Explore a Brighter Future

This past summer, I took the most incredible vacation ever. We over-planned, over-packed and over-spent on a two-week road trip to Glacier National Park, where we explored the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever laid eyes on.

The incredible memories and this park’s unpredicted rise to the No. 1 spot on our family’s list of favorite National Parks, can be directly attributed to the numerous hikes we took to explore Glacier’s dramatic scenery and sheer beauty. But I think the risk-and-reward factor came in to play with that, as well.

You see, I’m a tough guy. An outdoorsman with cushy hiking shoes, a Camelback, air conditioning and a memory foam mattress (with matching pillows). And so nothing — NOTHING! — scares me. Particularly in front of my wife and two daughters. Nothing. At all. Except … perhaps … possibly … the near-certain likelihood that any hike in Glacier National Park would assuredly end in my being mauled by a grizzly bear.

It’s true. The signs warn you to be “bear aware” on the way into the park. Gift shops sell bear spray in double-barrel packages at prices that suggest your mere survival depends on its ownership. Trail heads let you know that bears frequent the area. Rangers walk around for the sole purpose of protecting you and also for conducting blood transfusions and CPR on you. And to make being death charged by a bear even more likely, my ladies all sported chapstick scented with huckleberry … which, by the way, happens to be the grizzly bear’s favorite food. Right behind “adult male human,” I suppose. Do you even realize how many grizzly bear encounter videos you can find on YouTube?

Now, I know that, as a business leader, you don’t have irrational fears. There are no grizzly bears in your world. You don’t worry about losing your top employee or whether or not that new boat line will pay off. You don’t think about how deep that next recession will be or how much it will slow down your sales. The competition and that brilliant move they just made? Not even on your mind. You never wonder to yourself if, maybe, sacrificing margins in favor of market share is truly the best strategy. It doesn’t cross your mind how you’re going to rid yourself of excess costs, inventory or inefficiencies. And you certainly don’t question your own leadership or management abilities. You’re tough and brave, too. I get it.

But in the event that maybe you are not 100-percent clear on what the future looks like, I want to challenge you to explore it and create it for yourself. I want to challenge you to break out of your comfort zone, take a few risks, experience something new.

In business, as in life itself, the most rewarding experiences are those that at one point seemed the most dangerous. The most risky. The most plotted in harm’s way. They are the opportunities you’ve explored only after overcoming obstacles and hardships. They are the ones that come with constant warning signs and reminders that you could be eaten alive without notice.

All of those bear fears could have, and almost did, deter us from taking those hikes. We could have taken the safe route and just gone to Disney World. But despite the risks and the high number of warning signs, it was not only the visit, but in fact, those hikes and the exploration that took us to the hidden lakes, the beautiful vistas, the waterfalls and glaciers, and yes, even a few grizzly bears — that turned out to be frightened by us, by the way.

As you create your plans for the year ahead, challenge yourself to break out of your regular habits. Learn something new. Try a new direction. Consider a new strategy. Break out of the mold. Envision a brighter future for yourself and your business. And do it by exploring new opportunities. Even those that come with risk.

Just know that as you venture out to explore unknown trails, your MRAA Team stands by to help you pave the way. We’re armed with the bear spray to protect you, and we’ve got the Park Rangers to guide you around the dangers that lurk out there. And we’re quite confident that we can help make your 2019 the most incredible, most rewarding year yet.

Barletta Boat Company invests in MRAA programs

Bill and Kristin Fenech and Barletta Boat Company have continued their generous support of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and its mission to provide tools, resources and educational programming to elevate today’s dealers.

“It’s no secret that the dealerships are the lifeblood of this industry,” says Bill Fenech, President and Co-Owner of Barletta Boat Company. “As an organization, we feel that supporting the MRAA and its efforts to develop a strong and vibrant marine dealer network is a no-brainer. It’s a win-win for the industry – the MRAA and the tools they provide are helping to build stronger, more educated dealers that ultimately benefit the retail customer by taking better care of them.”

