MRAA to Host Opening Night Awards Celebration

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it will host an Opening Night Awards Celebration at the upcoming Marine Dealer Conference & Expo.

The MRAA Awards Celebration will shine a spotlight on marine industry workforce efforts, showcasing a series of awards and scholarships to be presented by both the MRAA and the MRAA Educational Foundation. Other recognitions will include Marine Industry Certified Dealerships, as well as an all-new MRAA Lifetime Achievement Award.
“In bringing this exciting event to the marine industry, we’re looking to not only kick off our annual conference in style, adding a sense of entertainment and flare to our awards program,” explains Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA, “but also to recognize the men and women who work tirelessly to make our industry such a great place to work.”

The MRAA Educational Foundation will present several great scholarships, totaling more than $30,000, including Technical Scholarships, the Marine Industry College Scholarship, the Kevin Lodder Scholarship, and the Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship. Additionally, the Foundation will recognize the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year. The MRAA itself will recognize Marine Industry Certified Dealerships, in addition to introducing the inaugural MRAA Lifetime Achievement Award. All MRAA Members are encouraged to apply for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

As part of the build-up to the recognition of these outstanding individuals, the event will feature a professional emcee as well as the “Fork It Over” Marine Industry Talent Show, aimed at benefitting the MRAA Educational Foundation.

“We are looking forward to an incredible evening of fun, excitement and recognition of the passion and hard work that goes into helping our industry prosper,” says Liz Walz, Vice President & Director of Education at the MRAA and Executive Director of the MRAA Educational Foundation. “We not only want to hold the individuals and organizations to be recognized up as examples to be emulated, but we also are honored to support their efforts to advance their boating business careers.”

The MRAA Opening Night Awards Celebration is sponsored in part by Priority One Financial Services, SeaDek Marine Products, Protective Asset Protection, Barletta Boats, Boating Industry, and Soundings Trade Only.

To be held Sunday, Dec. 10 from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Executive H Ballroom of the Rosen Centre Hotel, the MRAA Awards Celebration will immediately follow the MDCE’s regular opening night poolside reception. That reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., and the doors to the Awards Celebration will open to all MDCE attendees for entertainment, awards and scholarships presentations. There is no need to RSVP for the event, but for those people or companies looking to guarantee a great seat, reserved tables can be purchased here.

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.

Time for a Professional Change, Part One

Accountants, Architects, Construction Contractors, Cosmologists, Doctors, Engineers, Firefighters, Insurance Agents, Loan Officers, Nurses, Police, Real Estate Agents, Safety Personnel, Teachers.

What do these pros have in common? To keep their jobs and remain in business, they each need to stay updated on their profession by completing continuous education. 

 

And let’s be honest. Whether your industry requires it or not, just about any professional can say the same. That’s why I’m so fired up to share the latest development that we’ve been working on at the Marine Retailers Association.

 

Since joining the MRAA staff nearly two years ago, I’ve heard from many Certified dealers that the ReCertification program is not delivering the same impact that the initial Certification process did. The first time through was game changing, they said, and truly helped them fine tune their dealership for long-term success. They also liked being able to flaunt, “We’re Certified!” as a competitive advantage. They told me how much they learned about their own company during the Certification process by mapping out their processes for sales, service, parts, CRM, and other areas of the dealership.

 

But putting a check in the box showing that they still conform to all the requirements for Certification isn’t challenging them and doesn’t add the same kind of value it did the first time through. So, the MRAA leadership and I came up with a new ReCertification plan that would keep some of the dealer favorites of the current program, such as the Employee Satisfaction component, while integrating forward-looking learning strategies and content through continuous education.

 

We made our case to the Certification Committee and the MRAA Board of Directors, and the concept was overwhelming approved by those dealers and manufacturers, with one little caveat.  They wanted to change the name of ReCertification to Continuous Certification.

 

Frankly, the term ReCertification hints that the dealer fell from Certification graces and needs to be recertified, which couldn’t be further from the truth.  Rather, this program aims to help dealers continually improve the customer and employee experiences to create a more professional, more successful marine business. By providing relevant, timely and high impact education developed specifically for Certified Dealers, Continuous Certification is our answer to the challenge posed by participants. It is designed to drive continuous improvement while raising the bar of marine dealership professionalism.

