sample to offer guidance to your current staff and new hires.
  4. General HR Resources. MRAA designed to help you work through the processes associated with human resources administration within your dealership, such as interviewing, hiring, and on-boarding.

For more information on MRAA membership or the benefits listed above, contact MRAA Member Development Manager, Nikki Duffney.

50 Reasons to Attend Dealer Week by our 100th Registrant

Bob Bense, of Superior Boat Repair & Sales, was the 100th individual to register for Dealer Week! With the help of his wife, Kathy, the couple compiled a list of 50 reasons why they continue to support the MRAA and, now, Dealer Week.

We signed up for the Dealer Week because the MRAA team continues to deliver information and resources that help us to prosper and grow as a marine dealer. Here are half of one-hundred reasons why we love attending and how participating has been a really good thing for us as the owners of Superior Boat Repair & Sales, Inc.

    1. We get excited about the coming year and helping our boating community.

    2. We share quality time with other dealers.

    3. We enjoy time spent meeting dealers from all over the country and the world.

    4. We get ideas, fresh ideas, to implement at the dealership.

    5. We find solutions to problems we are facing at the office.

    6. We really enjoy being with so many other people that do the same thing for a living.

    7. We get to hear really entertaining and thought provoking speakers that inspire us to be better and do better.

    8. We are taught by marine industry experts in the educational work-shops.

    9. We get to get away and get a break from the dealership, which helps us to relax and unwind with our  staff.

    10. We bond with our employees and get quality time to talk to each other.

    11. We have the opportunity to win scholarships, which our dealership has won.

    12. We keep up with up marine industry news.

    13. We are able to meet with new vendors and learn about new products that we can purchase to help our business grow, like software.

    14. We rekindle relationships with old friends that work at the boat manufacturers’, some that are decades old.

    15. We get a chance to stop and think about our dealership, what we have done right and where we can improve.

    16. We learn from dealers that have been doing this so much longer than we have.

    17. We learn how to ride the wave through the good years and how to hold on to what we have created, during the bad.

    18. We pick up great ideas from new dealers that we meet over lunch.

    19. We get to see sunny Florida and get some vitamin D.

    20. We break out and each person from our dealership goes to a different workshops so we come back with so much more useful information to help us prosper.

    21. We make new contacts and network.

    22. We get the opportunity to enjoy our success with others.

    23. We get to hear what  the financial experts at the lending institutions predict the economy will do in the coming year(s), which helps us when ordering our inventory for the coming year.

    24. We get to visit the manufacturers for the boat lines that we carry, when we’re there in Florida.

    25. We get the opportunity to visit with our dear friends in our Parker Twenty Group.

    26. We get the privilege of meeting other husband and wife dealership owners and we share what makes it all work.                                                                            

    27. We can win prizes.

    28. We are given delicious food, like key lime pie, which we don’t get in California.

    29. We get SO excited again about owning a dealership and providing families with the joy that boat ownership brings.

    30. We learn tricks of the trade, like how to bring up and train your own mechanics, since there is such a huge shortage of technicians across the country.

    31. We get to wear shorts during the winter.

    32. We build up our sales-team and motivate them to sell more.

    33. We learn strategies on how to sell our business to others and market our business wisely.

    34. We can ask so many questions, questions regarding all aspects of owning a dealership.

    35. We hear how other dealers found solutions and what those solutions were, regarding the same problems we are facing at our boat dealership.

    36. We are reminded of important practices we must have in place to have a secure and healthy dealership… like having at least two lines of credit to get through the downturns.

    37. We learn vital lessons on how to make more money and get higher margins.

    38. We hear how to sell smarter and to close faster.

    39. We were able to get expert advice and helpful guidance when we were a brand new dealer, especially during a severe drought and terrible recession.

    40. We learned so much, all the while earning the respect of other dealers, because after implementing what we learned we grew by leaps and bounds.

    41. We are reminded that we sell JOY, memories and a great quality of life.

    42. We hear about other dealers that have gone out of business, why they closed shop and how we can learn from their mistakes, if we can.

    43. We are able to take a much needed cruise vacation, before we get slammed in the busy months, by taking a short drive to the Atlantic and hoping on one of many ships.

    44. We are challenged to think and grow in our roles at the dealership, through the many workshops.

    45. We are given the opportunity to purchase things, like insurance and flooring, at a much better rate, which saves us money and helps us stay in business.

    46. We really enjoy the whole experience.

    47. We are proud to be a dealer, when we realize there aren’t very many people selling boats across the country.

    48. We hear in the seminars what we are doing right and that is uplifting.

    49. We exchange contact information with other dealers selling the same lines, which helps us to be able to call them in the future, if we can ever sell each other inventory.

    50. We really, truly see the value of all that encompasses attending the Dealer Week and what we take away from that experience.

Take advantage of the lowest prices of the year by registering for Dealer Week before March 31, 2019.

