BI: Complementary goals led to Marine Retail University

The latest educational conference for the marine industry, an ongoing series of regional events called Marine Retail University, came together when the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Dominion Marine Media realized they were both looking to offer dealers more opportunities to learn.

For 17 years, Dominion Marine Media has successfully hosted Yacht Brokerage University events, which as the name suggests are geared toward yacht brokers. Courtney Chalmers, marketing director at Dominion Marine Media, says that as the company’s mission has grown to include a greater focus on education, there has been a desire internally to create a similar event for dealers.

At the same time, the MRAA surveyed members and found that the Marine Dealer Conference and Expo (which is co-produced by Boating Industry) was rated the most important benefit the group provides. MRAA’s new president, Matt Gruhn, saw an opportunity to reach even more dealers if the organization could bring the education to them on a regional level. Read more.

Dominion Marine Media named Partner Member of MRAA


BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – Dominion Marine Media, a leading marine industry marketing services company, has renewed its support of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas as a Partner Member of the association.

Dominion Marine Media has been a strong partner of the MRAA for a number of years, and most recently strengthened its relationship by joining forces with the association to co-produce the forthcoming Marine Retail University event series. Dominion Marine Media also supports marine dealers and the association through its partnership with the annual Marine Dealer Conference & Expo.

“We are very grateful for the outstanding relationship we have with Dominion Marine Media,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Dominion’s mission and values are very closely connected with those of the MRAA, as they carry and demonstrate an intense interest in helping to further the success of today’s marine dealers.”

Dominion Marine Media demonstrates its support for the marine dealer body in a number of ways, above and beyond its involvement in the MRU and MDCE educational event programs. The company also offers web services, portal advertising and effective marketing solutions.

“Dominion Marine Media is dedicated to providing dealers the tools and resources to succeed in the ever-changing marine industry,” said Courtney Chalmers, director of marketing for Dominion Marine Media. “The MRAA is the clear partner in leading dealers to become the most sophisticated and most professional dealers in the market when it comes to sales, marketing and general management.”


About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012, 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. For more information, visit www.MRAA.com.


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.

Priority One named endorsed benefit provider of MRAA

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it has partnered with Priority One Financial Services to create a new benefit for the MRAA Rewards Program. Priority One is the nation’s leading retail F&I outsource company for recreational dealers.

As the endorsed F&I outsourcing provider of the MRAA, Priority One will provide MRAA members with a host of opportunities. For MRAA members who partner with Priority One, $5 will be given for every customer loan that is facilitated by Priority One. These BonusBucks will be paid out on a quarterly basis.

“We have been a part of the marine industry for 25 years and, like the MRAA, are committed to seeing it grow and thrive,” says Heather Mariscal, president of Priority One. “By participating in the MRAA Rewards Program we hope to bring the benefits of our services to more marine dealers to help them move more units and earn more income.”

Above and beyond the financial rewards, Priority One will also provide MRAA members a number of other services, including free training webinars, related to F&I management best practices; a PCI compliance kit containing pertinent advice and forms necessary to remain compliant with federal regulations, as well as generic dealership operations forms to be downloadable from the forthcoming MRAA Resource Center.

“Priority One is not only an industry-leading provider of F&I services to marine retailers, but they also offer our members a wealth of knowledge and resources through which they can better manage their businesses,” says Matt Gruhn, president of the MRAA. “We’re excited to be able to offer MRAA members the full extent of Priority One’s capabilities.”

Read more about the Priority One benefit for MRAA members.

 

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012, 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. For more information, visit www.MRAA.com.

About Priority One Financial Services

Priority One has been serving the marine and RV industry since 1987. 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. For more information, visit www.P1FS.com.

Bank of the West becomes MRAA Platinum Partner

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that Bank of the West, located in San Francisco, Calif., has joined the association as a Platinum Partner, the highest level of support for the MRAA.

With banking roots dating back more than 135 years, Bank of the West has been focused on expanding its marine market portfolio over the last few years. Currently serving marine dealers across the United States with both retail and floorplan lending, Bank of the West wanted to demonstrate its commitment to the marine market through its support of the MRAA.

