Public Lands Continue to Drive Economic Growth in United States

Recently, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke released the Department’s Economic Report for fiscal year 2017, which shows that for the first time in several years, economic growth and jobs supported by federal lands both increased.

According to the report, in the Trump Administration’s first year, the economic output of Interior’s federal lands and resources increased by $400 million to $292 billion and the number of jobs supported increased by 230,000 to 1.8 million jobs. The gains are the result of regulatory reform, changes to land uses and access, infrastructure projects, and other factors.

National parks, refuges, and other public lands managed by Interior hosted an estimated 483 million recreational visits in FY 2017—up from 473 million in FY 2016. These visits supported an estimated $52 billion in economic output and an estimated 418,000 jobs nationwide.

Additionally, Secretary Zinke increased deferred maintenance dollars and approved $256 million in funding to rebuild critical national park infrastructure supporting both construction jobs and higher visitation. The NPS completed over $650 million in maintenance and repair work in fiscal year 2017.

The economic impact of Interior’s public lands under President Trump and Secretary Zinke is expected to show increases in FY2018 as well due to expanded access to federal lands, regulatory reform, increased energy production, and more projects being approved for development.

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

Renew Your Prior Approval and Join the Party at MDCE

BoatPAC is the recreational boating industry’s political action committee. It works by bringing all industry segments together to support candidates running for Congress who will represent and protect the interests of the recreational boating industry on Capitol Hill. But we need your help. Each year, we update our compliance records to ensure that we have a prior approval form signed by our members, which authorizes BoatPAC to communicate with or solicit you and your executive and administrative employees. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) requires that we have this form on file in order to send you BoatPAC related communications. Please know that BoatPAC will be respectful of your corporate policies when partnering with you on all communications.

Please help us update our records by signing the online BoatPAC Prior Approval form today.

We encourage you to learn more about BoatPAC by visiting www.BoatPAC.org.

 

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

SeaDek Continues to Support MRAA At Highest Level

SeaDek, manufacturers of marine-grade, innovative non-skid products, has continued its commitment to the Marine Retailers Association and the marine retail community, at the Platinum level.

SeaDek says its product offers a safe and comfortable alternative to carpet, all while delivering a high-level of customer experience to its customers. SeaDek Certified Fabricators are factory trained to provide boaters and manufacturers with knowledge necessary for success.

“While we continue to experience strong growth in all segments, we are cognizant of the fact that SeaDek retail products represent a major area of opportunity, with significant demand from all user groups,” says Jason Gardner, VP Marketing and Advertising at SeaDek. “As we continue to develop and market this exciting line of products, our ongoing partnership with the MRAA will only serve to bolster these efforts.”

SeaDek can be found on many of the world’s leading boat brands, something the company says is a testament to the quality and care that the brand devotes to quality manufacturing and customer satisfaction.

“With the help of partners, like SeaDek, the MRAA is able to expand the tools and resources we offer to the dealer body,” says Matt Gruhn, President of the Marine Retailers Association, “This partnership has helped us build on our Awards Program and our compensation study, and we’re thrilled to continue it forward.”

SeaDek continues to support the dealer community through partnership with the MRAA.  As a result of the commitment and support of organizations, like SeaDek, the MRAA is able to expand the products and service it offers to dealers by providing them with more tools, resources and educational opportunities to fuel their success. Find a full menu of partner benefits here.

Senate Passes Critical Coast Guard Bill

Earlier this month, the Senate passed U.S. Coast Guard funding reauthorization legislation. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2017 (S. 1129). The bill is a priority for the recreational boating industry as it includes provisions regarding boating safety, boat registrations, and environmental protections. Speaking on the importance of the Coast Guard reauthorization, Senate President Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor:

“First on the list is legislation that will reauthorize funding for our Coast Guard and implement a number of important reforms. Our nation calls on the Coast Guard to protect America’s ports and maintain shipping lanes, to interdict illegal drugs before they reach the border, and to risk their lives to save others in the midst of fierce storms and natural disasters. In each case, they embody their motto. ‘Semper Paratus.’ Always ready.

“So in passing these measures this week, the Senate will be fulfilling an important promise to some of the brave men and women who have taken an oath to keep us safe. Aspects of this legislation are particularly important to states like my home state of Kentucky – the heart of our nation’s inland waterways system.

“For too long, vessel owners and barge operators have struggled under a complex system of overlapping and duplicative regulations. They make normal shipping functions needlessly difficult, including the incidental discharge of ballast water. A confusing web of rules from states, the Coast Guard, and the EPA leave owners and operators to face constant uncertainty — and lead to higher costs.

“The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, or VIDA, replaces the existing system with a uniform, cost-effective, and national standard enforced by the Coast Guard. For the 13,000 Kentuckians whose jobs depend on our state’s inland waterways, this provision can help cut costs, promote efficiency, and protect our natural waters.

