MRAA Member, Clark Marine, Featured in Department of Commerce Job Quality Toolkit

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 24 — Clark Marine, a Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Member, Certified Dealer and multi-year winner of the Great Dealership to Work For Award is featured as a Case Study as part of the Department of Commerce’s Job Quality Toolkit Initiative. Clark Marine was featured among household names like PayPal and Genesis Healthcare, Inc. and the only business in the outdoor recreation economy featured in the report.

The Job Quality Toolkit initiative is focused on creating an actionable tool that organizations can use to improve the quality of the jobs they offer. The toolkit seeks to give employers the ability to identify and improve the drivers that are most valued by workers as this will have a significant increase on their workplace satisfaction and engagement. The Toolkit is rooted in the Department of Commerce’s Baldrige Excellence Framework which has provided a globally recognized and emulated Criteria for Performance Excellence and should allow for rapid use of the toolkit throughout a variety of industries.

“It was an honor to be featured as Case Study in the new Job Quality Toolkit,” said Rob Brown, Owner of Clark Marine. “Ever since we opened our doors nearly 65 years ago, we have been dedicated to ensuring that our employees love where they work and collaborating with our staff to make improvements where we can. We hope this Case Study can help other dealers improve their business practices to retain and attract much needed talent.”

The MRAA was invited to participate and provide input on the Toolkit by the National Skills Coalition and Business Leaders United, entities dedicated to workforce development for small- to medium-sized businesses. The feature is timely because the MRAA and its industry partners are addressing workforce efforts, as a workforce shortage exists in the marine industry that is being felt by many MRAA Members.. The MRAA’s reinvigorated focus on workforce development presents to the dealership community one of many tools it can use to turn the tides on workforce.

“The Department of Commerce deserves praise for including Clark Marine and featuring a part of the outdoor recreation industry in its new Job Quality Toolkit,” said Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager. “The MRAA, our industry partners and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable are committed to improving the outdoor recreation workforce. These industries can provide individuals with well-paying jobs, which provide work-life balance as well as a career ladder. We await our continued work with the Department of Commerce and other Agencies to bolster the workforce behind the outdoor recreation economy.”

If you have any additional questions about the Job Quality Toolkit, current MRAA workforce efforts or want to get more involved in MRAA workforce development or advocacy efforts, contact Chad Tokowicz at Chad@mraa.com; 978-569-5127.

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.

Pineapple Payments Provides Strong Support for MRAA Members

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that Pineapple Payments has pledged significant support to MRAA members, through both a membership and a new operational benefit for MRAA members.

Pineapple Payments logo

Pineapple Payments, a payments technology company now part of Fiserv, is the newest addition to the line-up of MRAA Benefit Providers. Exclusively offered to MRAA dealer members, Pineapple’s benefit will provide MRAA members the opportunity to use its payment processing integrations in their businesses. The MRAA carefully selects organizations to partner with in becoming benefit providers and only chooses organizations that will positively impact its dealer members.

“Adding an MRAA Benefit Provider that is dedicated to payment processing is a huge win for our benefits program,” says Jason Walz, MRAA Director of Programs. “We work hard to give exclusive opportunities to our dealer members, and this program not only better supports our growing list of current members but is also another reason for more dealers to join the MRAA and take advantage of these benefits.”

Pineapple Payments aims to give MRAA members verified savings and solutions to overcome costly processing fees and antiquated payments technology. The company’s mission is to create more efficiencies within the boating industry. As one of the MRAA’s newest Platinum Partner Members, Pineapple Payments provides financial support to align itself with MRAA’s mission to help dealers run stronger businesses and create a better environment for marine dealers to thrive.

“We have solutions that cover all payment needs and connect seamlessly with dealer management systems already used by marine retailers,” said Brett Fisher, Business Development Leader at Pineapple Payments. “We have always had these solutions, but we had been rowing in a boat alone. To have this partnership and trust with the MRAA now, that is how we cast a wider net and make a real impact.”

