The following article appeared in the Boating Industry e-newsletter on Friday, Sept. 7, 2012.
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas will assume management of the North Central Marine Association in an effort to strengthen both the membership of the local marine trade association and reunite the marine industry in Minnesota. Read more.
With only 1 WEEK left to register with the Early Bird rate, here are just a few of the many reasons why you need to attend the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo this year:
• Learn pricing strategies to maximize your margins from consultant David Parker
• Hear straight talk on showroom layout with retail guru Jennifer Robison
• Receive tips on taking full advantage of boat shows from Mike Mraz of Exhibiting Excellence
• Keynote Speaker: Robert Stevenson, “How The Best Get Better”
Bonus Reason: More than 100 industry suppliers will fill the MDCE Expo Hall
Register by Friday, September 14 to take advantage of the $399 Early Bird* rate (and if you’re an MRRA member, you receive an additional $50 off)!
2012 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
November 11 – 14, 2012
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL
MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and the North Central Marine Association announced today that the MRAA has been selected to assume the management of the NCMA.
The NCMA, based in Minneapolis, is a nearly 60-year-old marine trades association that serves the state of Minnesota and businesses from neighboring states. The award-winning trade association was managed for years by a local management firm, but when the recession hit, it narrowed its offerings to the services of a full-time lobbyist. Now, the NCMA is officially back up and running at full capacity, thanks to a working relationship between the two associations.
“We are honored to play a role in the rejuvenation of the NCMA,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA and newly named Director of NCMA. “As a member of the Minnesota marine industry for the better part of the last 16 years, I feel connected and personally vested in the success of this group and its members. With the common interests shared by MRAA and NCMA, it is a natural progression for us to join forces.”
The MRAA will manage the NCMA’s administrative functions and bookkeeping responsibilities in addition to taking responsibility for the NCMA’s marketing, legislative efforts and membership growth. MRAA will also organize and produce all NCMA events, including the association’s annual meeting, golf outing, and annual awards and hall of fame banquet, among other things.
“This is a great opportunity for NCMA to get its feet back on the ground and begin its return to the prominent association that it once was,” says Jerry Rockvam, chairman of the NCMA board and president of Rockvam Boatyards, Inc., Spring Park, Minn. “With Matt’s knowledge of our members and our local market, MRAA’s access to resources to manage our efforts, and the revamping of our most critical member benefits, we are poised to once again unite the marine community in Minnesota.”
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. MRAA is the united voice of marine retailers. For more information, visit About North Central Marine Association
Founded in 1956, the North Central Marine Association promotes marine industry vitality and retail profitability in the North Central region of the United States through member serivces, legislative action and educational programs. It is the only organization in the region that encompasses the full scope of the recreational marine industry, and the collection of diverse interests unites in promoting recreational boating.
MINNEAPOLIS — Skipper Bud’s, a leading group of family-owned and operated sales, service and marina locations, has signed on as a Premium Retail Member of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, the highest level of retail membership within the association.
“We are proud to have earned such a high level of commitment from Skipper Bud’s,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “With its long history of marine dealer excellence, the Skipper Bud’s team has a lot to contribute to the association as we move forward, and we look forward to working with them to continue to expand on our mission to be the voice of and leading resource for all marine dealers.”
Since its formation more than 40 years ago, Skipper Bud’s has demonstrated its commitment to customers, delivering the dream of the boating lifestyle at its 20-plus locations through long-term relationships with premium brands, professional and experienced staff, multiple service facilities and comprehensive list of offerings designed to make boating fun and hassle-free.
“Skipper Bud’s puts our customers’ boat buying and ownership experience first,” says Mike Pretasky Jr., Skipper Bud’s president. “We became an MRAA Premium Retail Member because we believe that MRAA’s work to further the interests of marine retailers ultimately helps members provide better customer service, and to us, that’s what it’s all about.”
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. MRAA is the united voice of marine retailers. For more information, visit About Skipper Bud’s
Headquartered in Winthrop Harbor, Ill., Skipper Bud’s is one of the marine industry’s largest sales, brokerage, service and marina groups. Offering premium brands, such as Sea Ray, Bayliner, Starcraft, Crestliner, Sylvan, Harris FloteBote, Four Winns, Trophy, Tigé, Tiara, Meridian, Malibu, SmokerCraft, MasterCraft, Crest Pontoons, Glastron, Azimut Yachts, Marquis and Cruisers Yachts, Skipper Bud’s sells new and used recreational boats and yachts, and parts & accessories, and provides service, boat storage, boat dockage, boat transport, delivery captains, educational classes, boating events and more. Skipper Bud’s currently has 24 retail locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.skipperbuds.com.