“And for the countless farmers, miners, and manufacturers who depend on these waters to get their goods to market, VIDA ends the headache and delivers relief. VIDA passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee on a voice vote. In fact, it’s been reported out of committee numerous times in recent years – including when our Democratic colleagues were in charge.

“So it’s time to pass this bipartisan bill. It’s time to help the Coast Guard continue its important work. And it’s time to deliver much-needed predictability to the mariners we rely on.

To read the complete press release, click here.

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

Member Spotlight: Patrick Green

As a young professional in the boating world, he understands the importance of continuous improvement. Since his first job, Patrick Green has grown as a professional at some of the industry’s most reputable organizations.  Read on to learn more about how Patrick navigates the workplace in order to create a positive work culture.

Q: How did you get started in the boating industry?

Green: I got my first job working summers at Gordy’s in Fontana, Wisconsin on Geneva Lake. I actually was able to save enough money working my first two summers to buy a car on my own before I turned 16.

Q: Being a young professional, you fall into the category of Millennial. How do you navigate the workplace, as a leader, with that “label”?

Green: Reading the room. One of the biggest lessons I hope to carry with me 20 years from now, is understanding & learning from the generational gap. When a company’s culture becomes stagnant so do its people.

Q: Tobler Marina is a Marine Industry Certified Dealership. As the Director of Certification, what benefits are you seeing within the dealership after completing and actively participating in the program?

Green: We’ve gotten in the habit of including the Certification Curriculum in our weekly manager meetings, and then trickling it down through weekly dept meetings. This has enabled us to reflect, but also allowed us to push forward with simplifying process. The accountability tools have also helped us understand why the process is so important. Employee feedback is key.

Q: As a professional who puts an emphasis on growing and continuously learning, what would you say was the most important thing you learned in the business this year?

Green: It’s important to have values in an organization that match personal values. This also relates to employees and customers – and the relationships that coincide.

Q: We always end our Member Spotlight interview with this… What are 5 things that people may not know about you?

  1. I was a zipline guide in Alaska for one summer after college.
  2. I went snowboarding every month for 23 months in a row.
  3. I love to rock climb.
  4. I studied Philosophy in college.
  5. I aspire to do the Great Loop.

    RaftUp Technologies, Inc. Signs on in Support of the MRAA

    The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is pleased to announce that RaftUp, an applications and software company, has signed on to support the association at the Partner level.

    RaftUp is a software development company that provides technical solutions that increase safety and social utility for boaters, recreational businesses, public safety agencies, and outdoor enthusiasts.

    “We couldn’t be more excited about joining the MRAA, as our core focus is increasing engagement between recreational boaters and marinas and outfitters”, Corey Boelkens, Founder & CEO of RaftUp. “We are here to help enhance the experience.”

    The free app, which is available for both Apple and Android products, allows boaters to connect with each other on waterways and provides a “Smart SOS” feature that can minimize downtime in the case of an unexpected breakdown. In addition to the social focus of the app, RaftUp also includes an enhanced feature that allows first responders and public safety agencies to receive a user’s location on the water, in case of emergencies.

    “We welcome RaftUp Technologies, Inc. into MRAA partnership,” Matt Gruhn, President of the Marine Retailers Association. “We are honored to partner with a company that is working to create a more safe and collaborative environment for today’s boaters.”

    RaftUp joins a growing roster of boat manufacturers, vendors and suppliers that have chosen to support the dealer community through partnership with the MRAA, The support of these organizations enables the MRAA to expand the products and service it offers to dealers, with the goal of providing them with more tools, resources and educational opportunities to fuel their success. Find a full menu of partner benefits here.

    The Most Important Tool in Your Leadership Toolbox

    Equip. [ih-kwip] verb. to provide appropriate provisions, resources, and preparations for performance or action.

    A lot can be learned about leadership in the dojo.

    To be a world class martial artist, you must be equipped with flexibility. Among other things, it allows you to deliver a devastating and lightning-fast kick to your opponent’s head.

    That’s why, about 11 years ago, on a slow and plodding journey to black belt, I bought a stretcher. I knew that at 32 years old, I was not going to become a world class martial artist. But I aspired to get as close as I could. I had good motivation: It doesn’t take receiving very many kicks to the head before you wish you could kick to the head too.

    To use this piece of equipment, which resembles a medieval torture device, you strap your legs in and then crank a wheel a little further each day, each week, until you’ve reached your goal of a full split – which brings with it the ability to deliver that devastating kick.

    Similar to the martial arts world, to be a leader in your dealership, you need to be equipped with a kind of flexibility. In the 18-month Leadership Development Program offered by Spader Business Management, the word David Spader uses is “adaptability” – not exactly the same as flexibility, but a close cousin.

