MDCE Dealer Registrations up 31 percent

MINNEAPOLIS – Dealer registrations for the 2013 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo are up 31.7 percent over the same time last year, which represents a new record for the event.

More than 270 dealers have registered so far for the MDCE — up from 205 last year on this date — with nearly three weeks to go until the early-bird registration rate expires, and more than two-and-a-half months until the event begins. The early-bird rate saves registrants $50 off of the regular registration rate, and the event typically sees an increase in registrations in the two weeks leading up to the deadline.

See who is registered here: www.mraa.com/events/RSVPlist.aspx?id=208006

“We’re thrilled to see such an incredible response to this year’s MDCE,” says Liz Walz, Director of Membership & Education. “We’ve invested more than ever before in the educational program, as well as the resources and tools we’re providing attendees, and it’s rewarding to see that dealers are responding positively to the educational experience we have created for them.”

The MDCE offers nearly 30 educational sessions, broken down into three tracks, a series of pre-conference workshops and several special presentations, to help dealers gather ideas and best practices for growing and improving their businesses. The workshops are a new introduction for the 2013 MDCE, and the total number of educational sessions is up from just 20 in 2012.

Learn more at the MDCE Video Channel: www.mraa.com/?page=MDCE_Video_Channel

“We’ve been saying all year that if you’ve ever thought about coming to the MDCE to see what it’s all about, this is definitely the year to do it,” says Jonathan Sweet, Editor-in-Chief of Boating Industry. “From the opening keynote all the way through the event, there is no doubt that this is the best MDCE educational agenda every assembled.”

Last year, the MDCE attracted more than 1,000 industry professionals, and this year, more than 400 have already registered. The excitement over this year’s event has been created by the additional sessions, in addition to the signing of world-renowned sales and leadership expert Jeffrey Gitomer as the keynote speaker. The addition of authors and speakers like John Spence and David Avrin, as well as a number of industry-specific experts, has bolstered the educational line-up like never before.

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 in addition to the record number of pre-September dealer registrations, this year’s event also attracted more than 250 registrants prior to May 1, another 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.

Sonja Moseley named MRAA Director of Certification & Benefits

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it has named Sonja Moseley as its Director of Certification & Benefits.

Sonja, who recently earned a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Studies, joins the MRAA having most recently served as the Executive Director for the Arizona Parks & Recreation Association. At the APRA, she led a team that stabilized and strengthened the association, creating systems and processes that resulted in its growth. She was responsible for the association’s professional development programs, certifications, and marketing, as well as its annual conference and trade show.

“We are extremely excited to have Sonja join our growing team,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “She will be the critical link in ensuring the success of the dealer certification program, and her understanding of association business, as well as her knowledge specific to continuing education and certification programs, make her the perfect person for this position.”

In her role as Director of Certification & Benefits, Sonja will oversee MRAA’s management and administration of the Marine Five Star Dealership Certification Program, as well as the benefits of both the MRAA and the MFSDC program. She will serve as the main contact for certified dealers, as well as those dealers and manufacturers who are interested in pursuing and supporting the certification program.

In June, the MRAA assumed the management, administration and promotional responsibilities for the MFSDC program, and since that time, MRAA staff has worked closely with Five Star Solutions to open up an industry dialog to discuss ways to make the program more accessible to dealers and more valuable to the industry. Sonja will take the reins of this program to help finalize a direction and growth strategy before it is relaunched, and then she’ll work to market it both to the industry and to consumers.

“It is with great enthusiasm that I am joining the MRAA team,” Sonja says. “I am looking forward to bringing the MFSDC program to the next level and contributing to the continued growth of this outstanding association.”

Sonja is an avid outdoors woman, having grown up boating on the lakes of northern Minnesota. She is also a PADI Divemaster and recently enjoyed a sailing adventure in the French Polynesian Islands. Her official start date is Sept. 16th.

