MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 30 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) announces a new accommodation, the Priority One Relaxation Station, for attending dealers at MRAA’s annual Dealer Week Conference & Expo, Dec. 4-7, in Tampa, Fla.
To provide Dealer Week attendees with rest and relaxation amidst a busy week, MRAA Partner Member and Dealer Week Exhibitor Priority One Financial Services will sponsor a Relaxation Station for three days, Dec. 5-7. Featuring a spa-like atmosphere, guests may visit the Relaxation station for a 15-minute massage, via massage therapist or massage chair, for a refreshing reset during boating’s only event focused on dealer growth. Guests will also enjoy fresh fruit, key lime desert and spa water and have an opportunity to charge their phones
“Dealer Week provides attending dealership personnel with expert-led insights, successful best practices and networking opportunities galore,” said Allison Gruhn, Vice President of Business Planning, “but it’s also a venue and event to celebrate another great year being within in the marine industry. The Relaxation Station is a way to let dealers kick their feet up and subdue their concerns, even if just for a few minutes. Priority One is rewarding them for their hard work in 2023 and a relaxed mindset for the year ahead!”
Find the Relaxation Station just inside the Dealer Week Expo Hall entrance, directly to the right.
Reserve your spot todayfor the Priority One Financial Services Relaxation Station — where rest and relaxation meet recreation — at Dealer Week 2023.
About Priority One Financial Services Founded in 1987, Priority One Financial Services, Inc. offers flexible, business-ready finance and insurance solutions for marine, RV, trailer, powersports and equipment dealers. A division of Forest River, a Berkshire Hathaway company, Priority One’s knowledgeable team brings full-service financing to every customer, helping dealers improve business and move inventory.
Headquartered in Saint Petersburg, Florida, the company also owns and operates Priority One Equipment Finance and Veritas Insurance Group. A Tampa Bay Best Place to Work (2023), One Tampa Bay honoree (2019) and Business of Pride honoree (2017), Priority One values its diverse community of employees, customers, dealers and the surrounding Tampa Bay neighborhood. For more, visit p1fs.com.
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 retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
• DiscoverBoating.com offers year-round content that helps boaters discover helpful tips and resources relevant to the current boating season.
Discover Boating published timely articles in October highlighting the unexpected joys of boating during the fall and expert advice on preparing for the off-season as many boaters seek information on winterizing their boats.
Discover Boating encourages dealers and other Industry stakeholders to share these articles — and other from the extensive Discover Boating articles and resources library — with customers via social, e-newsletters and other communication channels.
Need more content? To customize your own articles or to enrich your newsletter, don’t forget to utilize the B2B.DiscoverBoating.com/ site for videos, images and other data and content.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces that Boatzon has joined the MRAA at the Platinum Partner Membership level.
Through Platinum Partner Membership, Boatzon supports the MRAA, its programs and the opportunities the association provides the dealer body in an effort to fuel the success of the industry. Commitments from Platinum Partners like Boatzon allows for the expansion of MRAA’s offerings and creates a positive, long-term impact for its members.
“We are excited to partner with the MRAA and be part of an association that aligns with our vision bringing cutting-edge technology to boaters and dealers in our industry,” says Wade Lucas VP of Sales, “We are proud supporters of the MRAA and look forward to the continued partnership.”
Boatzon, headquartered in Hollywood, Fla. is the first 100-percent online boat and marine digital retailer. Boatzon is one of the leading digital retailing marine platforms, partnering with more than 1,500 marine dealerships and showcasing over 70,000 boats. Boatzon meets the desire of boat buyers to complete more steps of a boat purchase online while providing dealers with the benefits of expanded digital sales capabilities and market reach. The growing appetite for digital retailing or online shopping for boat buyers is a growing market, allowing boat buyers to handle more of the boat buying process online.