Acting DOI Secretary Applauds Trump’s Signing of Bipartisan Public Lands and Conservation Package

U.S. Department of the Interior Acting Secretary David Bernhardt applauded President Donald J. Trump for signing into law S.47, the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (formerly known as the Natural Resources Management Act). The President signed the bill at an Oval Office signing ceremony surrounded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The bill was made up of more than 100 individual bills that were introduced by 50 Senators and several House members. The Interior Department had advocated for in concept or worked with Members of Congress on many of the individual provisions that made up the package. 

“President Trump knows that federal lands are meant to provide both peace and prosperity for the American people, and signing this bill allows us to continue managing public lands in a balanced way,” said Acting Secretary David Bernhardt. “This bill is extremely beneficial to the American people and I look forward to working with Congress and local communities to implement the many local conservation wins within the bill.”

“I thank President Trump for signing our lands package into law. His effort to achieve energy dominance for our nation while simultaneously working with us to create a conservation legacy with this lands package exceeds the accomplishments of his recent predecessors,” said Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Lisa Murkowski (AK). “This law will benefit every state and clear the deck of issues that we’ve been working to resolve for years. From providing access for sportsmen to creating new economic opportunities for local communities, this is a good, balanced measure. We built it through a team effort that drew strong support from both parties in both chambers. Today is a triumph for good process and good policy, and this bill is a win for Alaskans and all Americans.”

“I was proud to join Senator Murkowski and my colleagues at the White House today as President Trump signed the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act into law,” said Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Joe Manchin (WV). “This legislation is an important reminder that when we work in a bipartisan way, the American people come out on top. This public lands bill permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund, increases access to public lands for hunting, fishing and recreational shooting and greatly expands our recreation and conservation areas. West Virginians take great pride in our outdoor heritage and I’m especially proud we were able to finally designate the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area in 18 counties in West Virginia and Maryland as a National Heritage Area.”  

“Local voices impacted by public lands throughout our country have been heard,” said Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Utah Congressman Rob Bishop. “Today commemorates a bipartisan achievement that has been years in the making, and I’d like to thank President Trump for signing this valuable legislation into law.  This bill is a victory for America’s sportsmen, local governments, public lands, and rightfully establishes monuments the right way.  This achievement carries great meaning for my home state of Utah, and I’m proud to see this day finally arrive.”  

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

Boats Group Commits to MRAA, Dealer Week at the Strategic Partner Level

Boats Group recently signed a three-year commitment and became the latest Strategic Partner of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and its newly reimagined Annual Conference and Expo, Dealer Week. The event is scheduled for Dec. 8-11 at the Tampa Bay Convention Center in Tampa, Fla.

Celebrating its 43rd annual conference in 2019, MRAA has created an all-new approach to partner memberships and conference support by developing a year-round program that embeds these highest-level partners in MRAA’s strategic dialog and planning.

“Boats Group has proudly partnered with the MRAA for more than a decade, and we have witnessed first-hand the impact that their initiatives have on the marine industry through the education and support they provide to the dealer community,” says Courtney Chalmers, Vice President of Marketing at Boats Group. “From my experience in partnering with the MRAA team, Dealer Week will be a best-in-class event, bringing the nation’s best dealers and OEMs, the best ideas, the best education and the best networking opportunities under one roof for three days.”

Boats Group is a Miami-based advertising and software company focused specifically on the marine industry.

“We’re fortunate to be part of the boating industry and to deliver happiness to people each and every day,” says Chalmers. “Dealer Week gives us the opportunity to push ourselves beyond the boundaries and to collaborate with one another. It’s this opportunity that often inspires us to think of the best idea – the one that takes our business to the next level.”

Under the re-branded name of Dealer Week, MRAA will launch a profoundly new event experience designed to engage, energize and empower boat and engine dealers and their teams so they can continue to lead the marine industry to greater growth and success. In addition to the world-class educational programming that the marine industry has come to expect from the MRAA, Dealer Week will deliver deeper collaborative opportunities and richer experiences that will showcase business solutions in all-new ways.

As part of this effort, MRAA has created a collaborative Strategic Alliance, through which Partners can support not only the MRAA and Dealer Week, but also provide input on MRAA’s strategic initiatives and priorities. The highest tier in the Strategic Alliance, known as Strategic Partners, represents an invitation-only opportunity to participate in and help shape strategic dialog with the MRAA board and staff. It also provides for maximum exposure to the marine industry in a year-round promotional campaign that seeks to identify these Partners as the backbone of the MRAA, both from a financial and strategic perspective.

“Over the last decade, MRAA and Boats Group have continued to create impactful tools and resources for the marine dealer body,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We look forward to continuing our partnership and aligning the efforts and vision of Boats Group with those of the association and our other Strategic Partners in order to create relevant educational content throughout the year.”

Boats Group
Formed in May 2010, Boats Group has one purpose: making it easy for people to buy and sell boats. Through its five industry-leading brands – YachtWorld, Boat Trader, boats.com, CosasDeBarcos and YachtCloser – Boats Group connects millions of people with the world’s largest selection of boats and sellers, and converts more shoppers into boat buyers than any other source.

Boats Group has deep roots in the recreational boating industry, providing marine businesses with a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions, including advertising, lead generation, CRM, data management services, website design and hosting. The company is committed to leveraging technology to deliver more value to it industry partners and investing in new innovations that bring the boating industry to the forefront of modern business.