 

Want a sample? Check out our free Pilot Course, titled, “Buyer Motivation: The Key to Building Value.” It’s available now at MRAATraining.com.

Raising Our Game Together

Over the past four or five years, we’ve had a lot of conversations with dealers like you about how you approach improving and growing your business.

Your commitment to continuing to get better at everything you do is inspiring to us. Especially when we consider all that you’re juggling.

Most dealers are running four or five different kinds of businesses under one roof, each of which has its own unique set of factors that need to be considered and managed to be successful. Add into that the challenges that come with seasonality, economic ups and downs, workforce shortages, the unpredictability of Mother Nature … the list goes on and on.

You are not only making the best of all of the uncertainty of running a business, but we can feel your passion for serving your customers, caring for your team and contributing to your community. You want to be among the best of the best in this industry. We can’t help but respect you and want to help.

As MRAA has worked to serve the marine retail community, our goal has been to offer tools, education and resources that can be quickly and easily put to work in the dealership.

The wake-up call for me has been the realization that, despite the best of intentions, most training and education out there doesn’t go far enough to make a real difference for dealers and their employees. And most dealers don’t have a training or human resources department that can pick up where the trainers and educators leave off.

So, the MRAA team has been working hard to ensure the educational tools, resources and content we provide ARE actionable, CAN be adopted by most dealers and WILL help them improve their performance.

The pinnacle of this effort is coming to life in what we introduced yesterday as Continuous Certification. Certified Dealers don’t just have the desire to improve and grow … they’ve made a commitment to laying down a foundation, a stable platform that they can build a better future on. Certification leads them through the development of this foundation.

Once they’ve built that foundation, it means that regardless of how big their business is, how many locations they have or how many people they employ, when they take on a new training initiative, they’re different from the average dealer. They have the processes in place to quickly and effectively adopt new strategies, and respond to changes in their prospects and customers, and in technology.

That’s why we’ve made the investment in developing a training curriculum just for Certified Dealers … One that we can be confident they can use to improve and grow. We’ve partnered with some of the best educators out there, those that are truly committed to our industry and have a track record for making a real difference. People like Sam Dantzler of Garage Composites, Theresa Syer of Syer Hospitality, John Spence of John Spence Inc. and David Spader of Spader Business Management.

We’re also working with Jim Million of Professional Research Group, Inc., an expert in designing dealer education that produces measurable results and a leading trainer and educator in his own right. In fact, if you’ve entered MRAATraining.com to take our Pilot Course on Buyer Motivation: The Key to Building Value, you’ve already had a chance to witness Jim in action as the course instructor.

All of us are really excited to see what we’re producing together pay off in spades for Certified Dealers, their employees and their customers.

At the end of the day, our mission with Dealer Certification, or any MRAA educational program, isn’t just to provide as much value as possible. That’s not enough. You trust us to help you and your team get better at what you do, to make a real difference in your businesses and in this industry, not just once, but on an ongoing basis. That’s what Continuous Certification – and everything we do at MRAA – is all about. And in order to keep up with you and your quest for continuous improvement, we have to keep raising our game too.

MRAA Launches All-New Continuous Certification

Program evolution replaces “Re-Certification” with exclusive educational curriculum.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today the launch of an exciting new evolution of the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program, known as Continuous Certification. This all-new Continuous Certification approach will replace what has historically been known as “Re-Certification.”

The Continuous Certification cycle will provide Certified Dealers with a timely, relevant and impactful educational course every quarter, giving them exclusive access to training that helps their teams navigate the latest trends and strategies in an easy-to-digest format. MRAA designed the Continuous Certification coursework to assist dealers in further developing the core tenets of Dealer Certification — Customer Service, Operational Excellence and Employee Engagement — while simultaneously feeding them new ideas and opportunities to help them drive greater success.

“Since the kick-off of Dealer Certification almost 13 years ago, dealers have navigated a Re-Certification cycle that asks them to validate that they’re still executing the fundamentals they’ve already proven to be doing. We saw an opportunity to add more value for dealers with a new approach,” explains Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “We’ve spent the last couple years building the concept of Continuous Certification, and today, we are launching the most significant investment we’ve ever made in Dealer Certification — an investment that will add incredible value to the development, growth and prosperity of our dealers.”