Boatzon provides the time-saving steps and flexibility to customize their boat shopping experience and complete more steps of the purchase online. This process includes real-time prequalification and finance offers, real-time insurance quotes, real-time protection plan quotes, trade-in estimates and even purchasing a boat from start to finish on Boatzon.com and a dealership website.
“Boatzon’s commitment to embracing the digital era and simplifying the purchase journey resonates with our mission to drive the success of the marine industry,” says Allison Gruhn, MRAA VP of Business Development. “We’re excited to welcome Boatzon into our growing network of Platinum Partner Members.”
About Boatzon Boatzon is the leading retail and online digital marketplace that allows customers to purchase thousands of new and pre-owned boats from the comfort of their home. Boatzon.com showcases one of the nation’s largest inventories of new and used boats for sale. Boatzon’s website lets people search, research, and buy a new or used boat entirely online and on their own time. The boat buying experience with Boatzon is fully digital and the site provides financing, insurance, protection plans, and products buyers need to make a confident purchase. For more information, visit: https://boatzon.com/ or call 1-833-262-8966.
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 retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
• Manufacturer features Enriched Leads Program on website
Elite Funding Technologies, a division of Elite Recreational Finance created The Enriched Lead Technology with a manufacturer’s customers and dealers in mind. Bentley Pontoons will now feature the Enriched Leads Program on their website providing customers with the ability to get prequalified and provide their dealers with lead details and retargeted marketing campaigns.
The partnership between Elite Recreational Finance and Bentley Pontoons came about due to their mutual connection to Northpoint Commercial Finance who partners with both organizations in the floorplan industry. Elite partnered with Northpoint Commercial Finance in 2022 to launch industry leading retail programs for their shared dealers. This technology that Elite has brought to the table is the next evolution in their go-to-market strategy with Northpoint.
“Our team works closely with Elite and our OEM partners such as Bentley to deliver state of the art products to enhance the customer experience and drive growth through technology and data driven metrics,” said Russell Baqir, SVP of Business Development at Northpoint. “We are excited about this launch and look forward to working with Bentley and Elite to drive sales and customer satisfaction on products and service.”
The Digital Enriched Lead process is used when a customer finds a boat or completes their boat build on the Bentley website to obtain a pre-qualification without having to enter their Social Security Number. The data passes through Elite Management System as a soft pull with no impact on the individuals credit score or inquiry on their bureau. The Lead Process model then considers the price of the boat and delivers the key metrics that marine lenders look at, not just the credit score. An authorized Bentley dealer within that area will receive an HTML email showing them the details of the key metrics along with a color-coded score to know which customers qualify, which will need some work, or may qualify for a lower purchase price.
“This technology will allow us to help customers in their buying journey to better know what they may qualify for and provide our dealers with a very clear credit profile of the customer and likelihood of an approval based off of actual lender programs,” said Ryan Marcott of Bentley Pontoons. “A common challenge that all dealers face is segmenting which leads are likely to close on a selected model and which ones are going to take more work.
“We’ve seen Pre-Qualification technologies in other industries and wanted to provide our dealers a best in class solution with real insight into what is driving that score as well as follow up campaigns so if a customer is still shopping, we are keeping them on the Bentley brand,” added Marcott.
“We worked closely with Ryan and his team to give their dealers an accurate picture of the customer’s credit based on criteria set by marine lenders,” said Jimmy Delegro, President of Elite. “Once the customer chooses the option ‘Get Prequalified’ or ‘Contact Us,’ they immediately receive a response with the details of the Bentley dealership that is located closest to them. In addition to that, the dealer receives a detailed lead with the customer info and the customer is funneled into a retargeting campaign to ensure that the Bentley Pontoons brand remains forefront in the customer mind.”
Elite works with most of the industries lenders, if a dealer is having difficulty getting the customer approved through their channels, Elite can step in and assist the dealer in getting the unit approved and delivered.
