MRAA Opposes E-15

Increasing ethanol content in gasoline is bad for boats and the boating business. The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) opposes attempts to increase the Renewable Fuel Standard, which would enable the level of ethanol in gasoline to reach 15 percent (E-15) or higher, and asks Congress to support legislation reducing the ethanol content in gasoline to just 10 percent (E-10) by co-sponsoring S. 334 and H.R. 1462.

S. 334, introduced by Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and David Vitter (R-LA), along with five co-sponsors, prohibits the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from approving gasoline containing ethanol levels greater than 10 percent (E-10). MRAA likewise supports H.R. 1462, introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and 59 co-sponsors, which requires a comprehensive assessment by the National Academy of Sciences of the effects mid-level ethanol blends have on engines of all kinds and suspends the current EPA waiver that permits the sale of E-15.

Serious and well-documented safety problems, technology breakdowns and environmental issues result when gasoline is blended with more than 10 percent ethanol in recreational marine engines, outboard motors and marine fuel systems. Tests conducted by marine engine manufacturers under guidance of the U.S. Department of Energy have demonstrated that for marine engines designed to run on gasoline at E-10 by volume, higher concentrations of ethanol (such as E-15) will pose serious problems, including damage to valves, push rods and bearings; performance issues, such as problems with starting and stalling; increased water absorption and phase separation in the fuel tank; fuel tank corrosion, resulting in leaks; increased emission of Nitrogen Oxide, causing smog; and passenger safety issues when breakdowns occur underway and out of port.

MRAA Supports Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) is asking Congress to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund with some recommended amendments to the allocation of program funds.

The Trust Fund, which is funded by $600 million collected annually from taxes on fishing tackle, import duties on boats and equipment, and a federal excise tax on motorboat gasoline, was created in 1950 and has been amended and expanded several times since. It serves as the backbone for fishery conservation and is a critical tool for a diverse set of state and national recreational fishing and boating programs.

MRAA supports reauthorization of the Trust Fund with some recommended improvements. These include the following increases in fund allocation: Coastal wetlands from 15.36 percent to 18.5 percent; Clean Vessel Account and Boating Infrastructure Grant program from 2 percent to 2.1 percent; Outreach and Participation from 2 percent to 2.2 percent; Sport Fish Restoration from 57 percent to 57.2 percent; and Recreational Boating Safety from 18. 5 percent to 18.7 percent. In addition, MRAA supports an allocation of $300,000 from the 15 percent allotted for angling and boating access to address specific access concerns, and allocating a certain portion of the Clean Vessel program funds for capital improvements to minimize pollutant introduction into our nation’s waterways.

MRAA Meets with Rep. Miller on Asian Carp

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), BoatUS and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) met with key staff members in Rep. Candice Miller’s (R-MI) office March 28 to discuss the history and potential impact of the expanding Asian carp threat in the Great Lakes. Miller introduced H.R. 4001, the Defending  Against Aquatic Invasive Species Act, February 5. The bill currently has four co-sponsors.

(Note: Washington Watch reported on H.R. 4001 in the March 2014 edition)

According to Miller’s staff, H.R. 4001 will most likely not be enacted this year; however, Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) is expected to introduce a compromise bill in the coming weeks that would authorize the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to install two additional electronic barriers near the first lock on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. These new barriers would be in addition to the three electronic barriers already in place.

Camp’s bill demonstrates continued support for an engineering solution to prevent further proliferation of Asian carp into the Great Lakes.

Participate in Pre-ABC Webinar April 23

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is inviting American Boating Congress (ABC) attendees to attend a pre-conference issues briefing webinar on Wednesday, April 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.

During this one-hour webinar, NMMA government relations staff will review the recreational boating industry’s most important policy issues and how to best communicate them to your legislator during the Capitol Hill visits portion of ABC, taking place May 5-7 in Washington, D.C. (Hill visits are primarily scheduled for May 7).

