MINNEAPOLIS — Cobalt Boats, a manufacturer of luxury powerboats in the United States, has renewed its Partner Membership in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas.
“We take great pride in the level of detail and professionalism that we present to our customers through a team effort with our dealers,” says Paxson St. Clair, President & CEO of Cobalt Boats. “We believe our partnership with the MRAA helps to provide a great resource for our dealers in a way that expands talent, knowledge, skill, and commitment in the service of creating an unmistakable experience for the boating public.”
Cobalt Boats, out of Neodesha, Kansas, designs and crafts luxury power boats with models from 20 to 37 feet in length. Its product line ranges from bowriders to cuddies and cruisers, and everything in between. The company is dedicated to reliability, innovation, design, quality and all the little details.
“We’re proud to call Cobalt Boats a Partner Member,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “Cobalt has consistently demonstrated that they are an industry leader when it comes to taking care of their dealers, which makes this partnership all the more valuable.”
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 Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has long held the position that the Renewable Fuel Standard must be revised to prevent damage that ethanol blends above the 10% level will cause to engines of all types. The MRAA’s perspective aligns nicely with the head of the third largest ethanol producer. The Des Moines register reports that the third top ethanol producer asked Congress to scrap the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) at a Congressional hearing, saying the current policy is “out of control.” Chief executive of Valero Energy Corp., Bill Klesse, asked Congress to start over with the RFS, rewriting the policy to better reflect the marketplace. Read the full story here. – Larry Innis MINNEAPOLIS – Yamaha Marine Group has been named the exclusive sponsor of the “Service Plus” Track at the upcoming 2013 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. The Service Plus Track is one of three educational tracks to be offered at the MDCE, which will be held Nov. 17-20 in Orlando, Fla. This track offers six in-depth educational tracks, with a heavy emphasis on helping dealers strengthen their service department. “Service work is a cornerstone of any profitable dealership and therefore has been a cornerstone of our educational sessions every year at the MDCE,” explains Liz Walz, Director of Membership & Education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, who co-produces the MDCE with Boating Industry. “We’re honored to partner with Yamaha to bring such an outstanding educational line-up to this year’s Service Plus Track.” Yamaha Marine Group, based in Kennesaw, Ga., is not only sponsoring this track, but is also providing the knowledge and expertise of Valerie Ziebron, one of the most highly acclaimed presenters in the history of the MDCE. Ziebron, a Yamaha University instructor, will present twice at this year’s event. Her first session, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 10:15 a.m., is titled “Culture: The Secret Path To Higher Service Profits”; and her second session (4:15 p.m., Nov. 19) is titled “The Profitable, Proactive Parts Department.” “The MDCE is one of the best venues that dealers can access to find quality educational opportunities,” explains Martin Peters, Communications and Dealer Education Manager for Yamaha Marine Group, “and we’re happy to not only be able to help bring this education to life but also to offer Valerie into the mix. She has successfully educated thousands of dealers on how to strengthen the back-end of their operations and continues to earn rave reviews at the annual MDCE.” In addition to Ziebron’s two sessions, the Service Plus Track will feature four other sessions: In all, the MDCE offers nearly 30 educational sessions, broken out into three tracks, workshops and special presentations, to help dealers gather ideas and best practices for improving their businesses. For those dealers that want to dig even deeper into the factors that will most impact their businesses in the year ahead, the newly added MDCE Pre-Conference Workshops to be held Monday, Nov. 18th, will enable them to construct a plan in areas like dealership management, boat show sales, service menus, search engine marketing, and the customer experience. Over the following days, individual sessions in the MDCE’s three educational tracks will help attendees enhance their plans for 2014. The MDCE is scheduled for Nov. 17-20, 2013, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007, and this year, the event attracted more than 250 registrants prior to May 1, a record for the event. The most registrants MDCE had ever accumulated prior to May 1 was 92 in 2012. About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and member meeting. As the marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, the MDCE features an in-depth line-up of educational topics, a full-featured expo hall, and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. The MDCE is co-produced by the MRAA and Boating Industry, and it offers pre-conference workshops, a keynote presentation, three tracks of educational content, and more than 20 sessions in all. It will be held Nov. 17-20 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Learn more at www.mraa.com/event/MDCE. MINNEAPOLIS — Sail & Ski, a full-service boating lifestyle store operating out of Austin, San Antonio and Lakeway, Texas, has renewed as a Retail Premium Member with the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, the highest level of support a retailer can show. “We are pleased to have Sail & Ski renew their membership at the Retail Premium Member level,” says Matt Gruhn, President of the MRAA. “As one of the top dealers in the country, Sail & Ski has a long history of high performance, and has always strived to achieve industry-leading customer service.” Since its inception in 1969, Sail & Ski has grown its product line and industry wide recognition. An authorized dealer for Sea Ray boats, Nautique by Correct Craft, Boston Whaler, Harris Flotebote, Meridian Yachts, Bayliner Boats, Dargel Boats and Kawasaki Jet Skis, Sail & Ski offers a wide selection of boating lifestyles. Its wide range of products does not hinder its ability to perform in the customer service sector, either and the company has consistently been Certified by the Marine Five Star Dealer Certification, as well as recognized as one of Boating Industry’s Top 100 Dealers. “Sail & Ski is dedicated to delivering the absolute best boat ownership experience for all our customers,” Rod Malone, President of Sail & Ski. “The emphasis we put on customer service is one of the reasons why we continue to support the MRAA at the highest level. MRAA’s work to strengthen and offer opportunities to the companies that take care the boater is an effort we support.” 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