“My team and I have been doing F&I in the marine and RV industries for over 20 years each,” said Delegro. “We built our program using our years of experience as recreational finance professionals. All the metrics we programmed into the Enriched Lead are actual metrics lenders look at.”
Bentley Pontoons, Northpoint Commercial Finance and Elite Recreational Finance will be at Dealer Week 2023, Dec. 4-7 in Tampa.
About Bentley Pontoons Bentley offers two-tube and triple-tube models from 16’ to 25’ ranging from $25,000 to $110,000. Bentley offers its products through traditional Marine Retail Dealerships throughout Canada and the USA. For more information, go to: www.bentleypontoons.com.
About Elite Recreational Finance Elite is a full spectrum F&I Services Provider. ELITE RECREATIONAL FINANCE provides full service F&I for dealers, direct lending for buyers and sellers as well as cutting edge technology to streamline the finance process for manufacturers, dealers and buyers. www.eliterfs.com.
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 28, 2023 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager, was appointed to the National Safe Boating Council’s (NSBC) Board of Directors.
Founded in 1958, the NSBC serves as a national catalyst for developing a safe boating culture by providing education, programming and training for industry partners and the boating community to influence safe, secure and responsible boating. Tokowicz was appointed as an at-large Board member by the current NSBC Chair, Alan Dennison of the BoatUS Foundation, to provide a retail perspective and ensure that boating safety tenets permeate the recreational boating industry.
Chad Tokowicz
“It is an honor and a privilege to be appointed as a member-at-large on the National Safe Boating Council Board of Directors,” said Tokowicz. “The mission of the NSBC is critical to the continued growth and success of the recreational boating industry. I look forward to working with the Board on the implementation of the strategic plan, while finding opportunities to get MRAA members and marine retailers further engaged with recreational boating safety.”
The NSBC is currently focused on empowering partners and influencing programming and recreational boaters to ensure there is a consistent and unified message regarding safe boating practices throughout the industry. The NSBC Board and staff will be focused on implementing the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, which supports the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Recreational Boating Safety Program in their mission to ensure the public has a safe, secure and enjoyable recreational boating experience.
“The addition of MRAA to the NSBC Board of Directors will further amplify our safe boating message. This strategic alliance is a vital link in developing a dialogue with the MRAA membership and partners,” said Dennison.
This relationship between the MRAA and the NSBC marks a new chapter in MRAA’s ongoing pursuit of recreational boating safety. MRAA will continue to work with its members to prioritize safety best practices and ultimately create a safer overall boating environment. If you are interested in sharing the message of safe boating with your customers, reach out to Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager, at Chad@mraa.com today.
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 retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
MINNEAPOLIS and ANNAPOLIS, Nov. 27 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) and the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) have announced the all-new Service Management Certification program, which they partnered to develop. Staff from both organizations will be on hand December 4-7, at MRAA’s Dealer Week in Tampa, to celebrate the launch of the program, which represents a significant advancement in marine service management. For a sneak peek of what it offers, consider registering to attend the Service Management Special Event at Dealer Week, Monday, Dec. 4.
This robust program, which includes an 11-course online training program with downloadable workbook, a printed study guide, and a proctored exam, was created under the guidance of experienced service managers. Those professionals, including dealership and boatyard service managers and boat engine manufacturers, guided MRAA and ABYC’s curriculum development to address the many common pain points that service management faces, including workforce challenges, customer communication breakdowns, and efficiency and profitability killers.
“Our dealer members as well as our manufacturer partners have told us specifically that a credentialing program customized for service management would deliver a powerful resource for helping drive higher levels of effectiveness and customer service in dealership service departments,” explains Liz Walz, MRAA Vice President of Education. “The launch of this education program answers those needs, particularly given today’s climate of change and uncertainty. The training, tools and resources this Service Management Certification Program offers will boost service performance and increase stability and profitability for the dealership as a whole.”
The certification program, tailored for marine service professionals, was built to serve business owners, operations directors, service managers, shop foremen, parts managers, service advisors and others involved in service management who seek to develop their skills and results.