Pineapple Payments joins a growing list of Platinum Partner Members and MRAA Benefit Providers. Learn more about MRAA’s other benefit providers and take advantage of being a member of the MRAA. 

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 Pineapple Payments

Pineapple Payments is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based payments technology company that provides payment processing, proprietary technology, and omni-channel payment acceptance solutions for merchants of all shapes and sizes. Its core payment platform, Transax, and suite of value-added payments tools are distributed by resellers nationwide, including some of the largest payment processing companies and Independent Sales Organizations. Pineapple Payments offers both API based and out-of-the-box solutions. For more information, visit pineapplepayments.com.

Tigé Boats Recommits to MRAA as Platinum Partner

MINNEAPOLIS  — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced that Tigé Boats, Inc. has recommitted to MRAA membership as a Platinum Partner.   

Through Platinum Partner Membership, Tigé Boats aligns its brands with the programs and opportunities that MRAA works to provide the dealer body in an effort to fuel the success of the industry. The support the MRAA receives from Platinum Partners like Tigé Boats allows for the expansion of MRAA’s offerings and creates a positive, long-term impact for its members.

Tigé Boats
Tigé Boats

Tigé Boats, founded by Charlie Pigeon 31 years ago, has continued to innovate and refine the art and craft of boat building. Headquartered in Abilene, Texas, Tigé Boats aims to provide recreational boaters with a more unique experience on the water, and has introduced award-winning boats and transformative wake-shaping technology. Tige Boats large array of product innovations includes the patented Convex V Hull, TAPS3T, Alpha E3+ Tower with SolidShade, and the GO System. In 2019, Tige also introduced a sister brand, ATX Surf Boats, that has quickly made impact to the industry through its product positioning and inviting culture.

“We’re grateful that Tigé Boats continues to support our efforts to raise the bar for industry dealers, by maintaining its membership as a Platinum Partner with the MRAA, as well as their additional support in playing a key role as an exhibitor at Dealer Week 2022 this December, in Austin, Texas,” said Allison Gruhn, Director of Business Development. “Our Platinum Partner Members help us continue our pledge to support the marine industry and dealers in their pursuit of success by supplying beneficial resources and educational tools.”

About Tigé Boats, Inc.

Tigé Boats, Inc. is a world-renowned innovator, designer and manufacturer of high-performance inboard boats. Celebrating their 30th anniversary, Tigé has cultivated its iconic brand image through their industry-leading innovation, luxurious diamond-stitched interiors, and multisport versatility. From their world-class manufacturing facility and across the 2022 product line, Tigé’s consistent design-driven mentality has refined the marketplace while forever intensifying the love for wakesurfing, wakeboarding and waterskiing. Experience the 2022 Tigé and ATX lineups now at TIGE.COM / ATXBOATS.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.

Dealer Week 2022 Education Lineup Released

MINNEAPOLIS, August 19 — As boat dealers continue to adjust to the post-pandemic marketplace and create their plans for the year ahead, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has introduced a powerful Dealer Week educational lineup that aims to help them accomplish that very task.

MRAA's Dealer Week 2022 Education Lineup

Bolstered by more than 20 training and educational sessions, Dealer Week, the MRAA’s annual conference and expo, is the marine industry’s only event focused on aiding dealer success. The courses and educational deliveries are the cornerstone of Dealer Week, and the entire event is constructed around the delivery of ideas, insights, strategies and best practices to help dealers strengthen their business.

Organized into three separate pathways:

The Dealer Week educational lineup helps dealers concentrate on the topics that matter most to them. It also helps them prioritize which staff members should consume which content.

“Our goal with Dealer Week’s courses is not to just use talking heads to deliver a message,” explains Liz Walz, MRAA’s Vice President of Education. “Our goal is to give dealers a direct path to implementing the ideas, insights and inspiration they collect at the event when they return to their dealerships. Without that implementation, we don’t fulfill our mission.”

