Nancy Smith, co-owner and vice president of Colorado Boat Center, with MRAA president Matt Gruhn (right) and board member Randy Wattenbarger, owner of Cleveland Boat Center, during this week’s MRAA annual meeting. Nancy will step down from the MRAA board after six years of tireless service and received a sweet jacket as a small token of thanks for all her valuable work over the last seven years.
CONTACT: Liz Walz; 315-692-4533; liz@mraa.com
MRAA Educational Foundation Sets $25,000 Fundraising Goal
MINNEAPOLIS, November 14, 2015 — The MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation, has set a goal of raising $25,000 in 2015 to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades.
The funds raised will be directed toward scholarships and awards to train men and women studying to become marine technicians, service employees working to expand their skills, dealership managers and owners seeking to improve and grow their businesses, and industry leaders striving to create a stronger marine industry.
In addition, the foundation is exploring ways it can help the boating business attract high school students and veterans to marine industry careers.
“Finding qualified employees to support their growth has been a big challenge for many marine dealers,” says Liz Walz, executive director for the foundation. “The foundation is currently working to address this challenge by providing financial support to students who are training for careers in the boating business and dealership employees interested in furthering their education, but we also see an opportunity to educate the public about the benefits of working in the recreational marine industry.”
During the 2015 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 15-18 in Orlando, Fla., the foundation will hand out seven scholarships and awards that together represent $27,325 in technical training and professional development. They include the following programs:
• Two MRAA Technical Scholarships, which are awarded to marine schools that train students for careers in the marine industry.
• Two ABYC Scholarships, which cover the tuition for one recipient to attend ABYC’s Introduction to Basic Marine Electric & Corrosion Protection and another recipient to attend one of ABYC’s Certification Courses.
• The Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship, which covers the tuition for one recipient to attend Spader Business Management’s Leadership Development Program.
click here. For additional information about the foundation, contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com.
About MRAA Educational Foundation
MRAA.com/Foundation.
About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
MRAA.com.
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MDCE names Best Ideas Finalists
CONTACT: Jonathan Sweet, 763-383-4419; jsweet@boatingindustry.com
MDCE names Best Ideas finalists
Best Idea of the Year will be selected by MDCE attendees
MINNEAPOLIS, October 26, 2015 — Four leading boat dealers will share their best ideas for business success at the Dealer-to-Dealer: Best Ideas Panel at the 2015 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo.
“MDCE is all about helping dealers improve their businesses, and these four dealers all have implemented proven, actionable ideas that do just that,” Sweet said.
This year’s four finalists are:
· Mary Jo Goettling, Blue Springs Marine, presenting on the company’s Accessories Sales Program
· Mark Helgen, Lake Union Sea Ray, presenting on the dealership’s boat show demos and website strategy
marinedealerconference.com.
About Boating Industry
Boating Industry is the leading trade magazine serving the marine industry. For more than 85 years, boating professionals have turned to Boating Industry for market intelligence, product updates, best practices and industry news. For more information, visit BoatingIndustry.com.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting marine retail businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.
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Representative Garret Graves introduces Sport Fish Restoration Bill in House
On September 9th, Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA-6) introduced H.R.3462, the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2015, an important step in reauthorizing a crucial program that provides access and conservation programs to recreational boaters across the country.
The measure has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
More dealers than ever before will have a chance to experience the industry’s leading retail event, thanks to the support of Soundings Trade Only.
MINNEAPOLIS, October 1, 2015 — In partnership with marine trade publication Soundings Trade Only, for the first time in 2015, the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo will offer three scholarships for dealers to attend the industry’s leading retail education and networking event.
“We believe in the power of education to help our industry improve and grow,” says Dean Waite, publisher of Sounding Trade Only, “especially when that education brings marine businesses together to build a better boating lifestyle for our customers. That’s why we’re so passionate about providing dealers who otherwise would miss out on MDCE with a chance to participate through this new Scholarship Program.”
Each scholarship includes an MDCE Standard Dealer Registration, up to $450 in travel reimbursement, and a three-night hotel stay at the Rosen Plaza or Rosen Centre Hotel, for a total value of $1,396 a piece.
Marine dealers can apply for a chance to receive an MDCE scholarship by completing the application available at www.mraa.com/MDCEScholarships by Wednesday, October 21st. To choose the recipients, the selection committee will consider how the candidates plan to put what they learn at MDCE to work in their businesses, as well as their financial need.
This year’s event, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 15-18 at the Orange County Convention Center, Rosen Plaza Hotel and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla., features 12 Pre-Conference Workshops and four concurrent Educational Tracks, including Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus, plus an MRAA Special Session and an Opening and Closing keynote.