“Bank of the West remains committed to serving all the same markets it was serving before the big recession,” says Mark Beecher, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing Manager, of Bank of the West. “The marine industry is now moving past a very rough patch in the business cycle.We continue to support our marine dealer base with retail finance programs from our National Indirect Lending Group as well as our Essex Credit subsidiary.Three years ago, in the depth of the recession, we started a Commercial Finance business, serving the commercial financing needs of the marine industry, as well as dealers in the auto and RV markets. Our long history of prudent underwriting enables us to support well-managed dealers with all their financing needs.We are definitely open for business and growing.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Bank of the West in support of marine retailers,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Mark and his group are already working with a number of our members, and it’s exciting to all of us that Bank of the West is demonstrating its commitment to the marine market and playing a significant role in helping the market continue to recover.”

 

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012, 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. For more information, visit www.MRAA.com.

MRAA: ‘Kill the Death Tax’

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is submitting letters to the U.S. Senate and has launched a marine retailer grass roots campaign to kill the Death Tax.

MRAA supports a forthcoming bill to be introduced by Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) to permanently repeal the Death Tax.

MRAA has long worked this issue and our efforts have been key in passage of several bills over the past 20 years that have increased the threshold and decreased the tax rate. However, those bills have now sunset and new efforts are needed to kill the Death Tax.

The Thune bill already has 20 co-sponsors. A companion bill (H.R. 1259) has also been introduced in the House by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) with 205 co-sponsors.

The Death Tax was originally passed by Congress in the 1890s to pay for the Spanish American War. The tax hurts the beneficiaries of small businesses and family farms who have to pay a high tax on inheritances when the assets were already built on income that had been taxed.

EPA approves E15 usage

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently approved usage of an ethanol blend of up to 15 percent in gasoline. This gasoline blend is approved for automobiles but not on boats.

The problem with this is that many consumers will fuel their vehicles and boats at the same pumps. It is clearly a decision that will confuse many. The EPA must proceed through several more steps before the E15 blend will appear at the pump, including state approval and structural changes to gas stations to ensure tanks are compatible with the new blend formula.

The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology approved a bill, H.R. 3199, on February 7 by a vote of 19 Yes to 7 No that would require a comprehensive assessment of the scientific and technical research on the implications of fuel with more than 10 percent ethanol. Specifically, the bill recommends that the assessment compare mid-level ethanol blends of 15 to 20 percent to gasoline with blends of 0 to 10 percent. It would require an evaluation of the environment, safety, durability, and performance effects of mid-level blends on on-road, non-road, and marine engines, on-road and non-road vehicles, and related equipment.

In addition, the National Marine Manufacturers Association continues with its law suit in the D.C. Circuit Court, which challenges the EPA action. Oral arguments are scheduled for April 17.

MRAA opposes EPA takeover of private lakes

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas supports S. 2245, a bill introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) that would stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from taking over all private water in our country and has started a grassroots co-sponsor campaign.

The “Preserve the Waters of the U.S. Act” prevents the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers from using their overreaching guidance to change legal responsibilities under the Clean Water Act. MRAA believes the Clean Water Act is already so far reaching that we cannot afford to give these agencies carte-blanche authority to regulate private land and waters.

MRAA supports the rights of private property owners to be good stewards of their lands and waters. MRAA believes the new fees under the form 404 permits would be unaffordable if the EPA takes over private lakes. S. 2245 has 30 co-sponsors, but more are urgently needed for passage.

MRAA authored a letter encouraging Senator Barrasso that you can read by clicking this link.

 

Now, it’s YOUR turn to get involved.

MRAA has written a letter template that you can use to encourage your Senators to support this effort. There are four simple steps.

  1. Find your Senator at MRAA.com. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find contact details for your Senator.
  2. Select the link next to the words Web form in your Senator’s area of the site.
  3. Use the available contact form to email your Senator on a legislative issue.
  4. Copy and paste the following text into the body of the message. You will need to update part of this to make it specific to your business and your interests.

 

Dear Senator _____________:

I write to ask that you co-sponsor S. 2245, the Preserve the Waters of the U.S. Act.

(DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS INCLUDE WHAT YOU SELL, NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, LOCATIONS, ETC,)

As a small business, we are very concerned about government agencies overreaching their authority to change legal responsibilities under the Clean Water Act. We understand the U.S. EPA wants to expand its authority by threatening private property rights, which will only serve to discourage economic growth and suppress job creation. It is time to cut through red tape and excessive government regulation to protect property owners, help small businesses, and to get people back to work.

An expansion of the Clean Water Act over private waters with an unfunded mandate will pre-empt states’ rights, which should not be done. S. 2265 will stop this action. Without passage of the bill, we will see increased cost of dredging permits, fill permits, NPDES permits, storm water permits, and other Clean Water programs.