MRAA has developed a pilot course, which is now available to any industry professional that would like to sample the program’s educational offerings. On January 1st, the first formal Continuous Certification course will be unveiled exclusively to those Certified Dealers who have registered for the program. Here’s an overview of the pilot and 2018 Continuous Certification Curriculum:

  • Pilot: Buyer Motivation: The Key To Building Value, with Jim Million
  • 1st Quarter: Take Your Dealership from Good to Great with CRM, with Sam Dantzler
  • 2nd Quarter: Improve Loyalty with a Customer Experience Mindset, with Theresa Syer
  • 3rd Quarter: The Essentials of Accountability, with John Spence
  • 4th Quarter: The Strategic Dealership, with David Spader

While the Continuous Certification curriculum will be made available exclusively to Certified Dealers, the courses themselves will be available to all employees at the participating Certified Dealership location. And the Pilot Course, which is accessible here, will be made available to anyone that is interested. The Continuous Certification curriculum will be re-loaded each year with four new courses that feature a hybrid approach to education, asking dealers to watch, listen, converse, test theories, and grow through what they learn.

“This is unlike any education we’ve ever offered,” explains Liz Walz, Vice President and Director of Education at the MRAA. “We’ve studied the latest research into performance improvement and how the brain learns, and we’ve built a series of courses that will not only share strategies, expert advice and best practices, but also guide dealers and their employees in implementing them.

“Our hybrid educational approach will include video, reading materials, exercises, dealer-to-dealer interaction, consultant interaction, as well as testing, to ensure those who participate in the course are truly learning from it and have the tools to act on it. These advanced e-learning principles have been proven successful in numerous educational settings. We’re applying them with maximum effectiveness by customizing these courses exclusively for Certified Dealers.”

While the concept of re-Certification is being left behind, some of the key elements of the program will remain intact. For example, Certified Dealers that are enrolled in the Continuous Certification Program will still have access to the popular Employee Satisfaction Surveys, and participating dealers will still complete items such as the Pre-Certification Business Assessment, Quarterly Management Reviews, CSI Tracking & Trending, Process Improvement Worksheets, and Performance Planning-style documents.

Continuous Certification enrollment is available only to those dealers who have achieved Certification status through the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program. Dealers who have not yet achieved Certification status can enroll at mraa.com/certification. Upon becoming Certified, they can immediately gain access to the Continuous Certification curriculum. Dealers that were due for “Re-Certification” at any point during 2018 should enroll in the new program by January 1st to maintain their Certification. The annual curriculum for Continuous Certification is available for only $999 as a standard rate and only $899 for MRAA Members.

Visit www.mraa.com/certification for more information.

About the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program
The MRAA’s Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program provides boat and engine dealers with a blueprint for running a successful dealership. Covering a broad range of requirements designed to cultivate a high level of customer satisfaction, employee engagement and operational efficiencies, Certification helps dealers elevate their performance and grow by instilling a culture of continuous improvement throughout the dealership. To learn more about the MICD Program, visit www.MRAA.com/certification.

Priority One Financial Services Announces Website Launch

St. Petersburg, Florida – Priority One Financial Services, Inc., the industry’s oldest and largest F&I outsourcing provider, has announced the launch of its website for their Forest River Consumer Card Program. The Forest River Consumer Card is a revolving consumer credit card that can be used to purchase select merchandise and services at Priority One partnering recreational dealerships that sell Forest River products. Items and services include new utility/cargo trailers, new non-motorized RV’s, boat motors, parts, accessories, service repair bills and winterization.

The new website provides a list of the products and services that can be financed with the Forest River Consumer Card, explains the benefits dealers receive (i.e. increased customer loyalty) and the perks dealers’ customers receive (no annual fees and promotional offerings) for enrolling in the program and more.

According to Lauren Ebner, Dealer Coordinator of Priority One, “We are excited about our new website launch so we can provide more information on this popular program while making it quick and easy for dealers and customers to enroll.”

Other website features include:

  • A secure dealer portal that allows dealers to process applications, make and track sales, follow their funding progress and more.
  • A secure customer portal that includes enrollment forms, account information, current terms and more.
  • Common program questions and answers.
  • How to contact Priority One

The new website can be accessed at www.forestrivercard.com.