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 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

Marine Retail University on track for expansion


MINNEAPOLIS — Almost a year after kicking off the first in a series of seven regional Norman-Spencer Marine Retail University educational and networking events, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Dominion Marine Media are preparing an expanded line-up for year two.

On the heels of overwhelmingly positive feedback from the more than 320 participants and through the support of title sponsor Norman-Spencer Marine Insurance Services, event producers are planning to grow the series to at least nine events throughout North America during the upcoming season.

“A big part of MRAA’s mission is to provide companies that interact with the boater in their community opportunities for improvement and growth,” says Liz Walz, MRAA Director of Membership & Education. “Through the Marine Retail University series, MRAA and Dominion can identify regional trends, share expert advice and provide industry best practices to marine businesses in their backyard, which allows us to serve those companies at a much deeper level than ever before, at an incredibly affordable price and in an very efficient manner. That combination has proven powerful for attendees.”

Working alongside local, state and regional marine trade associations, the MRAA and Dominion Marine Media have already scheduled four of the nine events:

· Northwest Marine Trades Association, Seattle, Wash., Sept. 25, 2013

· Boat Trades Association of Texas, Grapevine, Texas, Oct. 13-14, 2013

· Boating Industries Association of Central New York, Syracuse, N.Y., Jan. 23, 2014

· Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, Boston, Mass., Jan. 29, 2014

The MRU educational line-up will feature presentations on sales, service, finance, customer retention and marketing. A key feature of these regional events is their ability to offer data and information that dealers can use to capitalize on local trends.

“We are excited to be able to extend educational opportunities to even more dealers across North America in the coming season,” says Courtney Chalmers, Director of Marketing for Dominion Marine Media. “It’s our goal to once again deliver an educational line-up that will create long-term success for our participants; and, because the information is tailored to the attendee’s surrounding marketplace, we are confident the MRU will offer exactly that.”

Registration rates begin at $149, but discounts for members of the MRAA and hosting MTAs can bring down rates to as low as $49 per person. Learn more about upcoming events and sponsorship information here: Marine Retail University.

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 About Dominion Marine Media
Dominion Marine Media is the recreational marine industry division of Dominion Enterprises – a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, marine, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, travel, and employment industries. Dominion Enterprises’ businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, website design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 60 market-leading websites reaching more than 20.9 million unique visitors monthly. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 3,300 employees in more than 186 offices nationwide.

MRAA Educational Foundation names executive director

MINNEAPOLIS — Liz Walz has been named the Executive Director of the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation created in 2004 to provide the recreational marine trades with financial support for education, training and professional development.

“We see an opportunity to infuse the foundation with some fresh ideas and direction,” says Ed Lofgren of 3A Marine, who serves as President of the MRAA Educational Foundation. “Liz has been involved with the Foundation through her role on the Darlene Briggs Award selection committee for many years. Her passion for the work of the Foundation, combined with her marketing and leadership skills make her a great fit for the job.”

As Executive Director of the MRAA Educational Foundation, Walz will be responsible for bringing new ideas to create energy and excitement around the opportunities that the Foundation makes available. That will mean new programs, new partner opportunities, and a larger reach through expanded marketing. The end goal is more retailers benefitting from the Foundation’s efforts.

“I’ve been inspired by the work of the MRAA Educational Foundation for many, many years, and I’m honored to be a part of its future,” says Walz. “We are privileged to have such an incredibly dedicated and skilled workforce in the marine business. By acknowledging their hard work and providing tools and resources to encourage professional development, we can not only better retain the best and brightest in our industry today, but also attract new talent.”

Walz will NOT be leaving her post at the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. In fact, this new role has come about at the same time that Walz’ position at the MRAA has evolved. Formerly the Director of Membership & Marketing, Walz will drop the marketing focus and replace it with a focus on Education, and her new MRAA title will reflect that: Director of Membership & Education.