Having entered the marine industry just last year, Fenech and Barletta Boat Company promised to build its foundation on becoming a dealer-centric organization. At the time Barletta joined MRAA as a Platinum Partner member, MRAA’s highest level of membership, and Bill and Kristin personally donated $10,000 to aid MRAA’s efforts. This month, they renewed that support with another $10,000 donation.

“Our team here at MRAA is humbled by Bill, Kristin and Barletta Boat Company’s significant and ongoing support,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Bill told us, out of the gate, that he would find success by building a dealer-friendly organization. He has backed that up with his support of our dealer-focused association, and by his words and actions in support of his growing dealer network.”

In 2018, MRAA invested Barletta’s donation into publishing its Guide To Dealership Improvement, a 19-page publication that provides dealers with step-by-step, expert instruction on how they can create real improvement inside their business. The document points dealers to several resources and provides implementable ideas from our industry’s leading experts.

With this year’s donation, MRAA is investing in creating a robust Great Dealerships to Work For program, to be unveiled at the MRAA Opening Night Awards Program at the upcoming Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. At this year’s program, MRAA will recognize dealers that lead the marine industry in employee satisfaction.

MRAA History: A Year of Firsts

The 1987 MRAA Conference was deemed a success. The Caesars Palace welcomed a record-setting number of marine dealers, the first Woman of the Year was recognized, and the number of accessory exhibitors increased by 90% over the previous year.


Envision a brighter future

Envision.

[en-vizh–uh n] verb. imagine as a future possibility; visualize

When you close your eyes and envision your future, what do you see? Are those vivid pictures centered around your family? Perhaps on that dream vacation or in retirement? Do you imagine professional accomplishment like bountiful sales or a new location? Or are you dreaming of something even more aspirational, like smooth operations with no HR headaches or odd-hour service calls?

Over here at the MRAA, our team envisions a brighter future for marine retail. We envision a day when the fundamental problems that lead to today’s less-than-ideal boat buying and ownership experiences are behind us. We envision a day when we work hand-in-hand, on an even deeper level, with our manufacturer and supplier partners to aid in the success of our dealers. And we envision a day when, together, we can propel boating, once again, to the No. 1 choice in outdoor recreation.

It’s a lofty vision for sure, but rest assured, that your MRAA staff is made up of a dozen of the hardest-working, most passionate marine industry professionals anyone could dream of working alongside. Our mission is to provide you and your team with the tools, resources and educational opportunities that will inspire you and empower you to reach the growth and success goals you set.

Translated, that means the future you envision is the future we envision. And no matter how you define success, your MRAA team wants to help you get there. Especially if it’s that dream vacation and you want us to go with.

Committed Schools Support Workforce Development in the Marine Industry

Momentum Building: Four Schools in Three Weeks Obtain ABYC’s Marine Service Curriculum

The American Boat & Yacht Council’s (ABYC) has announced that in this month of September, four schools have enrolled in their “Fundamentals of Marine Service Technology” curriculum program.

The program was built to help secondary and post-secondary schools easily implement standards based marine service curriculum, with an inland or coastal focus. Additionally, a nationally recognized competency certificate is available for program completers who successfully pass an exam administered by the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI).

“We are thrilled that schools from all over the country are expressing interest and hope that more and more young people will be inspired to pursue a rewarding career in the marine industry,” said Ed Sherman ABYC education director. “This should be good news to all concerned about the workforce crisis as schools are better prepared to train future applicants.”

Participating schools receive a textbook, instructor guides, PowerPoint presentations, sample test questions and online videos.

 “ABYC addresses all of our needs in one easy to read, comprehensive book and the new curriculum package will make it even easier for our marine program to excel moving forward, said Rob Berenwick, instructor at Ocean County Vocational Technical School. “Partnering with ABYC was a no-brainer when we were presented with the vast resources for me as the instructor and my students.”