Policy issues and ABC updates will include:

  • An introduction to NMMA’s new smartphone app, keeping you up to date on ABC events
  • The state of the U.S. marine industry; how economic conditions affect marine jobs, sales and production
  • Developments on ethanol policy
  • The Sport Fish and Restoration Boating Trust Fund and plans for reauthorization
  • Details on NMMA’s work surrounding access issues, including the spread of invasive species and coastal dredging
  • Tax policy and its potential impact on your business.

To register for the April 23 webinar, click here.

MRAA Launches “I Am MRAA Social Media Video Contest

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) is launching a members-only social media contest that encourages dealerships to create a short video about the impact of MRAA membership on their business and post it on their respective Facebook pages. The winner will receive two full-conference passes to the upcoming Marine Dealer Conference & Expo (MDCE), valued at approximately $850. MCDE is being held Nov. 16-19 in Orlando.

To enter, interested MRAA members can create a video no more than two minutes in length that addresses their return on investment in MRAA membership. Videos will be uploaded to the dealership’s Facebook page, and entrants need to “tag” MRAA in the post. Each video entry should conclude with the tagline “I am [insert individual’s name and dealership name] and I am MRAA.”

“This contest is about a lot more than giving away a pair of MDCE tickets,” says Michael Geatz, MRAA marketing coordinator. “MRAA’s mission is to contribute to the growth and improvement of the marine industry. We fulfill that commitment by serving those businesses that are on the front lines, bringing the boating experience to life for consumers. The grand idea behind this endeavor is to raise awareness of the results MRAA is helping its 1,100 dealer members achieve in hopes that this will allow us to serve even more marine businesses. As an added bonus, the contest will generate engaging, interactive content on dealerships’ social media pages. Not only is this an opportunity for dealers to tell their peers why MRAA membership matters, but it’s also a way to share with their customers what sets them apart from the competition.”

MRAA staff will evaluate contest entries and select a winner. The winning entry will be announced May 2, and MRAA plans to post the video on its website, click here. Dealerships interested in joining MRAA should contact MRAA membership coordinator Hannah Muerhoff at 763-333-2420 or hannah@mraa.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), 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. 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 ###

Get Ready for New DB Campaign Launch Friday

The industry will unveil its brand-new Discover Boating (DB) campaign this Friday, March 28, and it’s important that Marine Industry Certified Dealerships are primed to take full advantage of the benefits that come with it. The new campaign’s objective is simple: To grow awareness of and build a positive perception around boating.

The plan for achieving said goal is to reach prospective boaters through inspirational boating content, including online videos, advertising, social media, public relations and DiscoverBoating.com. This spring and summer, the DB campaign is going to tell boaters’ stories, in their own words, of how time spent on the water has enriched their lives. DB is calling these “Stories of Discovery,” and it will market them as documentary-style short films shown in various media outlets.

With the new DB program launch just around the corner, Certified Dealerships should position themselves to take advantage of the building momentum. Make sure you know your Grow Boating password, and determine whether or not your leads through DiscoverBoating.com are set up to automatically feed into your e-mail inboxes.

The referrals and leads that come through DiscoverBoating.com are most likely not folks that are ready to buy today; they are longer-term prospects that require nurturing and guidance to become the boaters and boat owners of tomorrow.

Certified Dealerships are in the best position possible to turn these interested individuals into actual buyers, through the superior sales and service experience they provide customers. Don’t get left behind in 2014; make sure you’re ready to help cultivate the next crop of up-and-coming boat buyers.

Meet the New MICD Content Manager

Welcome Lindsey Johnson, the new content manager for the MICD Program. Johnson will be responsible for helping raise awareness of MICD for industry and consumer audiences alike. She comes to the program with more than 13 years professional experience in the marine industry, as both a journalist/editor and communications/PR professional, having worked for trade and consumer media outlets like Soundings Trade Only and Lakeland Boating magazine, and industry organizations like the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

Johnson has written numerous articles, press releases and related marketing materials for the previous iteration of the MICD Program launched back in the late-2000s as part of the industry’s Grow Boating Initiative. She looks forward to helping the new-and-improved MICD thrive and grow under the revamped program structure and increasing consumer awareness and appreciation of the value of the MICD program.