There are just 10 DAYS LEFT to save money with the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo $399 Early Bird Rate (MRAA members receive an additional $50 off).
10 Reasons to Register for MDCE in the Next 10 Days!
#10. Learn the secret to more sales with noted trainer Joe Verde & get a FREE copy of his new book “A Dealer’s Guide to Recovery & Growth”
#9. Attend a mini-conference on 5 technologies that can help you better market your business.
#8. Learn the demographic trends reshaping our industry & others
#7. Meet with top dealers, manufacturers and suppliers at 3 networking receptions
#6. Learn how to boost repeat business with top Harley dealer consultant Sam Dantzler
#5. Fulfill two days of education credits for Marine Five Star Dealer Certification
#4. Get tips to generate a return on your Facebook investment
#3. Stay where the action is, minutes from award-winning restaurants, entertainment and, of course, Disney World
#2. Learn from service department trainer Valerie Ziebron, the best-reviewed MDCE speaker in 2010, & receive a FREE service white paper
#1. Hear fellow dealers share their best ideas for profitability
If trends hold, 2013 could be the strongest year for the marine industry since prior to the recession. Are you ready to take advantage? Learn how … only at MDCE.
Register by September 14 to take advantage of the $399 Early Bird* rate.
2012 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
November 11 – 14, 2012
Rosen Plaza Hotel & Rosen Centre Hotel
Orlando, FL
What do fellow dealers have to say about their time at MDCE? Check this out!
The event brochure, complete with individual session info, is available here.
*Valid until September 14, 2012. Beginning September 15, 2012, standard registration rate is $449. MRAA members receive an additional $50 off per attendee.
The following article appeared on Boating Industry online on Friday, Aug. 31.
In a landmark agreement, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and the National Marine Manufacturers Association recently reached consensus on a proposed regulation for boat model-year enforcement. It is now up to the United States Coast Guard to decide the next step. Read more.
MINNEAPOLIS – Members of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas should keep an eye on the mail in the weeks ahead.
On Wednesday afternoon, newly appointed MRAA Director of Membership & Marketing Liz Walz completed a major project for the association, amassing, organizing and mailing out a re-vamped member kit to all current and new members of the MRAA. The contents of this package include detailed information on MRAA’s member benefits and how each member can take advantage of them.
“We’ve done so much to increase the value of MRAA membership over the past year, like more than doubling the member benefits,” Walz explains. “Now is a great time to get the word out to all of our members about what’s new at MRAA. Long-time members, for example, may be aware of some of the improvements we’ve made but missed other announcements. This updated kit will serve as a checklist of sorts for members of the numerous ways they can boost their return on investment in MRAA.”
To accompany the member kit project, Walz created an MRAA.com landing page that demonstrates how retailers can get the most from their membership. That page features a how-to for getting started with membership for new members; an “amp up your ROI” document for existing members; and overviews of the MRAA Rewards Program, Resource Center, legislative efforts, Marine Retail University events, and Bearings e-newsletter, among other things.
“Many of the programs we offer are very easy to use and require little to no additional investment on the dealer’s part,” Walz explains. “We simply want to make it as easy as possible for our members to benefit from their association with us, and these resources help us accomplish that.”
The MRAA Benefits Committee is hard at work evaluating the association’s current benefits and looking at ways to add to the opportunities available to its members. MRAA expects to make some big announcements in the coming weeks about additional ways that MRAA members can benefit from their membership.
The link below will take you to a report to Congress by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office on projections of the economy for the remainder of 2012 and 2013.
It is an interesting report. It makes projections based on two scenarios, one where the federal budget deficit is reduced by austerity to about $600 billion from $1 trillion today and the other that the budget deficit remains at current levels.
Under the first case, the CBO predicts an economic recession and 9-percent unemployment. Talking heads on Wall Street go further and predict a “severe” recession because of reductions in federal spending. Under the second scenario, the CBO predicts a slowly declining unemployment rate and a gradual economic recovery. Sounds like a report reared by an economist. What to believe?