About Priority One Financial Services
Priority One Financial Services has been offering competitive financing options since 1987 and currently serves the bus, trailer, marine and RV industry. Acquired in 2007 by Forest River, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, Priority One serves as the F&I managed services provider for hundreds of dealers nationwide. Dealers who use Priority One will see an increase in loan approvals and F&I profit. Visit www.p1fs.com for more information.

Barletta Boat Company becomes newest MRAA Platinum Partner

MINNEAPOLIS – Barletta Boat Company, LLC, manufacturers of Barletta Pontoon Boats, an all-new entry into the pontoon segment of the marine industry, has become the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ newest Platinum Partner Member, the MRAA’s highest level of support.
 
“We are entering the marine business with an all-new approach to dealer and customer relations,” says Bill Fenech, President and Co-Owner of Barletta Boats. “As a long-time participant in the RV industry, the partnership we developed with our dealer network was absolutely the difference between being a good company and being a great company. It seems a natural starting point to engage with the MRAA and all that it does to support the growth and success of the marine industry dealer body. This is an important step for us to take.”
 
Based in Bristol, Ind., Barletta Pontoon Boats is the newest, and maybe the most anticipated, entry into the pontoon boat segment in years. President and co-owner Bill Fenech, a long-time boater, brings nearly 30 years of RV experience to Barletta. Bill, along with brother Ron and good friend Don Clark, was part of the ownership group that led Keystone RV Company to become the largest travel trailer and fifth wheel company in the world. In 2012, the three of them created Grand Design RV (GDRV) and led that company to $500 million in sales in just four short years.
 
With a customer-focused/dealer-centric approach, high quality products and truly partnering with the dealer network, GDRV achieved record setting scores from RV dealers on the Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey. The success of GDRV, along with Bill’s experience and leadership, has provided a road-map for Barletta’s future. Bill is developing an all-star team of industry professionals to help him build a solid foundation for Barletta, with the goal of launching the company’s first model later this year.
 
“Bill and his team have demonstrated a passion for a dealer-centric approach to conducting business,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “We are encouraged by the thinking that this business model has been built upon, and we’re very much looking forward to partnering with Barletta Boats on dealer development projects.”
 
Barletta Boat Company, LLC, joins a rapidly 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 MRAA to expand the products and services 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.
 
About the Marine Retailers Association
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.
 
About Barletta Boats
Barletta Pontoon Boats, built by Barletta Boat Company, LLC, will be a leading manufacturer of outboard powered (Yamaha & Mercury) aluminum pontoon boats. For more information about Barletta Pontoon Boats, visit our website at BarlettaPontoonBoats.com, or email us.

MRAA, Tiara Yachts and Tiara SPORT Partner on Dealer Development

HOLLAND, MICH. – Tiara Yachts, Tiara SPORT and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas have partnered to help deliver their customers an incomparable and intensely satisfying ownership experience, through the introduction of the Tiara’s Flagship Dealer Program.

Last week, at the same time that Tiara introduced its highly anticipated entry and brand into the outboard market with the Tiara Sport 38LS, Tiara also rolled out the Flagship Dealer Program in an effort to further strengthen its position as a brand leader. The Flagship Program was developed as a baseline that both Tiara as the manufacturer and its dealer network can use to build a culture of continuous improvement. Tiara has decided to use the MRAA’s Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program as a business template to build upon with this program.

“We view the Dealer Certification Program as an excellent foundation upon which we want to build operational enhancements that will help elevate our dealers to the next level in overall customer satisfaction and profitability,” explains Tom Slikkers, CEO of S2Yachts, Inc., the parent company for Tiara Yachts, Tiara Sport and Pursuit Boats.

MRAA’s Dealer Certification Program provides boat and engine dealers with a proven roadmap for dealership success, focusing them on continually improving their organizations through an emphasis on operations, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction. Tiara requires its dealers to become a Certified Dealer in order to achieve “Flagship” status within its dealer network.

The Tiara Flagship Dealer Program guidelines are focused on improving and recognizing exceptional performance in dealership sales, service and marketing. The overall goal of the program is to drive Tiara dealer performance to consistently higher levels and to add value for their customers.

