Member Spotlight: Shawn Easton

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This industry leader is the chairman of the MRAA’s Young Leaders Advisory Council, the owner of Norris Marine, and a new dad. We had the privilege to learn about his background and what he is contributing to the future success of the marine industry.


Q: Your family has been in the marine industry for years. Tell us about that and how you ended up where you are today.

Easton: My father has been in the boat business since 1965.  He still owns and operates a dealership in southwest Oklahoma.  I certainly grew up around the business, but actually didn’t jump right in after college.  After college, I working as a mortgage banker for 6 years.  An opportunity came up to acquire Norris Marine and I am 7+ years in.

Q: It seems to be a year for growth at Norris Marine. What are you doing differently today versus this time last year that has helped you stay competitive in your market?

Easton: I can’t say there is any one thing that stands out this year over last year, moreover I believe our growth is a culmination of our strategic plan put in place 3 years ago.  Our team is always striving to be better and we are far from where we want to be.   But with hard work and a commitment to delivering first class service we look to continue to build our brand within our market.

Q: We know that the Young Leaders Advisory Council is currently working on a few projects to help combat our industry’s workforce crisis. As the YLAC Chair, what are some of the ideas being discussed by our young leaders that you feel will have a positive effect on our industry?

Easton: It’s no secret that our industry has a skilled labor shortage, specifically a technician shortage.  The reality of most dealerships is that its nearly impossible to simply hire an experienced technician at will.  YLAC is focused on helping the MRAA potentially create a ‘blueprint’ for dealers on how to implement an apprenticeship program within their dealership and/or service department.  There are certainly talented young people that are willing to learn and by successfully implementing an apprenticeship program dealers can grown their own workforce.

Q: To stay on the hot topic of workforce, what advice would you give to prospective Norris Marine employees?

Easton: Our focus within our dealership is to delivery world class service.  If you want to succeed within our dealership, you must by in to the culture of delivering the best experience for the customer everytime.  If we can do this as a team, everything else will take care of itself.  I tell prospective hires that our customers write our paychecks, I just happen to sign them.  In order to succeed, new employees must buy into working as a team to deliver for our customers.

Q: To end the interview, tell us 5 things that people may not know about you!

Easton:

  1. My wife Ashley and I have a 9 month old boy who keeps us busy.
  2. I’m a huge Oklahoma Sooners fan… probably to a fault
  3. I enjoy the mountains and love to snow ski.
  4. I love to cook and am an aspiring chef in my dreams.
  5. Jesus is my lord and savior.

If you have a nomination for the Member Spotlight section of our newsletter, please send an email to mickaela@mraa.com.

MRAA History: Supporters

We can count more than a dozen organizations that were supporting MRAA and its Annual Conference way back when that continue to support us today. That list of leading members has grown tremendously, but our appreciation remains the same.

MRAA and Boating Ontario Join Forces to Extend Reach

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Canadian counterpart Boating Ontario have launched a collaborative effort to expand the delivery of resources and tools across borders.

In 2011, the MRAA Board of Directors voted to change the MRAA bylaws in efforts to provide more opportunities to Canadian members. First, by changing the name of the association from Marine Retailers of America to the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. In addition to the name change, an 11th member region — Canada — was recognized and represented on the MRAA Board in order to represent member needs there.

“We’ve desired for this formal, board-level evolution to take on more of a real world application,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA President, “and while we’ve taken some initial steps in the right direction, we believe this partnership will help us do an even better job of delivering tools, resources and educational programming to Canadian dealers and their employees.”

To begin with, MRAA is extending a $100 discount off any level of MRAA membership for dealers who are members of Boating Ontario. The groups are focused on extending the benefits of MRAA educational programs, be it MRAA’s annual conference, its online course catalog that features more than 100 educational programs, or the Dealership Certification Program.

“Two of the pillars from our strategic plan are Business Development and Workforce Development,” says Rick Layzell, CEO of Boating Ontario. “Boating Ontario committed to becoming a conduit to the best education programs in the industry.  The MRAA relationship is a great step forward in delivering on that commitment to our members.  Boating Ontario is also excited to announce that our MarineWorx Development Fund will provide $100(CDN) to the first 25 Boating Ontario Association members who begin their education journey with MRAA programs.”

Boating Ontario plans to extend MRAA’s Dealership Certification Pilot Course, an in-depth course on how buyer motivation is they key to building value in a sale, as an introduction to MRAATraining.com education for Boating Ontario members. MRAA’s Silver Membership offers all-inclusive access to MRAATraining.com, where MRAA’s educational programming is housed. Future plans for collaboration are already underway, as well.

“We, as associations, are working to provide opportunities for improvement to our dealer networks and through partnering with one another, we can combine efforts to share the best resources available,” says Nikki Duffney, MRAA Member Development Manager. “Working together like this will allow for the pooling of resources and the elevating of not just the individual businesses we support, but the industry at large.”