Say “hi” via e-mail if you get the chance: lindsey@mraa.com.

How can I use social media to promote MICD?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, etc.) are where it’s at. They’re probably the best places to connect with customers and interact with them on a personal level outside the dealership.

Take advantage of valuable social media outlets to promote your MICD status. If you’re new to the program, make the announcement across all social media channels; if you’re recertifying, remind folks what you’re up to. Share pictures on Facebook and Instagram that show the new MICD logo proudly displayed at the dealership.

Make a video and post it to YouTube that highlights what it means to be Certified and why consumers should want to buy from a Marine Industry Certified Dealership. Brainstorm fun contests you can release through social media channels — like the next 25 customers that “like” you on Facebook can come in and get a free dealership-branded hat, t-shirt, gift card, etc. The sky’s the limit, so get creative and have fun!

MRAA Partners With Priority One to Offer Equipment Financing Services

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) is pleased to announce that the MRAA Rewards Program and Priority One Financial Services of St. Petersburg, Fla., have expanded their existing relationship to now include financing for marina and boatyard equipment.

The new program will allow MRAA members to finance essential heavy equipment required to run their respective businesses. Everything from boat hoists and forklifts to company trucks and tractors can be financed as part of the expanded relationship. Finance options include leases, loans, flexible terms, low interest rates, and programs for new and used equipment.

“What’s nice for these dealers is that they can finance multiple types of collateral under the same note, versus having a bunch of different loans,” says Jared Zimlin, business development director at Priority One. “It’s now possible that dealers can lease or loan a company truck, forklift and hoist all together, making it easier to keep track of.”

“This new partnership opportunity will help simplify operations for our dealer members,” echoes MRAA president Matt Gruhn. “MRAA members expressed to us that this would be a valuable benefit to offer, and we’re pleased we could partner with Priority One in order to bring this request to fruition. Our relationship with Priority One stretches back several years, and we’re excited to strengthen that bond through the creation of more valuable MRAA member benefits designed to improve dealers’ business performance and efficiency.”

Priority One is a long-time partner of MRAA. They are the exclusively endorsed, preferred provider of retail F&I (finance and insurance) services for MRAA members. Together, in addition to the latest equipment financing option, MRAA and Priority One created the “Bonus Bucks Program” as a direct benefit of MRAA membership. The program provides marine retailers access to outsourced F&I services if they do not employ a full-time F&I professional on staff. Through Bonus Bucks, Priority One gives MRAA members the exclusive benefit of $5 back per transaction on every loan the company helps fund.

To learn more about the expanded MRAA Rewards Program benefits with Priority One or any of the other 30-plus MRAA membership benefits the association currently offers, contact MRAA membership coordinator Hannah Muerhoff at 763-333-2420 or hannah@mraa.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), 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. 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 About Priority One Financial Services
Priority One Financial Services Inc., the recreational marine industry’s oldest and largest F&I outsourcing provider, is the official endorsed F&I provider of MRAA. It has served the marine industry since 1987. For more information, visit P1FS.com.

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Congressional Expectations in 2014

Over the past few months, Congress has been making headway when it comes to breaking up the gridlock of previous years in the House and Senate and finally getting some much-needed legislation passed.

In December, the House and Senate easily passed a budget bill for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015. Then, in January, Congress passed a bill to fund government appropriations through September 30. Both parties likewise stepped back from the brink of closing the government to pass a bill raising the debt ceiling through March 2015.

All in all, given the logjam and partisanship we’ve seen on Capitol Hill in recent years, it’s been a remarkable few months of actually getting things accomplished.

So… what can we expect Congress to do next? Since it’s an election year and one in which public approval ratings are near all-time lows (10 percent of the public now believes Congress is doing a good job, up from just 8 percent a few months ago), Congress will concentrate on government funding bills; a tax extender bill (this will include continuation of the estate tax exemption at last year’s level); a GOP alternative to Obama Care (likely to struggle in the Senate); a minimum wage bill (likely to struggle in the House); and an energy-efficiency bill. MRAA is looking to the latter as a possible means for repealing the current ethanol mandate.