The Dealer Week Sales and Marketing Pathway will be led by Marcus Sheridan, a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, known for his unique ability to excite, engage and motivate a live audience with his simple-yet-powerful transformational business approach. Dubbed as one of Forbes’ magazines 20 “Speakers You Don’t Want to Miss,” Sheridan will kick off the pathway with a session titled, “7 Selling Strategies Your Dealership Will Need in 2023.”

His course will be followed by others, such as:

The Dealer Week educational sessions within each Pathway run concurrently, and each pathway will add another session — a Panel Discussion with industry dealers will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7 — to the lists of courses found here. Event attendees can select specific sessions they want to attend, sticking within one pathway or bouncing between pathways in order to enjoy the session and topics they determine will have the biggest impact for their business.

Sam Dantzler Wheelhouse College, Garage Composites, Dealer Week Speaker and Leadership Pathway Host
Sam Dantzler will host the Leadership Pathway at MRAA’s Dealer Week 2022 Conference & Expo December 5-8, in Austin, Texas.

Dealer Week favorite Sam Dantzler, a speaker driven by adventure, immersive interactions and continuing education, will host the Leadership Pathway, helping to initiate conversations and connect the sessions to one another for a deeper learning experience. Dantzler, the Owner of Wheelhouse College and President of Garage Composites, is known for his “seize the day” personality, winner’s mentality and devotion to dealerships of all sizes. In Texas, he will help anchor the Pathway with his session titled “Prepare Your Dealership for the Disruption Ahead.”

Other topics in this Pathway will include:

Jim Million, aka the facilitator’s facilitator and trainer extraordinaire, will host the Service & Parts Pathway helping dealers understand how they install and implement key processes within their service and parts departments to improve operations and achieve their goals. Owner of Million Learning, Jim has been involved within the automotive industry in multiple roles, from salesperson to developer to speaker. His diverse background and familiarity with dealership procedures makes him an invaluable professor of sorts within the marine industry. Millions will conclude this pathway with his session titled, “Reduce Service Dept. Pain with These Workforce Tools & Strategies.”

Other topics in this Pathway will include:

Dealer Week 2022 is held Dec. 5-8, at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Registration is open, so marine dealers have three convenient ways to join their peers at Dealer Week to learn, implement and grow their business.

  • To fully immerse yourself and your non-attending teammates in the full experience of Dealer Week, consider attending the event in person and the online event that follows. With the steeply discounted combo package, you can gain great value from learning in-person and revisiting the content anytime you’d like for up to three months after the live event.
  • The OPTIMAL CHOICE is to join the MRAA in Austin, the live music capital of the world, where you gain direct access to speakers, exhibitors and other dealers to maximize your learning and experience an array of additional events, including MRAA’s 50th anniversary celebration.
  • MRAA will also hold Dealer Week Online, allowing you to watch 15 expert-led courses at home or in your dealership starting in December, for those who cannot attend the Texas conference.

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 Dealer Week

For 50 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world-class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week exists to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. The MRAA envisions a brighter future for marine retail, and Dealer Week is the preeminent means for bringing that vision to life. Learn more at DealerWeek.com.

Boating Business: Expectations vs. Reality

Halftime Review of 2022; Dealers’ Second-Half Outlook

It’s easy to feel beat up and exhausted, especially when faced with long, hot summer work days with uncontrollable influences putting chinks in your amor! Throw in the inescapable change that keeps peeping around the corner, and it’s no wonder operating a dealership can be as challenging as it is rewarding.

Here’s an example: “It seems negative consumer reaction to the tremendous increase in boat prices is starting to have an effect. Our customers are in total shock about new boat prices. The manufactures we represent have raised prices over 35 percent in three years! We are heading to major recession I am afraid.” — Anonymous marine dealer response.

While some may describe this quote as a “The sky is falling” outlook and mindset, one has to listen earnestly to understand not all dealers are experiencing the exact same things, nor are they set up to harvest the same level of success or take the same approach to managing these challenges and their customers’ demands.

That’s why in the July Pulse Report — a monthly look into the health of the marine retail and industry trends with Baird Research & “Trade Only” — the goal was to call a timeout to gain some perspective from you! After all, July is month seven in the 12-month calendar, so it made sense to do a halftime review, find out what’s working, or not working. Here’s a highlight of some responses on each.

