Texas Marine’s Ryan Hebert named YLAC chairman

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that Ryan Ryan Hebert, YLAC chairmanHebert of Texas Marine, Beaumont, Texas, has been named Chairman of the association’s Young Leaders Advisory Council.

Hebert, 29, has amassed a number of leadership credentials during his time in the marine industry. He began working at his family dealership at the age of 13 and has been involved in the day-to-day operations of the three-store dealership since graduating from Texas State University in 2005. Hebert has been involved in dealer councils, a Spader 20 Group and a number of other industry efforts. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Boating Trades Association of Texas, and his seat as YLAC chair also earns him a spot on the MRAA Board of Directors.

Ryan helped Texas Marine achieve Five Star Marine Industry Certified Dealership status each of the last five years, and the company has also been named to Boating Industry’s list of the industry’s Top 100 Dealers for each of the program’s seven years.

Hebert succeeds Carly Poole of Buckeye Marine (Bobcaygeon, Ontario) who chaired YLAC for its first two years of existence and who will remain on the council. YLAC was formed by the MRAA board of directors in 2009 to bring a younger generation of dealership management into the association. Made up of a group of 15 industry professionals who have had at least seven years of industry experience and are under the age of 40, YLAC provides information and recommendations to the MRAA board on matters pertaining to the development and enhancement of the association.

Other YLAC members include: Martin Boyer, Austin Boats & Motors; Thalia Chase, Castaway Marina; Jeff Haradine, WakeSide Marine; Kyle Kelly, Kelly’s Port; Chris Kewley, Nobles’ Marine; Craig LeBlanc, Allen Harbor Marine Service; Matthew Lodder, Lodder’s Marine; Brad Parker, Parker Boats of Daytona; Carly Poole, Buckeye Marine; Alex Russo, Russo Marine; Eric Smith, Colorado Boat Center; Josh Vallely, Vallely Sport & Marine; Liz Walz, Boating Industry; and Lauren Woodard-Splatt, Woodard Marine.

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 honors Olson for its work on Discover Boating‘s “Welcome to the Water” campaign

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) recently presented the Jerry Martin Journalism Award to creative marketing agency Olson for its work and success with the “Welcome to the Water” campaign, which helped reignite the industry’s Discover Boating program in 2011. The award, given annually, is presented to a media organization that does the most to further the interests of the boating industry.

“With the re-launch of Discover Boating’s marketing efforts not even a year old, the statistics that earned Olson this award are impressive,” says Joe Lewis, MRAA Board and Executive Committee Member and Chairman of Grow Boating. “‘Welcome to the Water’ has proven to be a wonderful message that captures the essence of what boating is all about—an inviting experience. It has allowed us to create a powerful movement that’s given us a solid foundation to build on for the 2012 campaign and beyond.”

One of the most successful elements of the campaign has been its ability to engage with consumers wherever they are—on their computer, tablet, mobile phone, at a dealer or boat show—inviting them to experience the water at DiscoverBoating.com and creating an immediate connection to the boating lifestyle. As a result, in 2011 alone, the campaign generated a 46-percent increase in visits to DiscoverBoating.com, a five-percent increase in prospects and a 30-percent increase in hot leads and site referrals.

Olson also brought Discover Boating to even more consumers by creating a new mobile platform, allowing people to access the site on-the-go on their smartphones and tablets. In just five months, from June to October of 2011, more than 45,000 people visited DiscoverBoating.com from their mobile devices. In addition, Olson achieved a 67-percent engagement rate through mobile advertising, which is three and a half times the industry standard.

“We’re thrilled about the response to the ‘Welcome to the Water’ campaign,” says Olson representative Julie Hagemann, associate account director at Olson. “The industry has been very supportive, which has helped us reach and exceed our goals. We’re already working on the expansion of the campaign in 2012.”

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
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 Olson
Olson is one of the top 10 independent, full-service agencies in North America. The more than 400-person-strong agency is dedicated to building and activating brand communities by combining insight, ingenuity and accountability. For more information, visit www.oco.com, join us at facebook.com/Olsonagency and follow us on Twitter @Olsonagency.