Boats Group has offices in North America (Miami, Florida) and in Europe (United Kingdom, Spain & Italy). The company employs 200 people, has customers in 106 countries and advertises boats for sale in 143 countries. In 2018, over 140 million visitors spent time researching products on Boats Group web and mobile sites, apps and social media outlets. Boats Group’s global reach includes 28 localized web portals which are translated into 13 languages.

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 evolves 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 www.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.

Bret Baier to Headline 2019 American Boating Congress

Heading to DC for ABC? This year’s headliner will be Bret Baier, FOX News chief political anchor and host of “Special Report with Bret Baier” – the top-rated cable news program in its timeslot and consistently one of the top five shows in cable news – will headline and facilitate a panel discussion at the 2019 American Boating Congress on Wednesday, May 15. 

This year’s featured session will examine the political and policy realities in the 116th U.S. Congress and the upcoming 2020 elections. Baier will be joined by two seasoned political operatives from Democratic and Republican campaigns. 

During his tenure at the network, Baier has interviewed President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, former President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney. He has also anchored more than thirty political specials on FNC, reported from Iraq 12 times and Afghanistan 13 times, traveled the world with various administrations and military officials and reported from 74 countries. Special Report with Bret Baier was acknowledged by TIME magazine’s Joe Klein as the only “straight newscast” in cable news at 6PM/ET. Bret was also recently awarded the 2017 Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.

Prior to his anchor role, Baier was named chief White House correspondent in 2006 and covered the second term of the Bush Administration. Before that, he served as national security correspondent covering military and national security affairs, as well as defense, military policy and the intelligence community from the Pentagon.

ABC 2019 is just over two months away – click here to register.

If you have questions or need additional information about ABC, please contact Will Higgins.

MarineMax, Inc. Commits Major Support to MRAA’s Dealer Week

Brett McGill, MarineMax President and CEO, says the event presents “incredible value” for the industry.

MarineMax, Inc., the nation’s largest recreational boat and yacht retailer, has pledged its full support for Dealer Week, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ Annual Conference & Expo, to be held Dec. 8-11, 2019, in Tampa, Fla.

MarineMax has committed to bringing the largest group of its leadership team to Dealer Week that it has ever brought to an MRAA Conference.

“Dealer Week was created to deliver opportunities for us, as dealers,” says Brett McGill, President and CEO of MarineMax. “We’re committing at such a high level to this event because of the incredible value of the educational programming that MRAA offers as well as the fact that we know our investment in Dealer Week and the MRAA will get reinvested into making our industry even stronger. We’re looking forward to helping make this event an incredible success.”

As a longtime MRAA Retail Member, MarineMax has achieved Marine Industry Certified Dealership status at all of its retail locations and remains committed to maintaining a level of excellence throughout its organization. The leadership of MarineMax has a long association with the MRAA, which has included volunteer positions on the MRAA Board of Directors, key roles on various MRAA committees, and most recently participating in the inaugural Dealer Week strategic planning meeting in Tampa last October.

“MarineMax is a leader in this industry, and we’re so grateful that they’ve taken a leadership role on an issue that we think is critical for all of us, namely the importance of continuous education and improvement to make our dealer body as strong as it can possibly be,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We believe Dealer Week is going to help drive marine retail toward increasing excellence, and it’s extremely gratifying to hear that MarineMax feels the same way.”

About MarineMax, Inc.
Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, MarineMax is the nation’s largest recreational boat and yacht retailer. Focused on premium brands, such as Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Meridian, Hatteras, Azimut Yachts, Ocean Alexander, Galeon, Grady-White, Harris, Crest, Mastercraft, Bennington, Scout, Sailfish, Sea Pro, Sportsman, Scarab Jet Boats, Yamaha Jet Boats, Tige, Aquila, Nautique, and NauticStar, MarineMax sells new and used recreational boats and related marine products and services as well as provides yacht brokerage and charter services. MarineMax currently has 63 retail locations in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Texas, and operates MarineMax Vacations in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. MarineMax is a New York Stock Exchange-listed company. For more information, please visit www.marinemax.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 evolves 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.

Boating Caucus Unveils Industry Data on Capitol Hill

On Wednesday, February 27th, the Congressional Boating Caucus and representatives of the recreational boating industry presented the “Boating Industry Briefing: Jobs, Businesses, and the Economy”. It also served as the official release of new economic data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and that data indicates that the boating industry generated $170.3 billion in spending in 2018, supporting 691,000 jobs and 35,000 businesses across all 50 states.

Several members of Congress, including Representative Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02), Representative Bill Huizenga (R-MI-02), Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) attended the event and gave remarks praising the economic impact and jobs that recreational boating creates.

Representatives from the industry were also present at the event, including Kevin Grodzki of Brunswick, David Slikkers of Tiara Yachts, Bill Yeargin of Correct Craft, and Joan Maxwell of Regulator Marine. They discussed a number of issues facing recreational boating, including the ongoing workforce shortage that has dogged the industry for years.

NMMA’s newly released infographics are available here.