    David goes so far as to call adaptability “the single best predictor of our sustained individual and organizational success.”

    So, dealership leaders, are you equipped with adaptability? Well, there are two prerequisites. One, a desire to adapt. And two, a willingness to feel the discomfort of doing things differently.

    If you have that desire and that willingness, the MRAA has a lot to offer you. We’ve partnered with leading educators – people like David Spader – to develop a wealth of training resources, tools and courses to help you improve and grow in this fast-changing market.

    In fact, one of the central themes of our upcoming conference – the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo – is future-proofing: looking forward to what’s coming toward us to minimize the shocks and stresses of the change ahead, so we can maximize our success. There’s no better place to gain insight into adapting yourself, your department and your dealership to the evolution of our customer and our industry.

    In the end, I’ve learned that adaptability is, in fact, more important than its cousin, flexibility. A few weeks into the use of my torture device, I landed in the doctor’s office. Turns out my hips were not made to flex like that, much to my chagrin, and my attempts to try actually chipped a piece of bone off the edge of my hip socket.

    The doctor gave me a choice: Pick another sport or stop trying to kick to the head. Needless to say, I love martial arts. I wasn’t going to pick another sport. So, instead of relying on flexibility, I’ve equipped myself with another martial arts skill. Hint: Watch out for my hook.

    What new skills are you and your team developing to adapt to the changes taking place under your roof and in your boating community? Share them with us in the comments or at the MDCE in December. See you there!

    Grow Boating and MRAA to Launch First-Time Boat Buyer Courses

    As part of an expanding educational partnership, Grow Boating and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas are excited to announce a three part series of e-learning courses titled: Grow Your Dealership with First-Time Boat Buyers.

    The purpose of the series is to put education, tools and resources in the hands of marine retailers and their employees to help them provide a dealership experience that will allow them to sell more boats to and generate more loyalty among first-time boat shoppers.

    In 2017, the Discover Boating arm of Grow Boating Inc. released a comprehensive report on “Tomorrow’s Boat Owner,”  sharing the insights gained from its in-depth research into first-time boat buyers. Among other things, the report outlined key strategies that can be embraced to reverse the decline in first-time boat buyers.

    “The research we’ve conducted suggests there is tremendous opportunity for those businesses who understand the first-time boat shopper and can use that understanding to lead those shoppers on a customized path to purchase,” says Carl Blackwell, president of Grow Boating. “We’re thrilled to work with MRAA on educational programming designed to not only develop that understanding, but apply it to how we care for the unique needs of this critical group.”

    This series of courses will represent the first time the Discover Boating research findings have been transformed into dealer education specifically designed for the way the brain learns and made available to the entire industry.

    “We believe that dealers who can create strong relationships with first-time boat shoppers will be able to outperform the competition now and moving forward,” says Liz Walz, Vice President of the MRAA. “That’s why we’re so passionate about this project. These powerful online courses will lead dealers and their employees through the steps to put this research to work. The way we see it, education is only worthwhile when it’s capable of delivering real results for those who invest their time in learning.”  

    During the first course in the series – Understand and Guide the First-Time Boat Shopper – the MRAA’s Jim Million will walk boat dealers through the process first-timers like to use to buy and how they can apply that information to attract more first-time boat shoppers into their dealership. Click here to watch a video on the first course in the series, which will be officially unveiled at the 2018 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, December 9-12, in Orlando, Fla.

    RBFF Launches “Take Me Fishing” License & Boat Registration Widget

    The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation has launched the Take Me Fishing Fishing License & Boat Registration widget to bring fishing license and boat registration information to consumers on any site the widget is added to. This free tool can be embedded directly on marina, boatyard or any stakeholder website, to help customers and potential customers obtain fishing licenses and boat registrations and learn more about fishing and boating.

    Users click their state on the map or select it from the drop-down menu to be taken directly to the state agency site to purchase their license or register their boat.

    To learn more about the widget and to add it to your site, head to the RBFF Resource Center.

    ORR Releases Video Highlighting Recreation Industry’s Economic Impact

    The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable issued a video this month reviewing the release of the first-ever report on the outdoor industry’s economic impact, known as the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA). Click here to watch the video.

    The ORSA report, produced by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis was officially announced during a Capitol Hill briefing in September with key federal officials, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Bureau of Economic Analysis Director Brian Moyer, and Department of Interior Senior Advisor Rick May, and a video greeting from Senator Steve Daines (R-MT).

    MRAA, along with numerous other recreational boating and fishing partners are proud to part of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.

    Key statistics and insights from ORSA are available here.

     

    If you have any questions about legislative issues, or something happening in your state, please contact Will Higgins.