MRAA presents Irv Rosenthal Award to Lofgren


BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas recognized past MRAA Chairman Ed Lofgren of 3A Marine Service, Inc., with the prestigious Irv Rosenthal Award.

The Irv Rosenthal Award is presented annually to an individual who has contributed significantly through the years to the work of the MRAA. Mr. Rosenthal was the owner of Transfer Monogram, a supplier company that was instrumental in the formation and early success of the MRAA.

Lofgren himself has been intricately involved in the success of the MRAA. He served as chairman of the board for the association for 2009 and 2010 and is a long-standing Patron Member of the association.

“Ed has dedicated many years to MRAA, serving in every elected director and officer position, and he certainly exemplifies the same spirit and fervor that Irv Rosenthal had,” says Phil Keeter, President of MRAA. “The 2009 and 2010 model years were certainly two of the most difficult years our industry has ever seen, and during that time, Ed’s leadership of MRAA remained focused and strong. This is an honor he richly deserves.”

During his time as a board member and chairman, Lofgren helped with the formation of the MRAA’s Young Leaders Advisory Council, a group of next-generation leaders who are serving as the building blocks for the future of the association. He also helped to orchestrate and finalize a deal with Boating Industry magazine to partner with the association and co-produce the MRAA’s annual convention, the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. This agreement led to significant growth for the annual convention over the last few years. Additionally Lofgren has been the president of the MRAA Educational Foundation for a number of years, which provides resources on an annual basis for the education and training for members of our industry.

“Irv labored long and hard to establish a strong foundation for an organization to represent the nation’s retailers,” Lofgren said. “It is a great honor to be recognized with this award and to be thus associated with his work.”

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
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 presents Bill Ferguson, Legislative Awards

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas presented its annual Bill Ferguson and Legislative Awards at last month’s Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in Orlando.

The Bill Ferguson award is named in recognition of the MRAA’s first Executive Director. While serving as the Executive Director of the Boating Trades Association of Metropolitan Houston, Ferguson was “loaned” to the MRAA and was paid a salary of $1 per year. The loan underscored BTAMH’s intense desire to help form a national dealer association. MRAA created the Bill Ferguson Award to recognize local, state or regional association that does the most to support its membership.

The Bill Ferguson Award was presented to the BTA of Metropolitan Houston for its support of its members, particularly through the lobbying and ultimate passing of Texas House Bill 1960, which outlines agreements between dealers and manufacturers operating in the state of Texas. Additionally, the Legislative Award, which is presented annually to an elected official who works to further the interests of the boating industry, was awarded to Texas Senator Mike Jackson, a Republican, and Texas Representative Joe Deshotel, a Democrat.

“From its early days when Bill Ferguson served its members, on through until today, BTAMH has been a leader when it comes to furthering the interests of regional association members,” says MRAA President Phil Keeter. “These awards simply underscore the accomplishments that this group realized over the past year.”

“We’re honored to be recognized with this award,” says Ken Lovell, executive director of BTAMH. “Our ability to work toward our members’ needs and have such a milestone accomplishment is a testament to the work that our members and our lobbyist, Jon Kuhl, have put into these legislative issues, along with the work of Sen. Jackson and Rep. DesHotel”

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

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 honors Keeter with renaming of Hall of Fame Award

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas honored association president Phil Keeter with its Retailing Hall of Fame Award at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in Orlando.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, during Keeter’s retirement dinner, the association announced that it was changing the name of its Retailing Hall of Fame award to the Phil Keeter Retailing Hall of Fame Award. And Keeter was announced as the first recipient of that award.

“To have this award named after me is one of the highest honors I have ever received,” said Phil Keeter, who officially retires as MRAA president at the end of the year. “To be named the first recipient is simply icing on the cake.”

Keeter was one of the 12 founding members of the MRAA in 1972, and he served on the MRAA board of directors until 1982. He then became the association’s first president in 1988. He has dedicated the last 23 years to leading the association, and he is retiring at the end of the year.