MINNEAPOLIS – Organizers of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo announced today that they have launched a VIP Event Planning Kit promotional opportunity designed to help attendees plan for and get the most out of their attendance at the 2013 MDCE. This means that in addition to the early-bird discount of $50 and an MRAA Member discount of an additional $75, those who register on or before August 15th will receive an exclusive VIP Event Planning Kit that will feature numerous opportunities for attendees to maximize their return on investment from MDCE. The MDCE is being held Nov. 17-20 in Orlando, Fla. View details of the VIP Event Planning Kit “We not only want to be able to provide MDCE registrants an incredible value, with up to $125 in discounts, but we also want to help them fully prepare for the incredible opportunity that the MDCE presents them,” explains Matt Gruhn, President of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, a co-producer of the MDCE. “So this year, in addition to those financial savings, we’ve created a number of tools and resources that will serve to provide attendees with an insider’s guide to making the most of the MDCE — a planning tool of sorts that they will receive in advance of the show.” Available to anyone who registers for the MDCE prior to August 15th, the MDCE VIP Event Planning Kit will include a host of tips, ideas and opportunities for maximizing their return on investment at the MDCE. The kit will include: “We’ve made a number of exciting announcements about the enhancements we’ve made to this year’s MDCE,” explains Jonathan Sweet, Editor-in-Chief of Boating Industry, co-producer of the event. “From the enormous investment in the educational agenda that allowed us to bring in presenters like Jeffrey Gitomer and John Spence, to new programs like the Pre-Conference Workshops and the numerous outstanding networking events, this will be the best MDCE we’ve ever produced, and this VIP Event Planning Kit will help attendees make the most of it.” This comprehensive promotional package is available beginning today and lasting through August 15th. The VIP Event Planning Kit will be delivered to attendees electronically the week prior to the MDCE. Register for MDCE by clicking here. About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and member meeting. As the marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, the MDCE features an in-depth line-up of educational topics, a full-featured expo hall, and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. The MDCE is co-produced by the MRAA and Boating Industry, and it offers pre-conference workshops, a keynote presentation, three tracks of educational content, and nearly 30 sessions in all. It will be held Nov. 17-20 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Learn more at www.mraa.com/event/MDCE. MRAA members gain financial strength using exclusive benefits and resources. MRAA members receive discounts to attend educational events, keeping them up to speed with economic trends and changes. The MRAA’s mission is to provide opportunities for growth and improvement. Members have access to these efforts on an ongoing basis. Special sales, marketing, financial, operations, and F&I offered only to MRAA members gives them a leg up on the competition. MRAA dealers are actively involved with industry wide efforts that promote the boating lifestyle and improve the boating experience for customers. MRAA members contribute to MRAA’s efforts in Washington, efforts that fight to make boating more enjoyable. Certification provides certified dealers with an official seal that speaks to their level of professionalism and desire for continuous improvement, ask your dealership if they are certified today! In the past few years, USEPA has taken over many programs originally managed by state agencies. USEPA takeovers of state programs is up 2,750 percent. This has resulted in drastic increases in regulation of navigable water, something the MRAA is opposed to. Read more about the activities of USEPA here. Congress is discussing the possibility of increasing the federal minimum wage. The passage of this could affect your business. as S. 460 would increase the wage to over $10.00 per hour from the current $7.25. The Obama Budget includes a new wage of $9.00. Also, a companion bill in the House (H.R. 1010) has been introduced with 140 co-sponsors by Rep. George Miller (D-California). The Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) Bill, S. 460, has 30 co-sponsors in the Senate. Find more here. – Larry Innis The Renewable Identification Numbers rose to record highs yesterday, indicating that the blendwall is upon us. This article speaks to how ethanol blends would clearly spike gas prices—something that is obviously not good for recreational boating and fishing. Read the full article here. In addition to the likely increase in gas prices, an increase in ethanol blend level may lead to a reduction in gasoline available for sale. The MRAA continues to work with the federal government to oppose this increase in ethanol blend. Remember, ninety-five percent of all recreational boats are fueled at traditional gas stations, and if E15 becomes the commonly-available blend at these stations, misfueling will occur, and marine engines will be damaged. – Larry Innis The Governor of Ohio signed a bill into law on July 11 that becomes effective with the signing that establishes clear criteria for watercraft safety instructions before a recreational boat can be stopped and boarded on Lake Erie and other Ohio waters. In the past, water safety officers could stop a boat at any time for safety inspections. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Rex Damschroder, which went into effect with the Governor’s signature, establishes that a state or local law enforcement officer will no longer have the authority to stop or board a vessel to conduct a safety inspection. This bill should enhance the boating experience in Ohio. Please go to this link to see more info. Ohio Governor Signs Boater Freedom Act : The Fishing Wire – Larry Innis I can help you navigate the site, find resources, and answer dealership questions. Feel free to type your question below or select one of the options to get started!Large ethanol producer tells lawmakers the renewable energy policy needs to go
Yamaha Marine Group named MDCE Service Plus Track Sponsor
Sail & Ski Center Renews as Retail Premium Member
MDCE Launches VIP Event Planning Kit promo
Reasons To Do Business With a MRAA Dealer
Why You Should
Do Business with a Member
of the MRAA
1.) Financial strength
2.) Education
3.) Professionalism
4.) Benefits
5.) Grow Boating
6.) Lobbying
7.) Certification
Environmental Protection Agency Regulation Intrudes on State Rights
Bill Status of Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013
Is the blendwall upon us?
Ohio Govenor signs bill on watercraft safety
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