Nevertheless, I thought you might like to read what was sent to all Congressional offices. Click here to read it.
Larry Innis
MRAA Legislative Affairs
WASHINGTON, D. C., Updated Sept. 2, 2012 – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) have come together to submit a consensus proposal to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) regarding model year enforcement. The USCG is currently reviewing the proposal
Read article from Boating Industry that provides updated information.
The USCG formal definition of a boat’s model year begins on August 1st and ends on July 31st. However, for many years boat manufacturers produced new vessels on their own timeline, in accordance with informal USCG guidance. In the spring of this year, the industry became aware that the USCG began enforcing the August 1 model year start date, leaving manufacturers with compliance problems that would require the shutdown of boat manufacturing facilities for as much as eight weeks during the summer, resulting in the potential loss of jobs and important economic impact.
Following a meeting with the USCG, NMMA was asked to work with the recreational boating industry to develop a consensus position on the definition and enforcement of the model year. In an historic meeting, board members from the MRAA and NMMA met to develop a recommendation and have since submitted it to the USCG. This was the first time on record that the two associations have come together to develop a workable solution.
The solution offered would keep the model year target date at August 1, but includes a 61-day grace period prior to August 1 during which new model year products may be shipped. The proposed solution includes two exemptions: First, manufacturers of boats 30 feet and over will have the freedom to designate model year without regard to the August 1 target date and grace period. Second, manufacturers may introduce an entirely new model mid-year with the next-model-year designation. New models are defined as significantly structurally different than any model in the manufacturer’s current line-up. In the case of both exceptions, the product cannot be shipped before January 2.
MRAA and NMMA have delivered the proposal to the USCG and requested its implementation.
“Through a commitment to partnership and cooperation, the industry has come together to develop this important proposed solution,” says NMMA President Thom Dammrich. “We anxiously await feedback from the Coast Guard.”
“What makes me proud about this recommendation is that although both sides of this conversation came into the meeting with very disparate positions, after hours of constructive conversation, we were able to walk out with a recommendation that we could all live with,” says Matt Gruhn, President of the MRAA. “This meeting was underscored by a commitment to partnership, and I am happy that we now have definition to this long-debated industry issue.”
For questions or media inquiries please contact Lauren Dunn at 202-737-9752 or ldunn@nmma.org or Matt Gruhn at (763) 315-8043 or matt@mraa.com .
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About NMMA: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy advocacy, market statistics and research, product quality assurance and promotion of the boating lifestyle. For more information visit www.nmma.org.
About MRAA: 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. MRAA is the united voice of marine retailers. For more information, visit
MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it has hired Liz Walz as the organization’s Director of Membership & Marketing “Liz and I have had a long working relationship together, and I’m absolutely thrilled to add her passion and enthusiasm for the marine industry to the MRAA team,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “There are very few people who are as passionate about the marine industry and the dealer body in particular than Liz has proven to be, and that, along with her well-known communication skills, makes her the ideal person for this position and this association in general.” Liz has spent the majority of her career at Boating Industry, which she joined in 1999. At B.I., she led the editorial team’s efforts and helped to create and produce the Top 100 Dealers Program and the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, in addition to being a central contributor to the print and online editorial efforts for the better part of the last 10 years. She left B.I. at the end of April. Walz is very familiar with the MRAA, as she has served on the association’s Young Leaders Advisory Council since its inception. As the only non-dealer to ever sit on that council, she played a significant role in its development as well as that of a handful of committees. “I am delighted to join the MRAA during such an exciting time in the association’s growth,” says Walz. “This move is a natural one for me. Throughout my career, I’ve been inspired by the hard work, innovation and professionalism of today’s marine retailers. The opportunity to serve this group and contribute to a bright future for the boating business alongside Matt, whose work I have long admired and respected, is a dream come true.” As Director of Membership & Marketing, Walz will be focused on interacting with MRAA members, growing MRAA membership, and driving the association’s marketing efforts. She will lead MRAA’s online efforts, including its new website and e-newsletters. And she will direct all outreach efforts to members and non-members alike as MRAA looks to continue its growth. Her official start date is today, August 15th. See Liz Walz’s Bio and contact info. 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. MRAA is the united voice of marine retailers. For more information, visit
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!Liz Walz joins MRAA as Director of Membership & Marketing
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