Resources for Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

From natural occurrences (much like the Hurricanes headed towards shore) to the “freak” events that take you off guard, we never know when disaster is going to hit and put your business in danger. The MRAA team felt the time was right to offer a few resources that can help you prepare or recover after disaster strikes.

Seven Tips to Help Your Small Business Recover From Hurricane Damage

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Small Business Recovery Expanded Guide

Small Business Association: Prepare for Emergencies

Sea Grant Crisis Management Guide

Weathering the Storm: Hurricane Preparedness & Recovery Event

If you are looking for resources specific to your area, please email mickaela@mraa.com and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.

Hi, I Have Tattoos

Hello, my name is Nikki and I have tattoos. As an elder millennial, it was almost a rite of passage to get my first tattoo in 2002 at 18 years old and I have clear memories from each experience that has left permanent ink on my skin.

In my most recent tattoo experience, I was visiting friends in California and decided to get tattoos at the same shop for a Flash Friday event. My friend recommended a shop she knew and trusted that has almost perfect reviews and a beautiful space. I was in!

We arrived, picked out our designs and my friend saw the artist she typically sees. Since I wanted to try to get tattooed at the same time, I went with the next available artist. This was my mistake, big mistake. The artist I chose to work with brought with him a heavy emotional life story, that he chose to share very intimate details with us about. I was uncomfortable to say the least, and it was more from his attempts at conversation than it was about the needles in my skin.

Today, I have a beautiful tattoo that reminds me of this man’s emotional life story rather than the wonderful memory I had hoped to create with my friend. I feel, in this case, my customer experience was tainted by one bad employee that didn’t understand his negativity was impacting my experience. Think about it – if your employee is having a bad day and working with a customer, what kind of story are they telling?

Chaparral And Robalo Boats Celebrate Top Dealers

Chaparral and Robalo Boats honored its top dealers and sales professionals from around the globe for the 2018 model year at their 2019 Annual Dealer Conference meeting held at the Ritz – Carlton, Lake Oconee, GA.

Top Domestic Dealer Award Winners:

Chaparral:

  1. The Boat Rack, Sherrills Ford, NC
  2. Premier 54 Motorsports, Osage Beach, MO
  3. Waterfront Marine, Somers Point, NJ
  4. Munson Ski & Marine, Round Lake, IL
  5. Atlanta Marine, Buford, GA

Robalo:

  1. Bob Hewes Boats, N Miami, FL
  2. Sunrise Marine of Destin, Mary Esther, FL
  3. Waterfront Marine, Somers Point, NJ
  4. Fish Tale Boats, Ft. Myers, FL
  5. Angler’s Marine, Supply, NC

#1 Chaparral & Robalo largest combined volume dealer:

  • Waterfront Marine, Somers Point, NJ

Top International Dealer Award Winners:

Chaparral:

  • Ideal Boat Sales, Pwllheli, United Kingdom

Robalo:

  • Soluciones Nauticas Sa De Cv, Merida, Mexico

#1 CSI Dealer Award Winners:

Chaparral:

  • Cecil Marine, Williamstown, NJ

Robalo:

  • Vero Marine Center, Vero Beach, FL

Top Sales Professional by Region – Chaparral:

  1. Scott Ledwith, Atlanta Marine, Atlanta, GA – Southeast Region
  2. Bradley Rozier, Premier 54 Motorsports, Osage Beach, MO – South Central & Western Region
  3. John Noonan, Amity Harbor Marine, Amityville, NY – Northeast Region
  4. Roberto Alvarado, Wayzata Marine, Wayzata, MN – Midwest & Great Lakes Region
  5. Steven Henry, The Boat Rack, Sherrills Ford, NC – Mid-Atlantic Region

Overall #1 International Sales Professional:

  • Neville Williams, IdealBoat Sales, Pwllheli, United Kingdom


Top Sales Professional by Region – Robalo:

  1. Justin Wray, Dealer’s Choice, Orlando, FL – Southeast Region
  2. Paul Peters, The Nautic Group, Kemah, TX – South Central & Western Region
  3. Bruce Staley, Waterfront Marine, Edgewater, MD – Northeast Region
  4. Neil Williams, Sun Sport Marine, Harrison Township, MI – Midwest & Great Lakes Region
  5. Glenn Abramson, Anglers Marine, Supply, NC – Mid-Atlantic Region

Congressional Boating Caucus Highlights Workforce Issues on Capitol Hill

On September 5th, MRAA, NMMA, and BoatUS hosted several representatives of state marine trades associations including Wendy Mackie if the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, Peter Schrappen of Northwest Marine Trade Association, Randall Lyons of the Massachusetts Marine Trade Association, and Susan Zellers of the Marine Trades Association of Maryland for the purpose of a Capitol Hill Briefing on the recreational boating industries workforce shortage.

The briefing, attended by numerous congressional staffers focused on the successful efforts of state marine trade associations to institute programs on recruiting and retaining workers in the marine industry.