Schools currently enrolled with marine service program include:

  • Ocean County Vocational Technical School – Toms River, New Jersey
  • Portland Arts & Technology High School – Portland, Maine
  • Mount Desert Island High School – Bar Harbor, Maine
  • Center for Applied Technology – Edgewater, Maryland
  • Mid-Coast School of Technology – Rockland, Maine
  • North Providence High School – North Providence, Rhode Island
  • Coconino Association for Vocations, Industry and Technology – Page, Arizona
     

Industry support is requested to spread the word to local networks and community schools. To learn more about ABYC’s Marine Service Technology Program visit www.abycinc.org/marineservice.

Brunswick and the MRAA Partner for Healthcare and Extended Service Contracts

Brunswick Corporation’s dealer services program, Brunswick Dealer Advantage (BDA), and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, have announced a partnership which will provide Brunswick marine dealers with access to healthcare options through MRAA Health, while providing MRAA dealers with access to extended service contract sales through Brunswick Product Protection.

“MRAA and BDA are both dedicated to providing dealerships with the resources they need to thrive, and we are excited to be partnering,” explained Matt Gruhn, president of the MRAA. “The MRAA Health and Brunswick Product Protection opportunities now available through this partnership are just the beginning of the benefits Brunswick dealers and MRAA dealer members will experience as we continue to align and share resources.”

Facilitated by Bukaty Companies, the MRAA Health program delivers reduced-cost health insurance to businesses across the United States. Bukaty Companies is a preferred partner for several major insurance providers, and their relationships, passed through the MRAA Health program, makes this program available in all 50 States. MRAA Health will now be a key program available through BDA, which is designed to help Brunswick dealers attract more customers, reward and retain employees, and improve operational efficiencies.

“Over the years, Brunswick dealers have continued to request an offering from the BDA program to help solve their dealership healthcare needs,” said Kirsten Schuchardt, director of sales and dealer services for Boating Services Network. “We are excited to be working with the MRAA and Bukaty Companies to be able to provide them with a real solution.”

In addition to health insurance benefits, Bukaty Companies offers dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, life, critical illness, accident and identity theft insurance. This unified program also extends COBRA, FSA, HSA, FMLA opportunities, as well as wellness programs, HR and compliance support and training, in customized programs that best fit each individual dealer’s needs.

“One of the things that we like the best about this program is that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” says Nikki Duffney, MRAA member development manager. “Bukaty Companies really takes the pain out of finding the right insurance program and delivers our members the absolute best program for them, their business and their employees. And to date, we’re proud to report that our members are seeing significant savings.”

Brunswick marine dealers interested in accessing an insurance quote from Bukaty Companies can log onto the BDA website at www.brunswickdealeradvantage.com and fill out the simple, one-page quote request form.  To activate a quote from Bukaty Companies, Brunswick dealers will need to be active MRAA members. To confirm membership or to become a member, Brunswick dealers can call 763-315-8043 or go to www.mraa.com/memberships.  

As part of this partnership, MRAA members will now have access to Passport and Passport Premier extended engine and accessory protection plans for recreational power boats through Brunswick Product Protection.  Passport and Passport Premier offer industry-leading breadth of coverage at competitive pricing to the dealer, often adding significant profits to each boat sale while helping participating dealers to deliver a first-class purchase experience. Important downstream service revenues are also realized as most claims work is returned to the dealership where the customer bought the extended protection.

“We are very pleased to make our product protection brand available to MRAA Dealers, all with the superior service levels our existing dealers already receive,” said Jason Cochran, director of sales and operations for Brunswick Product Protection. “We support dealers’ total business by covering engines and accessories on most types of recreational power boats, and now we will be able to support MRAA dealers as well.”

The Passport program provides competitively priced, entry-level coverage for almost all brands and types of power boats.  Passport Premier offers the program’s most comprehensive engine component coverage. This includes unique non-defective engine breakdown protection against overheating, scored pistons and much more. The accessory plans protect the major components throughout the vessel and are custom tailored to the customer’s boat type. MRAA members interested in offering the program can call Brunswick Product Protection at 800-950-3808.

MRAA Seeks 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Applications

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has opened the nomination period for the 2nd Annual Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes marine retail professionals who have made fundamental, significant and sustained contributions to the marine industry.