In total, MDCE 2015 includes 35 educational offerings, and attendees are invited to choose whichever combination of sessions best fits their needs and desires. All of these educational offerings are included with a standard MDCE Registration, with the exception of the 12 Pre-Conference Workshops, which require a separate registration fee.
“Dealers tell us what an impact the relationships they build and the training they receive at MDCE has on the success of their business,” explains Liz Walz, vice president of MRAA, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “We are incredibly grateful to Soundings Trade Only for making it possible for us to offer that experience to a whole new audience.”
marinedealerconference.com.
About Boating Industry
Boating Industry is the leading trade magazine serving the marine industry. For more than 85 years, boating professionals have turned to Boating Industry for market intelligence, product updates, best practices and industry news. For more information, visit BoatingIndustry.com.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting marine retail businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.
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First Approval Source Joins MRAA as Premier Partner Member
MINNEAPOLIS – First Approval Source, a provider of finance and insurance outsourcing to marine dealers, has signed on as a Premier Partner Member of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas.
“First Approval Source and MRAA share a commitment to serving the marine retail community through tools and information,” says Liz Walz, vice president of the MRAA. “We are thrilled to have them onboard as a Premier Partner Member and an F&I training provider.”
In addition to providing a broad variety of lenders to work with and years of experience in the marine and recreational vehicle industry, First Approval Source offers consumer credit improvement services, dealer management technology, website development and improvement programs, reputation management, social media campaigns, complete electronic transaction processing and real-time soft credit pull technology.
About First Approval Source
Since January of 2012, First Approval Source has been helping dealers increase their profits while satisfying the financing requirements of their customers. A leader in customer service and customer satisfaction, the First Approval Source team is known among the dealer community for its quick, flexible, responsive and focused service as an outsourced F&I provider. First Approval Source recognizes that more and better qualified leads result in more unit sales. Once its team has helped drive an increase in unit sales, then their attention turns to helping deliver more profit per unit. For more information, visit www.firstapprovalsource.com.
About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is the only North American association dedicated to furthering the interests of boat and engine dealers and other marine-related retailers throughout North America. Under the umbrella of MRAA Rewards, the MRAA offers a host of cost-saving, revenue-generating, business-improvement, and professional-development benefits exclusively for its members. MRAA is the united voice of marine retailers. For more information, visit www.MRAA.com.
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The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is moving to early December in 2016.
These dates, which represent a divergence from MDCE’s traditional mid-November time frame, were selected in response to the new schedule for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
“The Fort Lauderdale show has moved from late October to early November,” explains Amy Collins, vice president of Boating Industry, which co-produces MDCE alongside the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “We’re responding to this change by moving MDCE 2016 to December because it’s the right thing to do for the many marine industry professionals who participate in both events.”
The 2015 event, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 15-18 at the Orange County Convention Center, Rosen Plaza Hotel and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, features 12 Pre-Conference Workshops and four concurrent Educational Tracks, including Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus, plus an MRAA Special Session, and an Opening and Closing Keynote.
BoatingIndustry.com.
MRAA.com.
The MRAA Educational Foundation has renewed its partnership with the American Boat & Yacht Council to offer two scholarship programs, for which they are currently seeking applications.
The Basic Scholarship provides the recipient complimentary access to ABYC’s Introduction to Basic Marine Electrical & Corrosion Mitigation, a four-day course for newcomers to marine electricity that provides students with the information to get started in this area of marine service. It is valued at $985.
The Advanced Scholarship grants the recipient the ability to gain complimentary access to one of ABYC’s Marine Certifications, which include Marine Systems, Marine Electrical, Marine Corrosion, ABYC Standards Knowledge, Marine Diesel Engines, Marine Gasoline Engines, Marine Composites, and Marine A/C-Refrigeration Certification. These also are four-day courses, valued at up to $1,170 each.
“Whether you’re just getting started in marine service or you’re an experienced technician, ABYC training and Certification can help you take your career and your dealership to the next level,” says John Adey, ABYC president. “With the new skills you’ll take away from our courses, you’ll be able to improve your service department’s customer satisfaction, profitability and professionalism.”
The ABYC Scholarships were founded to offer financial assistance for technical training and certification of dealership personnel.
“If we’re going to make a dent in the marine technician shortage, we need to offer today’s service department employees the continuing education to build a career in this industry,” says Liz Walz, MRAA Educational Foundation executive director. “We truly are grateful for the training opportunities provided by these ABYC Scholarships, as they allow recipients to build a brighter future in the boating business, which not only benefits the dealership, but also the industry at large.”