“Liz carries an incredible amount of passion for creating educational benefits for MRAA Members, and it makes perfect sense for us to align her day-to-day responsibilities with that passion,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “As we grow and evolve as an association, we expect to continuously expand our service to our members and the entire dealership community through the development of new training and education opportunities. And there’s no one better suited to lead us down that path than Liz, who has not only the dedication but also the knowledge to make it happen.”

For the last three years, Walz has created the educational programming for the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. In 2012, attendees gave the MDCE’s educational sessions the highest scores in the history of the event. In 2013, Walz spearheaded the effort to not only invest more in the educational line-up but also to create the MDCE Pre-Conference Workshops, a first-time program that will take timely, critical topics to a deeper level than ever before. She also leads MRAA’s efforts to create educational sessions for the Marine Retail University event, a series of one-day, regional conferences that attracted more than 320 participants in its first season.

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 or to donate online, click here or visit

Harris Marine Group Celebrates 10TH Anniversary

Stevensville, MD – Robin Harris is proud to announce her tenth anniversary as a premier marine finance services provider to dealers in the Mid-Atlantic states. The Harris Group was formed initially to provide modest sized boat dealers with a highly experienced and effective finance outsource facility. Harris then branched out to include direct public financing, including brokerage and private sales as well as a refinancing resource for all of her existing and future clients.

To mark the 10th Anniversary additional experienced staff have been added and Harris has expanding her territory to include the entire East Coast and will continue to work with select dealers as their finance department and deal with select brokers and with the general boating public. Harris, a long time member of the National Marine Bankers Association, the American Vessel Documentation Association and, more recently, an MRAA Partner Member, provides a comprehensive menu of financing and associated services such as lien perfection, state titling, USCG documentation, marine insurance and buyer’s brokers expertise and skills.

The Harris Marine Group consists of Harris Marine Financing, Inc including T/A Harris Tag and Title and Harris Marine Insurance, LLC and their associated operations who, together, provide complete marine finance and licensing services in furtherance of marine dealer operations and of the marine industry as a whole on the East Coast. Robin Harris is a Elected Vice President of the Marine Trades Association of Maryland and, through her MRAA Partnership, supports boaters, boater programs and dealers throughout the Country.

Conversion to Sub-octane Gasoline Threatens Boating

A member of MRAA sent staff a note with great concern about significant increases to the price that distributors will be charging for gasoline beginning on September 16. According to the material supplied to the MRAA office, the primary driver of the conversion to sub-octane (typically 84-octane) gasoline is the Renewable Fuels Standard passed by Congress in 2005. That law requires a refiner to off-set fossil fuel production with a renewable fuel such as ethanol. Pipelines are transitioning to sub-octane gasoline due to limited tank space at the terminals.

After September 16, it is anticipated pipeline systems will convert to 84-octane with an increase of up to 60 cents per gallon at wholesale.

MRAA is attempting to verify this report. Contact has been made with the national association for gasoline refiners. The national association for gasoline refiners did not have a solid answer to the report. This group believed it may be a distribution or storage system issue. “There may not be capability in some areas to carry both finished products (multiple octane gasoline) that can be splash blended with ethanol,” said Geoff Moody, AFPM Washington Representative.

Several additional inquiries have been placed with other oil industry groups in Washington to determine the scope of the issue.

MRAA is a strong supporter of the elimination of the renewable fuel standard and is working with the oil industry and other boating groups on ethanol issue.

Washington Policies Continue to Hamper Business hiring and growth

The US Chamber of Commerce’s recent small business survey found that Washington policies hamper job growth, with over a quarter of small businesses saying they have lost employees in the past year.

According to the survey, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is a top concern increasing by 10% since June 2011. Seventy-one per cent of small businesses say the health care law makes it harder to hire, and only 30% say they are prepared for the requirements of the law. Among the small businesses that will be impacted by the employer mandate to provide health care insurance for employees, one-half say they will either cut hours to reduce the number of full-time employees or replace full-time employees with part-time workers.