But, most of all, we believe expanding federal control over intrastate waters will substantially interfere with the ability of individual property owners to use and be good stewards of their own property.

Please co-sponsor S. 2245.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

 

MRAA’s Gruhn named to AMTECH Board of Directors

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that Matt Gruhn has been named to the board of directors of the Association of Marine Technicians.

Gruhn, president of MRAA, brings more than 15 years of industry experience to the AMTECH board, the majority of which was spent at the helm of Boating Industry magazine and its numerous ancillary products. He developed an intimate understanding of how marine service departments and their employees succeed through his leadership of the Top 100 Dealers Program. And he was selected as the president of MRAA in October of 2011.

“The members of the MRAA have great interest in the success of the marine industry’s technicians,” Gruhn says. “The relationship between the success of individual technicians and the individual dealerships is very closely connected, and we at the MRAA are honored to play a part in guiding the direction and opportunities that AMTECH provides both of these constituents.”

Joe De Marco, president of AMTECH added, “We are very honored to have Matt serve on our board, and I look forward to working with him in the coming years. There are numerous synergies between MRAA and AMTECH, and Matt and I both believe that AMTECH’s technical training provides the necessary core skills that technicians need in order to meet today’s advancing technology and also serves as a perfect prerequisite to manufacturer product-specific training. We expect that a stronger working relationship between AMTECH and MRAA will assist the industry’s efforts to increase participation in boating.”

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012, 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. For more information, visit www.MRAA.com.

About AMTECH

The Association of Marine Technicians is a 501(c) (6) non-profit association that was founded in 1999. The association is dedicated to marine service excellence and has become the industry’s leader in marine systems training for incumbent workers, and provides online technical assistance and support through website. In 2008 AMTECH became the exclusive Professional Installer Network for iboats.com. AMTECH’s goal is to represent marine technician interests throughout the boating industry and it works to improve the career opportunities for all marine technicians. For more information on AMTECH and

Boating Trades Association of Texas to host first Marine Retail University

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Dominion Marine Media announced today that the Boating Trades Association of Texas has become the first regional or state trade association to sign on to host a Norman-Spencer Marine Retail University event.

The event, scheduled for October 21-22, 2012, will be held at the beautiful Omni La Mansion Del Rio in San Antonio. Located on the banks of the Paseo del Rio in the heart of downtown San Antonio, the Omni La Mansion Del Rio is an historic, four-diamond luxury hotel that blends Spanish colonial architecture and European style and is within easy walking distance of the Alamo, El Mercado and many other well-known landmarks.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing an MRU event to our state and our members,” says Rick Smith, president of BTAT and Marine Outlet. “This is a great opportunity for us to provide a one-of-a-kind educational opportunity, and we’re particularly excited about the market-specific content that the MRU offers our members. “

This Norman-Spencer Marine Retail University event will feature four targeted educational sessions, an expo hall, and a series of networking sessions, including a riverboat cruise on October 21st. The educational sessions will feature market-specific sales and dealer-performance data that will offer attendees market insights that can help them make better business decisions. GE Commercial Distribution Finance will provide a session on economic trends and dealer performance; Statistical Surveys will provide detailed insights into sales trends and market performance; and Dominion Marine Media will present best practices and expert advice on how to develop your market in today’s economy. Another educational session will be added soon.

“We are excited to recognize BTAT as the first association to plan a Marine Retail University in 2012,” says Courtney Chalmers, director of marketing for Dominion Marine Media, “and we look forward to launching a successful and informative event for the Texas boat dealers.”

“The attendees of this event will walk away with an in-depth understanding of what’s making their market tick and how they can capitalize on it,” says Matt Gruhn, president of the MRAA, which co-produces the MRU events with Dominion Marine Media. “We’re extremely excited to be able to partner with BTAT to create such opportunity for its members because the data and information the MRU provides will set them up for great success as they begin selling their 2013 product lines.”

About Marine Retail University

The Norman-Spencer Marine Retail University is a series of regional dealer educational conferences. Launched in 2012 as a partnership between the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Dominion Marine Media, these regional events seek to provide attendees with in-depth market knowledge and the tactics to capitalize on those insights. The partners work closely with regional and state associations to deliver additional value to their members. Norman-Spencer Marine Insurance Services supports MRU as the title sponsor of the event series. To bring an MRU event to your association, to support an MRU event or for more information, please contact Matt Gruhn at 763-315-8043 or matt@mraa.com.