Employees of MRAA Retail Members are eligible to apply for the ABYC Basic and Advanced scholarships. The 2015 recipients will be announced at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 15-18 in Orlando, Fla.
For more information and to apply, visit the ABYC Scholarships web page by clicking here. The deadline for applications is Oct. 23. Please contact Liz Walz with any questions at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com.
About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit About American Boat & Yacht Council
Since 1954, the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) has developed safety standards for boat design, construction, equipage, repair and maintenance. The essential global source of marine industry technical information, ABYC’s product safety standards, credentialing, education, training, and other tools help members make boating safer. For more information, visit www.abycinc.org.
About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit ###
The MRAA Educational Foundation and Spader Business Management are currently seeking applicants for the 2015 Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship.
The scholarship was founded to honor the marine industry service of Spader Business Management founder Duane Spader, as well as his leadership philosophy of lifelong learning. The recipient, who receives full tuition to attend the Spader Leadership Development Program, valued at $14,875, must be an employee of a Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Retail Member. The recipient will only be responsible for his or her travel expenses.
“It gives you the opportunity to become a better leader in an environment filled with peers who are there to help you succeed and to learn from you,” says Mary Jo Goettling, recipient of the 2014 Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship and sales manager of Blue Springs Marine in Blue Springs, Mo. ”I took a bunch of 5-hour ENERGY® with me because I thought it would be all lecture, but there’s a lot of hands-on training, and we’ve already implemented some of the strategies at the dealership.”
The Spader Leadership Development Program is a 15- to 18-month program for current and future leaders that involves five three-day sessions in Sioux Falls, S.D. In between sessions, participants are tasked with putting what they’ve learned to work in their dealership and tracking the results of those efforts.
Upon graduating from the program, participants will know how to:
· Lead their organization’s culture and strategy
· Improve their own leadership and management effectiveness
· Coach their team to higher performance
· Effectively understand and manage each area of Total Business Success®
· Hire the best candidates for each position
· Deliver world-class customer service
· Assess and improve their dealership’s organizational health
“The Spader Business Management team chose to base this scholarship on our Leadership Development Program because of the tremendous impact it has on the personal and professional lives of participants,” says David Spader, the program’s principal trainer. ”The program continues to help current and future leaders in the marine industry navigate the challenges of succession, employee management, strategy, and the many other issues facing dealerships.”
The 2015 recipient will be announced at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 15–18 in Orlando, Fla.
For more information and to apply, visit the Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship web page by clicking here. The deadline for applications is Oct. 9. Please contact Liz Walz with questions at liz@mraa.com or 315-692-4533.
About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit ###
The MRAA Educational Foundation and Spader Business Management are currently seeking applicants for the 2015 Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship.
The scholarship was founded to honor the marine industry service of Spader Business Management founder Duane Spader, as well as his leadership philosophy of lifelong learning. The recipient, who receives full tuition to attend the Spader Leadership Development Program, valued at $14,875, must be an employee of a Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Retail Member. The recipient will only be responsible for his or her travel expenses.
“It gives you the opportunity to become a better leader in an environment filled with peers who are there to help you succeed and to learn from you,” says Mary Jo Goettling, recipient of the 2014 Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship and sales manager of Blue Springs Marine in Blue Springs, Mo. ”I took a bunch of 5-hour ENERGY® with me because I thought it would be all lecture, but there’s a lot of hands-on training, and we’ve already implemented some of the strategies at the dealership.”
The Spader Leadership Development Program is a 15- to 18-month program for current and future leaders that involves five three-day sessions in Sioux Falls, S.D. In between sessions, participants are tasked with putting what they’ve learned to work in their dealership and tracking the results of those efforts.
Upon graduating from the program, participants will know how to:
· Lead their organization’s culture and strategy
· Improve their own leadership and management effectiveness
· Coach their team to higher performance
· Effectively understand and manage each area of Total Business Success®
· Hire the best candidates for each position
· Deliver world-class customer service
· Assess and improve their dealership’s organizational health
“The Spader Business Management team chose to base this scholarship on our Leadership Development Program because of the tremendous impact it has on the personal and professional lives of participants,” says David Spader, the program’s principal trainer. ”The program continues to help current and future leaders in the marine industry navigate the challenges of succession, employee management, strategy, and the many other issues facing dealerships.”
The 2015 recipient will be announced at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 15–18 in Orlando, Fla.
For more information and to apply, visit the Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship web page by clicking here. The deadline for applications is Oct. 9. Please contact Liz Walz with questions at liz@mraa.com or 315-692-4533.
About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit ###
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