David Broadbent
ABYC Education Director David Broadbent commented, “This partnership and the resulting certification underscore our commitment to promoting industry excellence and providing professionals the tools they need for success.”
“We are grateful to have been able to tap into the expertise of so many industry leaders to develop this program,” added Walz. “Not only is the education stronger because of the collaboration between ABYC and MRAA, but we benefitted from the vast experience of a team of volunteer service management pros.”
Among those who played a key role in the program’s development is service management trainer and expert Valerie Ziebron of VRZ Consulting, who is the lead instructor for the e-learning component.
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 retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
About ABYC Since 1954, the nonprofit American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) has developed safety standards for boat design, construction, equipage, repair and maintenance. The essential global source of marine industry technical information, ABYC’s product safety standards, credentialing, education, training, and other tools help members make boating safer. For more information, visit ABYCinc.org or contact us at 410-990-4460.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces that Sea Fox Boat Company has joined the MRAA as a Platinum Partner Member.
Through Platinum Partner Membership, Sea Fox supports the MRAA, its programs and the opportunities the association provides the dealer body in an effort to fuel the success of the industry. Commitments from Platinum Partners like Sea Fox allows for the expansion of MRAA’s offerings and creates a positive, long-term impact for its members.
“As the President of Sea Fox, it is my pleasure to announce our new partnership with MRAA. At Sea Fox we believe that a solid dealer network is the foundation for us to be successful in the marine industry,” says Freddy Fenken, President of Sea Fox Boat Company. “We have elevated our product this model year with the introduction of our new logo, all-new upgraded interiors, new standard and optional features, new gelcoat colors and the addition of four new models. With our partnership with MRAA, we will be able to elevate our dealer network by learning how to better support our current dealers and establishing relationships with new dealers so that we can provide the best sales and service experience to our customers.”
“Adding another solid boat manufacturer in Sea Fox Boat Company as a Platinum Partner Member helps the MRAA accomplish its mission to fuel dealer success,” says Allison Gruhn, MRAA VP of Business Development, “Sea Fox, with its rich heritage in boat manufacturing and commitment to exceptional quality, embodies the values that drive our industry forward.”
About Sea Fox Boat Company Since 1957, our family has been providing customers access to leisure on the water with the aim to produce all the amenities boaters could possibly need so they can leave their worries at the dock and escape like a fox. To learn more, visitwww.seafoxboats.com/.
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 retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
The long-awaited final North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule will likely not be finalized by the end of 2023, according to Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator of Fisheries at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This rule, which proposes to put in place a 10-knot speed limit on all vessels 35 feet or larger from November through May, was expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
The proposed rule was first introduced in August 2022. During the public comment period, which was only open for 90 days, more than 90,000 comments were submitted. NOAA is required to go through each of these comments and use them to inform its final agency action on the proposed rule. Additionally, since the introduction of the proposed rule, the recreational boating and fishing community has worked tirelessly to educate elected officials and others of the economic harm the proposed rule would have on our industry, small businesses and coastal communities alike.
Our outreach, combined with the tens of thousands comments, may be adding to the delay as the agency works to finalize a rule that maintains access for recreational vessels and provides Right whale protection and conservation — the end goal the recreational boating industry has prioritized since the start.
Currently, the MRAA and a large coalition of partners in the recreational boating and fishing industry continues to push back against these proposed regulations while also educating members of Congress and other elected officials about the potential impact. The coalition supports current legislation to pause implementation of the final rule until near and real-time monitoring technology is deployed and its effectiveness is evaluated and shared with Congress.
Additionally, MRAA and others will participate, March 5-7, 2024, in the North Atlantic Right Whale Strike Risk Reduction Technology Workshop, hosted by NOAA. The workshop will explore and promote new technologies to reduce the risk of vessel strikes as NOAA pursues innovative tools and management practices to offer mariners additional options for reducing lethal collision with whales.