The survey also said small businesses are looking to legislative solutions with 42% expressing concern that too many government regulations are adversely impacting business and want Congress to remove barriers to encourage growth. Reform to the tax code is supported by 83% with the majority supporting a less complex tax code.

The biggest group of small businesses would like to see an easing of regulations of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The only thing that scares small business more than what the federal government has done is what the federal government will do next.

MRAA Asks States to Support Completion of EPA Study on Copper Bottom Paints

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas joined with other marine groups in a grassroots campaign requesting the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water Quality to complete the saltwater criteria document for copper that would be based on new data and the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM). This new standard would allow for more accurate marine and estuarine water quality criteria to be developed to protect the environment and would create more scientifically defensible regulatory actions in coastal states.

MRAA sent a letter to the appropriate state environmental departments in every coastal state asking for their support.

A more precise method of determining copper toxicity levels is desired for the marine industry due to the great uncertainty and misguidance surrounding the use of copper bottom paints and how these paints truly effect the environment. Boat bottom paints that contain copper are widely used as the most effective means of preventing bio-fouling of hulls. MRAA believes 80-90% of commercial vessels use copper based paints because there is simply nothing better on the market. Recreational boaters use this type of paint more than any other.

Marinas traditionally haul boats and pressure-wash bottoms to remove algae and other marine growth. This activity requires a special permit under the Clean Water Act. The permit review process has often resulted in marinas stopping pressure washing or the installation of expensive equipment and/or storm water runoff treatment systems. If a marina can have its permit levels for copper based on the BLM, MRAA believes it can more readily make decisions as to treatment options or even if a treatment system is needed.

The BLM established water quality system would protect the environment with scientific-based data and would not burden the boater or the marina/boat yard.

MRAA asked the state governments to request the US EPA place a high priority on the project.

MarineMax, Inc. Renews Its Retail Premium Membership with MRAA

MINNEAPOLIS — MarineMax, Inc., a new and used boat dealer and yacht broker, and the largest marine dealer in the world, has renewed as a Retail Premium member with the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas.

“This is the highest level of support a retailer can provide the association, and that level of commitment is something we are very excited to have earned and kept,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “Our focus on creating a stronger retail network to help grow the marine industry is something we take very seriously, and we’re honored to be supported by such industry leading businesses as MarineMax.”

As the world’s largest boat retailer, MarineMax offers 54 locations that sell new and used recreational boats, including pleasure and fishing boats. It prides itself on pro-active service, financing and insurance, educational programs for the entire family, access to Getaways trips and events which unite boaters with their SELF and others on the water.

“We have always been dedicated to improving our business and the marine industry as a whole, and our support of the MRAA is another route to helping us accomplish that,” says Bill McGill, President and CEO of MarineMax, Inc. “MRAA’s focus on helping dealers improve the boating experience for their customers is something we strongly believe in, and our level of support as a Retail Premium Member, we believe, demonstrates that.”

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

Russo Marine Renews its Retail Premium Membership with MRAA

MINNEAPOLIS — Russo Marine, New England’s leading powerboat dealer, has renewed its membership with the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas at the highest level of support a dealership can offer—Retail Premium.

“I am a strong believer in the MRAA, ” said Larry Russo, President & CEO of Russo Marine. “We are always looking for ways to help the boating industry succeed, and MRAA’s efforts have contributed significantly to this goal. Whether through its lobbying in Washington, D.C., developing new member benefits or implementing the annual Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, the MRAA approaches everything from a dealer’s standpoint, and that is something we encourage and want to share with other marine dealerships.”

Russo Marine, the family owned and operated marine business, was founded in 1940. With three sales and service facilities, it specializes in the sales of powerboats up to 60 feet, representing Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Bayliner, Meridian Yachts and Greenline boat lines.

“We are thankful for Russo Marine’s long-term support at such a high level,” said Matt Gruhn, President of the MRAA. “Larry’s passion for the association and industry success has always been one of the most energized and influential perspectives out there. We are proud and very grateful to have their continued 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