“Honoring Phil with the renaming of this award is really the least we can do to recognize the commitment he has shown marine retailers over his career,” says Matt Gruhn, incoming president of the MRAA. “It’s rare to find someone who dedicates so much of their life to one industry, and it’s really an honor to recognize everything Phil has accomplished over his career by renaming this award and carrying on his legacy by presenting it to others who work to further the interests of marine retailing.”

About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

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.

Industry concludes unprecedented summit

Leaders from Every Segment in Recreational Boating Gather for Unprecedented Stakeholder Growth Summit, Agree to Work Together to Grow Industry
 
CHICAGO — On Tuesday and Wednesday, December 13-14, leaders from every segment across the entire recreational boating community, including the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and a number of its board members, gathered in Chicago, Ill., to address how to grow the industry during a first-of-its-kind Recreational Boating Stakeholder Growth Summit.
 
The Summit was hosted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and attended by nearly 160 executives and leaders from all industry segments including: bankers, big box retailers, consumer organizations, dealers, distributors, insurance companies, boat, engine and accessory manufacturers, marinas, boat yards, trade associations,  publishers,  yacht brokers,  marine representatives, and government groups. It was the largest and most diverse all-industry discussion  ever for the recreational boating industry. The Summit was facilitated by the Consensus Center from the Florida State University.
 
Opening the Summit was a presentation on “Trends in U.S. Recreational Boating” from Thom Dammrich, president of NMMA, followed by a presentation on “Changing U.S. Demographics and the Boating Industry,” from Steve Murdock, Ph.D., professor of sociology at Rice University and former director of the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Both presentations helped shed light on the dramatic economic and socioeconomic shifts taking place in the U.S. that impact, or will impact, recreational boating growth.
 
“I think a lot of participants were shocked at some of the missed opportunities, industry trends, and overall need for our industry to adjust to the changing population in the U.S.,” noted Dammrich. “The Summit opened a lot of eyes and created a sense of urgency throughout all industry segments to put something in motion to build recreational boating that we can all work toward.”
 
Prior to attending the Summit, participants completed an extensive survey, answering questions and providing information to help the facilitators create a foundation that the group worked from to begin the all-industry dialogue. Out of the survey came four “vision statements” for the industry to work against during the Summit, including visions for our industry in 2021: “Unified Industry Cross Sector Collaboration Brings Results — Boating Now the Preferred Recreational Choice,” “Boating Participation Soars — New Generation, Highly Diverse, Family Friendly Lifestyle and Consumer Friendly,” “Expanded Access to the Water and the Lifestyle Has Been Achieved,” and “Smarter and Fewer Regulations and Better Boating Education Results in Safe, Affordable and Enjoyable Boating.”
 
Over the course of two days, topics addressing each Vision included, but weren’t limited to: existing and future demographics of the boating consumer, marketing and communication strategies, the boating experience, innovation and technology, industry collaboration, and legislation and regulation. Summit participants offered initial thinking and joint action priorities that will be addressed as a group in the coming months. As a result of the Summit, a universal recognition developed among all participants that all segments of the industry have a role and an important stake in  working together to develop approaches to grow the recreational boating industry.
 
“It’s critical that we work as an industry to move forward and grow boating,” says Dammrich. “Everyone must be involved. If you have a stake in the future growth of boating, you need to be part of this conversation if we’re going to make a change and create a better future for our industry.”
 
Throughout the next six weeks, the facilitators from the Consensus Center will compile a report of action items and focus areas agreed upon by Summit participants that will act as a blueprint for the industry to work against.
 
All members of the industry are encouraged to view the presentations given during the Summit, which include: “The Landscape of Recreational Boating in the United States (Trends)” from Dammrich; Changing U.S. Demographics and The Boating Industry” from Dr. Murdock; “Learning from Successful Initiatives: Industry Collaboration for Growth Case Study — ‘Discover Boating Campaign'” also given by Dammrich; and “the Discover Boating Campaign Results and Initiatives from 2011” from Carl Blackwell, president of Grow Boating, Inc.
 
All presentations as well as the Summit’s survey results can be found here: http://consensus.fsu.edu/Boat-Summit/index.html