“The Dealer Certification Program aligns incredibly well with Tiara’s approach to elevating its dealers,” says Matt Gruhn, President of the MRAA. “Incorporating Dealer Certification into Tiara’s Flagship Program will accelerate their ability to exceed customer expectations. Tiara already boasts an established network of A-level dealers, and we are honored to work with Tiara and its dealers to develop a culture of continuous improvement that we know will help them strengthen their foundations for growth and success.”

“We feel this program demonstrates our commitment to supporting the retail segment of our business,” explains Slikkers, “and will help us strengthen the partnerships we have with each of our dealers.”

About Dealer Certification
The MRAA’s Dealer Certification Program provides a blueprint for boat and engine dealers to create a culture of continuous improvement within their businesses. Dealer Certification focuses on enhancing dealership performance through three key pillars of building a competitive advantage: Operations, Employee Engagement, and Customer Satisfaction. The program unites the best and most effective tools, resources and educational programming offered by the MRAA into one package that offers dealers the most direct route to growth and success in today’s market. For more information, please visit MRAA.com/Certification or contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Tiara Yachts
Tiara Yachts, headquartered in Holland, Michigan, manufactures inboard powered yachts ranging from 31 to 53 feet. Tiara Yachts line comprises the Tiara Series, Flybridge, Convertible, Coupe and Q models. Parent company S2 Yachts also manufacturers the Tiara SPORT and Pursuit Boats brands.  Tiara Sport focuses on luxury cruising while Pursuit Boats is centered around the luxury fishing boat market.  Tiara SPORT will debut their premier model, the 38 LS, during the 2017 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.  The Tiara SPORT brand will grow to include as many as 7 models in the 29-42 foot range. Pursuit Boats are manufactured in Fort Pierce, Florida in lengths of 23 to 40 feet. They are available in Center Console, Dual Console, Offshore, Sport and Sport Coupe configurations.  All three S2 Yachts brands participate in the NMMA CSI program.  As long standing participants, Tiara Yachts and Pursuit Boats are repeat recipients of the NMMA CSI Award, for excellence in customer satisfaction.  Tiara SPORT will be joining the process for the first time during model year 2018.  S2 Yachts, Inc. is one of the oldest privately held boat manufacturers in the United States. For more information, please visit tiarayachts.com, tiarasport.com and pursuitboats.com.

MRAA Delivers Dealer Development Presentation at IBEX

TAMPA – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas delivered an educational seminar at last week’s International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, highlighting methods that manufacturers and suppliers can use to create a competitive advantage through dealer development.

Featuring MRAA’s Lead Dealer Certification Consultant Bob McCann as the instructor, MRAA shared how manufacturers and suppliers can save time and money, improve customer loyalty and ultimately sell more product through effective dealer development strategies. The seminar offered ideas for how to strengthen dealer relationships, reduce dealer network turnover, and improve sales and profitability for both the dealers and their suppliers.

“Let’s face it: After the boat leaves the factory, the dealer takes over and becomes the face of our manufacturers, our suppliers, and our entire industry,” explains McCann. “They either accentuate or cloud our brands and the lifestyle that boating promises the end customer. Partnering with dealers is an effective template for success for the manufacturer, its brand, and its earnings, and it’s equally as beneficial to our dealers.”

The MRAA offers an array of products and services, all supported with tools, resources and educational programming to help strengthen the prospects for growth and success at the dealer level. Recently, the MRAA began rolling out manufacturer and supplier partner programs that can aid manufacturers in achieving their dealer development goals.

From basic resources in the MRAA Resource and Career Centers to extensive educational programming at the three-day Marine Dealer Conference & Expo and on the ever-expanding MRAATraining.com, MRAA features a library of courses and tools to strengthen the foundation of dealer performance. And through the MRAA’s Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program, where all of those opportunities come together in one comprehensive package, MRAA helps provide a blueprint for dealership success and inspires dealers to incorporate a culture of continuous improvement.

“Our passion is to help dealers strengthen their businesses,” explains Liz Walz, Vice President and Director of Education for MRAA. “To do that, we devote ourselves to understanding the diverse array of dealers and what makes them successful. Our ability to assist manufacturers and suppliers with their dealer development goals is the next natural step for us to take, and we’re thrilled with the participation we’re beginning to see in this area.”