A major highlight of the panel included the implementation of a for addressing the workforce crisis, “10+1 Strategy: A Marine Industry Guide to Growing the Workforce.” The plan is the result of a yearlong collaborative effort by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association. Endorsed by 25 national, regional and state trade associations, “10+1” represents an industry wide business plan in the form of an all-new, instructive document designed to help address the workforce challenges currently facing the marine industry. 

The briefing was held on behalf of the Congressional Boating Caucus is an informal, bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives formed in 1989 to advocate for the interests of the recreational boating industry.

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

Congress To Tackle Harmful Algae Blooms

Last Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing on dangerous algae blooms. Florida is currently facing an unprecedented algae event, but a number of other states are experiencing harmful algae blooms and the problem continues to grow. The negative impact that toxic algae blooms have on the recreational boating community and marine businesses was mentioned by several witnesses and senators, including Patrick Neu, Executive Director of the National Professional Anglers Association, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). Potential legislation that would assist in funding, research, and efforts to combat harmful algae blooms were also discussed during the hearing. 

“As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I applaud the full Senate’s approval of these crucial provisions that I championed on behalf of Florida. With the harmful algal blooms impacting both coasts of Florida, my amendment provides funding for additional assistance to identify health impacts from the toxins,” Rubio said.

Additionally, Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson successfully secured funding from the center for disease control for responding to the blooms, with special priority given to any locations that are subject to a state of emergency designation within the previous 12 months because of blooms.

 

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

Be the Change: Tell your Senators to Support the Modern Fish Act

Thanks to your efforts, the House has passed HR 200, which includes Modern Fish Act provisions. This is a bipartisan step towards advancing recreational fishing policy. Your letters made the difference!

It is now time for the U.S. Senate to take up and pass the Modern Fish Act (S. 1520).

It is imperative that you contact your senators today and strongly urge them to support the Modern Fish Act. 

The Modern Fish Act will make critically important changes to federal fishing regulations, including several key provisions that are supported by a broad coalition of recreational fishing and boating organizations:

  • Allows for recreational fisheries to be managed using more appropriate management tools
  • Modifies the annual catch limit requirement to allow for more adaptive approaches
  • Requires managers in the southeastern U.S. to perform long-overdue examinations of fishery allocation, based on modern criteria
  • Limits the spread of catch share programs that have negatively impacted anglers and fishing communities
  • Promotes consideration of new data collection methods that could improve fisheries management and conservation
  • Ensures exempted fishing permits help fisheries management and conservation – rather than the status quo which can hinder both

Please urge your senators to support the Modern Fish Act.

 

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

Partnership Key to Barletta Pontoon Boats Dealer Meeting

On August 14, partner dealerships and prospects from around North America descended on Elkhart, IN to attend the inaugural Barletta Pontoon Boat Dealer Meeting and feel, first-hand, what all the “buzz” was about; a focus on innovation, quality, and partnership.

While maintaining an informal “feel”, the meeting offered some structure including product training, pricing and promotions discussions, and networking opportunities. One of the highlights of the three day event was the business meeting that included a question and answer session at its conclusion.

“Attendance at the event was outstanding,” stated Bill Fenech, President and Co-Owner of Barletta Boat Company. “Our team was able to spend quality, face-to-face, time with our current dealer partners and several high-caliber prospect dealerships. What was really exciting was the unexpected number of attendees in the area for other dealer meetings, that came to see our product, our people, and hear our story. This all really emphasizes the need and desire for a pontoon boat manufacturer to shake things up by doing things differently…the Barletta way.”

With the release of the new E-Class (Elite) pontoon boats, the “little brother” to the highly successful L-Class (Luxury) line, orders written at the meeting were stronger than expected, surpassing Barletta’s internal goal by a wide margin, with more orders on the way.

“The meeting was a huge success,” stated Jeff Haradine, VP of Sales. “Not only in terms of commitments for the upcoming year, but in terms of the overall feel of the meeting. Really strong partnerships take years to develop – but we’ve signed great dealers and built killer relationships. What we’ve experienced over this very short period of time just can’t be duplicated by our competitors. It’s truly something special.”

With over 70 locations nationwide, Barletta’s dealer network includes over 20 dealerships representing multiple locations, recognized as Boating Industry’s Top 100 dealerships of 2017. Until recently, Barletta had suspended signing new dealers to insure that they could adequately support their dealer partners with product. As the team reviews the model year 2019 order commitments and assigns delivery dates, Barletta may consider suspending new dealer signings again, as the production team ramps up.

“Our team focuses on doing what’s right for the relationships we are building with our dealer partners,” continued Fenech. “Build hot products with quality, provide large territories, and don’t settle for less than the best customer service in the industry. Sometimes it’s as simple as returning a phone call. We treat our dealers in the same manner that we would hope to be treated; our team doesn’t know how to do it any differently than that.”