Last year, Don Galey, Galey’s Marine, Bakersfield, Calif., was named the first recipient of the award. Galey contributed to several major milestones within the industry, including the creation of the MRAA, the launch of Spader Business Management / MRAA 20 Groups, and the introduction of floorplan financing for marine dealers.

The selection of the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will be made on the basis of the nominee’s contributions to the industry; the lasting impact of those contributions; and the demonstration of a lifetime commitment to the business of selling and/or servicing boats, and the delivery of an outstanding boating lifestyle to consumers.

“It was an honor to present Don Galey with the first-ever MRAA Lifetime Achievement award in a room full of industry professionals who have been impacted by his life’s work,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “As a result of individual leaders like Don, our industry continues to evolve and strengthen for future generations. We look forward to recognizing another individual this year for their lasting impact on marine retailing.”

The award will be presented on December 9, 2018, on the opening night of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, at the MRAA Opening Night Awards Celebration. For more information or to submit a nomination, visit here.

Nominations for the MRAA Lifetime Achievement Award may be submitted by anyone, including self-nominations. Nominations may not be made anonymously, as the burden of offering evidence of merit falls on the nominator. Those nominations should include the nominee’s resume and/or career summary; a comprehensive description of the nominee’s major contributions to marine retailing, with supporting documentation; and at least three letters of endorsement, providing further evidence of the significance and magnitude of the nominee’s professional achievements.

Anyone who lives up to these criteria is eligible for consideration, although individuals selected for this award should normally be in or near their retirement. The award may be received posthumously.

Regal & Nautique of Orlando Celebrates 10th Anniversary, Announces Major Building Expansion Plans

A crowd of more than 300 including key marine industry leaders and watersports VIPs and athletes recently gathered to celebrate and toast top-ranked boat dealer Regal & Nautique of Orlando’s 10th anniversary in Central Florida. The event was highlighted by the official announcement and grand unveiling of major new dealership building expansion plans slated for 2019.

According to owner and GM Jeff Husby, Regal & Nautique of Orlando will build a new $2.5 million, 15,000 square foot retail showroom and service center immediately adjacent to its existing I-4 facing property located at 2226 Paseo Avenue. The new facility at 2300 Division Street will expand the dealership’s total footprint from 8100 square feet on 2.07 acres to an estimated 23,100 square feet on 3.4 acres, right in the heart of Orlando.

Husby notes that the new building will feature Nautique Boats exclusively and will sport up to 16 models in an air-conditioned showroom. It will also house five air-controlled service bays, with room for future expansion. The dealership is presently conferring with senior members of Nautique’s corporate leadership team with the goal to create a spectacular, world-class Nautique showcase.

Upon launch of the new facility, the current property is expected to undergo some minor renovations and will become a dedicated showroom and service facility for Regal Boats, along with Moomba Boats.           

“We appreciate the fantastic support and well wishes received from our many friends and colleagues in the marine industry, along with scores of loyal customers who have helped us become the top sport boat market share leader in Central Florida,” said Husby. “I’m really proud of my team and all of their hard work and effort over the past ten years that allows us to facilitate continued growth. Our new expansion will allow us to further elevate the customer experience by offering dedicated sales, service and parts for all the brands we represent. This will significantly enhance our inventories and ability to expedite service with a more dedicated focus.”

Regal & Nautique of Orlando, founded in 2008 by Husby and partners Marc Hooker and Bob Secrist, is an award-winning retailer ranked in the Top 20 dealers of North America by Boating Industry Magazine.  The dealership is Nautique’s #2 dealer in North America and Regal’s 2018 #1 Worldwide CSI Dealer, also ranked #6 in Worldwide Sales. The dealership is a Five-Star Marine Certified Dealer and a multi-year recipient of the “CSI Excellence in Dealer Service” awards by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Regal & Nautique of Orlando has also received regional distinction as the 5x winner of the “Best Boat Dealer in Orlando” by Orlando Style Magazine, and a 4x “Best Bets” recipient by the Orlando Sentinel.