The MRAA will continue to keep you updated on this proposal as it moves through the regulatory process. If you have questions, please reach out to me at Chad@mraa.com.
Financial planning and budgeting for marine dealership owners is often viewed as an annual exercise. In the industry’s current environment, uncertainty in prices, spending, and rates might demand more adaptable strategies to ensure financial stability. Dealerships reexamining their plans for the year ahead might benefit by shifting to a more flexible approach.
This article highlights strategies our team has seen dealerships follow to improve financial planning efforts, enhance the accuracy of financial data, understand market and consumer trends, and plan for the unknown.
Embrace Dynamic Financial Planning Financial planning shouldn’t be a one-and-done task. Predicting what will happen in six months is impossible, so it is wise to prepare for as many outcomes as possible. One way dealerships can help accomplish this is by incorporating adaptive forecasting into their strategies using market research and scenario planning.
Many dealerships are also spending time analyzing actual reporting. Doing this can aid in monitoring performance and understanding underlying causes for variances in the budget versus actual financial transactions. Rather than focusing on this once or twice a year, dealerships are comparing these numbers on a quarterly or even monthly basis to remain on track.
Focus on Accuracy and Verification Financial statements set the foundation for effective decision making, so prioritizing their accuracy makes a difference. Errors or inconsistencies here could lead to risky choices and financial setbacks. Implementing meticulous verification processes, such as regular auditing (monthly or quarterly, for example) and enhanced internal controls, has allowed dealerships to catch issues before they become bigger problems.
Turning to technology or specialists can simplify this task. There might be opportunities to invest in new financial software or consult with an outside firm to further ensure financial statements are accurate and detailed enough to meet business needs. Reducing staff time spent on data entry or balance sheet reconciliation is another benefit of these options.
Factor in Liquidity and Inventory Needs Lenders assessing dealerships consider many factors beyond statement trends. These entities determine the health of the business by reviewing cash flow leverage, EBITDA, gross margin, inventory turn, and the inventory age. Dealerships paying attention to these areas while refining their budgets can more easily address concerns earlier in the process.
Accurately estimating inventory needs based on historic sales and anticipated shifts in the market can help prevent overstocking or shortages. Compare the individual unit cost and profit margin with the gross profit budget. Is there enough inventory available to meet that figure? Conversely, are there concerns about over-indexing on units that might not sell? Many dealerships optimize their inventory by identifying slow-moving units or fast-selling products, then hosting discounts or promotions to keep the stock moving. Consider also watching for inventory that will become interest bearing first to focus on selling that stock first.
Cash flow needs should also be an important aspect of financial planning. With recent shifts in consumer spending and price increases it has become equally important to ensure budgets account for maintaining operations when busy seasons are slower than normal.
Conduct Market Analysis to Build Your Strategy Harnessing the power of historic sales data and trends predictions can help inform financial planning.
Below are five critical areas to research and analyze:
The state of the industry: Channels to watch include industry reports, Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) indicators, and economic forecasts.
Competitors: Dealerships are increasingly paying attention to competitors’ inventories, promotions, and marketing materials.
Market gaps and areas of opportunity: Stay prepared for new opportunities. For example, some dealers are considering investing in electric-powered boats to meet environmentally conscious consumers’ needs.
Customer spending habits and desires: Key areas include market registration reports, consumer confidence indexes, and consumer expenditure surveys.
Challenges in the industry. Knowing the pain points of the industry can help dealerships better position themselves.
Plan for the Unknown Economic volatility, rate increases, and spending habits have all impacted sales projections for marine dealerships across the country. These factors have forced owners to reanalyze their expenses and determine where they could decrease spending or reallocate funds.
One way to help mitigate losses from this type of uncertainty is to make planning for the unknown a key aspect of the financial planning process. Determine where costs could be reduced or shifted to more profitable areas within the dealership, such as innovative marketing opportunities or trade shows.