McCann’s seminar attracted more than a dozen attendees, who engaged in thoughtful conversation on the topic of dealer development. He provided attendees with a guide to help them develop a custom strategy for putting the concepts they discussed to work in their business. To see a copy of the guide, click here. To hear more about MRAA’s thoughts on dealer development or to explore options for your business, contact MRAA’s Lee Hetherington or call him directly at 763-333-2419.

About the Marine Retailers Association
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.

Marine Connection Announces New Fort Lauderdale Location

Marine Connection, an award-winning $35M boat retailer with dealerships in West Palm Beach, Miami and Vero Beach, FL, announces plans to open a new sales and full service facility at 17 W. State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale this October, just in time for the opening of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

The dealership, ranked #16 in 2016 by Boating Industry magazine, will hang its shingle on a prime new 27,000 square foot property including a 2500-square foot building situated along Fort Lauderdale’s famous “Marina Mile,” directly across the street from the largest West Marine storefront in the country and within close proximity to Port Everglades and the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. It is presently converting a former car retail establishment to encompass an indoor showroom and outdoor lot that will accommodate 40 new and premium pre-owned boats, sales offices, a fuel station, along with a large parts counter and multiple service bays.

“We are very excited about opening this beautiful new dealership in Fort Lauderdale, in one of the premier boating capitals of the world,” said owner Danny Goldenberg of Marine Connection who purchased the property in mid August along with partner John Kutuk. “We chose Fort Lauderdale for our latest expansion due to its strategic positioning between our Miami and West Palm Beach dealership locations, coupled with the popularity of boating in the marketplace. The Fort Lauderdale store will primarily serve boating enthusiasts residing in North Miami Dade and South Broward County.”

Marine Connection will initially sell Cobia, Sportsman and Hurricane brand boats from this location, and will exclusively offer Yamaha power. According to Kutuk, statistics gleaned from a leading marine industry research firm revealed that saltwater fishing boats sold in Broward County increased by 5.42% from June 2016 to June 2017.

“Fort Lauderdale is a major boating community with historically strong sales in our niches of focus. We expect to add $10 million to our top line revenue in our first year by providing boaters in the market with great value and outstanding product offerings, along with truly superior service,” said Kutuk. “Local boaters will appreciate our mobile service and turnkey boat and engine service, electronics/accessories installation, boat detailing and minor gelcoat repair, along with canvas and upholstery, not to mention our convenient access to local ramps and the intercoastal waterway.”

Kutuk also noted that final property renovations are presently underway, with plans for a mid October soft launch, followed by an early November grand opening. He added that the dealership is currently hiring for key management and staff positions in sales, reception, parts, service and general yard/wash support.   

 “We are looking forward to becoming an active contributor to the Broward County boating scene,” added Goldenberg. “We are all about going where the customers are located and providing an excellent boating experience and that includes convenient service. Our one-stop shop options from Vero Beach to Miami and now including Fort Lauderdale is a clear demonstration of our unwavering commitment to both our customers and to the boating business at large.”

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Marine Center of Indiana Joins Big Time Sports and Goes Solar

Marine Center of Indiana has completed the installation of over 110,000 square feet rooftop solar panels, which will cut down carbon emissions by 15,938 metric tons over the next twenty-five years.

“The completion of this project is a great leap forward not only for my building and the environment, but the city of Beech Grove, and the state of Indiana as well. It’s great to see a project come to fruition that has so many benefits for our community.” – Mike Hoffman, Owner and President of Marine Center of Indiana

After repurposing three oil drums for an extensive recycling program, MCI took a step back and evaluated their carbon footprint. For years they have been working on increasing their energy efficiency and have since implemented energy efficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems. The lighting system alone has reduced costs by over $3,000 per month.

MCI hopes to set itself apart from the rest of the marine industry regarding forward thinking, long term innovations, and the embracement of sustainable energy. This has been a four-year project from start to finish and they will go live producing electricity in September. MCI partnered with Solscient Energy, based out of Toledo, OH and Indianapolis Power and Light for the completion of this solar panel project.

Marine Center of Indiana is a family-owned and operated boat dealership providing service, storage, and boating accessories since 2001 to central Indiana and the surrounding areas. They are the one-stop-shop for all things boating and located in Beech Grove, Indiana.

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