Working:
• “Manufacturers who are able to deliver what they say when they say are winning.”
• “Web based marketing continues to provide solid leads for follow up. Web page generating solid leads.”
• “Service is performing at an all-time high and we are still four weeks out.”
• “Pontoons.”
• “Taking time with the customer. Getting back to a slower, personalized, relationship-based sales approach.”
• “We strive for high CSI and customer service above what customers expect. That is paying off on us and we are doing very well.”

Not Working:
• “Unrealistic pricing.”
• “Supply.”
• “Lack of qualified and willing applicants makes it impossible to fill open positions.”
• “If staffing issues can be resolved, we could increase revenue over last year. If staffing stays the same, we will continue to have more demand than we can satisfy.”
• “Aluminum fishing, fish-n-ski, used aluminum fish.”
• “Gas prices aren’t working, interest rates aren’t working, inflation isn’t working, this administration isn’t working. The legislative branch, both sides, isn’t working. That should about sum it all up.”

Dealers also contributed their in-the-trenches feedback to the question: “How did the first half of 2022 compare to your budget and expectations?” Nearly two thirds of responding dealers reported that the first half met their expectations or exceeded them. However, 36 percent indicated the first six months of 2022 were below expectations. (See chart)

“We still have significant backlog from pre-sold units that will deliver in the second half that will impact our budget, but the new activity will be more challenging moving forward.”

Some dealers also shared openly about their wins, struggles and concerns moving forward through ’22 and into 2023, when responding to our request for their outlook for the second half of the year. The marine retailer sentiment index actually saw a slight uptick in June, but didn’t raise above the 50 percent neutral line, hinting that opinions and view for the near future and 3-to-5-year outlook remain negative. Retail demand factors (weather, access to credit, OEM promotions, government action/inaction, et al.) all continued their negative trend as well.

Dealers responses also showcased an ongoing concern moving forward, with inflation taking hold and the disposable income diminishing. “The glory days of COVID and unrelenting demand are now over. We started noticing demand dropping about 120 days ago and, sure enough, we are back to normal business.”

One dealer painted a clearer picture that this is simply the cycle of the boat business. They predict the market will have less buyers and therefore less demand as supply rebounds and grows. This, they add, will impact pricing and margins and rather naturally “weed out” dealers unprepared for a slowdown. To learn more about the changes in the boating customer, be sure to read the Kevin William’s (NMMA) guest blog here. 

Despite the somewhat negative or authentic viewpoints from some dealers who point to continued marketplace uncertainty, some of them remain optimistic and carry a positive mindset in the latter portion of the year.

“Expect continued demand for new and used boats, but perhaps not at the rate we’ve seen over the past two years. We will remain busy delivering boats that are retail sold but not to the dealership yet. Continued parts shortages and lack of engine availability are keeping the pace from going any faster than it currently is. Overall, business levels may not be as strong as last year but still very respectable all things considered.”

If you’re team is unsure about your second half or wants to give your dealership a mid-season check up, be sure to download this resource: MRAA Guide – Dealership Owners: “Time for a Mid-Season Checkup”

Regal Boats Becomes an MRAA Education Champion

MINNEAPOLIS – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced that Regal Boats committed to continuing its support of MRAA’s world-class educational programming by partnering as an Education Champion member.


Regal Boats, founded by Paul and Carol Kuck, has been dedicated to innovation ever since its inception in 1969. As an Education Champion, Regal directly supports MRAA’s educational programming, which is provided to dealers in an effort to generate a more innovative and successful industry. Regal Boats has been a long-time supporter of the MRAA and now shows its commitment at MRAA’s second-highest level of Partner Membership.

“We committed to becoming an MRAA Education Champion because we know how impactful MRAA’s educational programming and resources are for our dealers,” said Jake Kuck, VP of North American Sales and Marketing of Regal Boats, “Because of these resources, our dealers are better prepared for the future and are set up to be the best dealerships in their market place.”

Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., Regal Boats positions itself as not only being in the business of selling boats, but giving families enriched lives with deep connections through boating. Regal designs a versatile range of sport boats, Sports Activity Vessels, Express Cruises and yachts from 20’-42’. Through excellent customer service and continued innovation, Regal Boats has seen more than 50 years of success. The Kuck family and Regal leadership team continue to commit to the growth and success of the industry through alignment of their beliefs with the MRAA’s mission.

“Our Education Champions are really the backbone to our educational programming. Their support provides us the capabilities of delivering world-class education,” said Allison Gruhn, Vice President of Business Development, “We are grateful to have Regal Boats in support of our education, as it shows they align with making this industry as successful as possible.”

About Regal Boats
Regal Boats is a world leader in designing and manufacturing luxury performance boats from 20’ to 42’. Founded in 1969 by Paul and Carol Kuck, Regal operates as a privately held, debt-free, family-owned and operated company. Based in Orlando, FL, Regal distributes products through a dedicated dealer network worldwide.

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.

Barletta Pontoon Boats President Bill Fenech to Retire; Jeff Haradine Promoted to President

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minnesota – August 4, 2022 – Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO), a leading outdoor lifestyle product manufacturer, today announced the planned retirement of Bill Fenech, President, Barletta Pontoon Boats, effective August 26, 2022. Bill Fenech founded Barletta in 2017 with a focus on innovative products, superior quality and a relentless passion for customer satisfaction and quickly built the company into a significant presence in the popular pontoon boat market segment. Barletta was acquired by Winnebago Industries in August 2021, joining the family of premium RV and marine brands including Winnebago, Grand Design RV, Chris-Craft, and Newmar.

Under Fenech’s leadership and with the strong contributions of the extended team and dealer partners, Barletta Pontoon Boats has continued to grow market share and aspires to be a top three pontoon brand in the U.S. in the future. To enable further product line growth, Barletta recently announced a major capacity expansion project in Bristol, Indiana that will come online in mid-2023.

“I would like to thank Bill for his incredible insight and leadership at Barletta and his service as a valued member of the Winnebago Industries Executive Leadership Team,” said Winnebago Industries President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Happe. “Bill’s demonstrated commitment to quality, innovation, and service in addition to developing strong dealer relationships fueled Barletta to become the fastest growing pontoon boat manufacturer in the industry.”

Fenech will be succeeded by Jeff Haradine, who is being promoted to President, Barletta Pontoon Boats, from his current role as Vice President of Sales. Haradine will report to Chris West, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Operations and Barletta, who has driven successful results as the lead integration manager for Barletta’s first year under Winnebago Industries ownership. All other Barletta senior leadership team members will remain in their current roles.


Haradine has been a key member of the Barletta leadership team since the brand’s inception and has played an instrumental role in the tremendous growth of the business over the last five years. He brings nearly two decades of business and marine experience as the former president and owner of WakeSide Marine in Elkhart, IN, with previous roles in residential land development and homebuilding management

“I am extremely pleased to appoint Jeff to lead the Barletta business with the support of Barletta’s proven leadership team,” Happe stated. “Jeff has been a key contributor to Barletta’s success, having built an industry-leading sales team and dealer network from scratch, as well as playing a significant role in product development and marketing. Jeff’s demonstrated ability to lead others and his deep knowledge of the Barletta business will enable him and the Barletta leadership team to continue Barletta’s growth trajectory to be one of the industry’s top pontoon brands. Dealers and retail customers can look forward to the same unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and service they have come to expect from Barletta for years to come.”

About Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is a leading North American manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products under the Winnebago, Grand Design, Chris-Craft, Newmar and Barletta brands, which are used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company builds quality motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth-wheel products, pontoons, inboard/outboard and sterndrive powerboats, and commercial community outreach vehicles. Winnebago Industries has multiple facilities in Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Florida. The Company’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and traded under the symbol WGO. For access to Winnebago Industries’ investor relations material or to add your name to an automatic email list for Company news releases, visit http://investor.wgo.net.