Investing in areas that drive an improved customer experience could lead to improved relationships, retention, and upselling opportunities, for example. Adopting rolling or adaptive forecasting can also help provide flexibility to meet changing market needs.
About the Author Tracy Williams, Senior Vice President, Marine Vertical Leader with Huntington Distribution Finance, has more than 25 years of experience in the marine industry. She has held roles at GE Commercial Distribution Finance, GE Money Retail Finance, and Transamerica Commercial Finance Corporation. For her contributions in 2021, Tracy was nominated as a reward recipient for the Boating Industry Magazine’s “Women Making Waves,” and received the “Bold Moves” award in 2022 for her ongoing efforts in the industry.
† Huntington Distribution Finance means either Huntington Distribution Finance, Inc. in the United States or Huntington Commercial Finance Canada, Inc. in Canada, as applicable. Huntington Distribution Finance, Inc. Is a separate legal entity which operates as a subsidiary of Huntington National Bank (HNB).
Disclosures The information provided in this document is intended solely for general informational purposes and is provided with the understanding that neither Huntington, its affiliates nor any other party is engaging in rendering financial, legal, technical or other professional advice or services, or endorsing any product or service. Any use of this information should be done only in consultation with a qualified and licensed professional who can take into account all relevant factors and desired outcomes in the context of the facts surrounding your particular circumstances. The information in this document was developed with reasonable care and attention. However, it is possible that some of the information is incomplete, incorrect, or inapplicable to particular circumstances or conditions.
NEITHER HUNTINGTON NOR ITS AFFILIATES SHALL HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES, LOSSES, COSTS OR EXPENSES (DIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR OTHERWISE) RESULTING FROM USING, RELYING ON OR ACTING UPON INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT EVEN IF HUNTINGTON AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF OR FORESEEN THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, LOSSES, COSTS OR EXPENSES.
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• NMLA to unveil a revised edition of its popular tri-fold publication at MRAA’s Dealer Week Conference and Expo in Tampa, Fla.
The NMLA, one of over 147 exhibitors featured at the annual MRAA Dealer Week Conference and Expo in early December, will officially re-launch an updated version of “More Boat Less Monthly.”
NMLA lending specialists include consumer and commercial banks, credit unions, and financial service companies. These talented lenders understand the boating business, which makes this publication a valuable tool by outlining the advantages of choosing an NMLA member when purchasing a boat.
Financing benefits include typically lower down payments, longer monthly terms, fast credit approvals, and easy ability to add options, accessories, and electronics. And because experienced marine lenders extend longer loan terms than many non-NMLA banks and credit unions, monthly payments are often lower than expected. More Boat – Less Monthly! Principally developed as a resource for consumers and boat dealerships, the publication invites all industry groups and organizations involved in promoting the recreational boating lifestyle to use this brochure in their marketing efforts.
You can download a PDF of More Boat – Less Monthlyhere. Should you wish to have your print shop create a tri-fold brochure for bulk distribution, we have created an electronic version that includes the recommended mark-ups for bleed, color, font, paper type, etc. Click here for that PDF.
This member announcement, including links to both file formats for NMLA’s More Boat – Less Monthly brochure, will soon be available on the homepage of marinelenders.org under “Latest News.”
About NMLA The mission of the National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA) is simple: Promote and improve recreational marine lending in the United States. NMLA is a 501-C non-profit organization that began operations in 1979. They exist to help members and the marine finance industry prosper through educational events, networking opportunities, industry statistics, legislative advocacy, and the promotion of credit to consumer and trade borrowers.
NMLA’s diverse membership base includes banks, credit unions, and finance companies who offer retail and inventory financing for the boating and yachting industry. Their associate members, who support the needs of lenders include maritime attorneys, USCG documentation and title companies, marine insurers, repossession and liquidation businesses, marine technology providers, trade associations, and consultants.
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