MMTA Workforce Solutions Amendment Passes in the 2023 MA State Budget

Randall Lyons, MMTA Release — FOXBORO, MASSACHUSETTS — Last week Governor Baker signed the 2023 state budget, which included $150,000 in funding for workforce development and career technical education initiatives within the recreational boating industry. This funding will continue the successful initiatives and progress that the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) has made over the last five plus years to meet the workforce challenges within the industry.


The funds were introduced via Budget Amendments sponsored in the House by Representative William Straus of the 10th Bristol District and in the Senate by Senator Patrick O’Connor of the Plymouth & Norfolk District, joined in leadership by Representative Susan Gifford and Senator Paul Feeney, the four Co-Chairs of the 60-plus member Legislative Boating Caucus.

Co-Sponsors in the Senate included:
Senators DiZoglio, Gobi, Lovely, Montigny, Moran, Moore, Pacheco, Tarr, Timilty and Velis

Co-Sponsors in the House included:
Representatives Barrows, Cabral, Capano, Chan, Cutler, Elugardo, Ferguson, Fernandes, Giannino, Haddad, Haggerty, Hendricks, Jones, Jr., Kane, Kelcourse, Madaro, Meschino, Muratore, Peake, Philips, Robertson, Sabadosa, Tucker, Viera, Whelan & Xiarhos

The MMTA would like to express our appreciation to Representatives Straus and Gifford and Senators O’Connor and Feeney for their leadership on this budgetary funding. We would also like to thank the 10 co-sponsors in the Senate and the 26 co-sponsors in the House for their support for this very important amendment for the recreational boating industry in Massachusetts. As well, we would also like to thank the six members of the 2023 budget Conference Committee: Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Representative Todd Smola, Senator Michael Rodrigues, Senator Cindy Friedman, and Senator Patrick O’Connor. Last but certainly not least, thank you to Governor Baker for signing the final budget for the state and supporting workforce solutions within our industry.

The recreational boating industry in Massachusetts has an economic impact of approximately $4.4 billion dollars and employs over 20,000 men and women in the state. The industry is currently facing a substantial workforce shortage both in Massachusetts and on a national level. Here in Massachusetts, there are hundreds—if not thousands—of jobs currently available. We have the jobs & careers; we just need the people to fill them. This amendment will go a long way in continuing to help with the MMTA’s efforts on workforce solutions here in Massachusetts.

ABOUT THE MMTA
Established in 1964, the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) is the non-profit statewide, representative body for approximately 1,000 marine trades businesses in the Commonwealth that employ approximately 20,000 men and women. The mission of the Association is to further the interests of the marine trades and the boating public through the promotion of boating, participation in legislation and professional improvement programs. WWW.BOATMA.COM

Boating Market Report: Demand Continues to Move Inventory at a Record Pace

● Strong consumer demand continues to move boat inventory faster than before the pandemic
● Global average boat value is 28.9 percent higher than 2019
● Boats sold in the first half of the year total over $6 billion globally
● Average price of boats in the 26-foot range continues to rise, up 71.5 percent in the US and 140.6 percent internationally

MIAMI, Fla., August 1, 2022 — Boats Group, a global leader in online boating marketplaces, today announced findings from its latest market report, analyzing the first half of 2022 while comparing pre-pandemic trends alongside pandemic-driven growth. The rising value of boats has yet to affect consumer demand, with listed boats moving off the market faster and sales remaining higher than before the pandemic in 2019.


Consumer demand coupled with lower-than-normal inventory levels is driving these historic spikes in boat values as the global average boat price is now $182,900, an increase of 28.9 percent from 2019. This is further reflected in how quickly boats are moving off the market, selling 32 days faster than last year and 83 days faster than in 2019.

“The continuous and strong growth we’ve seen from our marketplace data is a key indicator of the overall health of the boating market,” said Courtney Chalmers, Vice President of Marketing at Boats Group. “As we compare pre-pandemic numbers to the current market conditions, we’re looking for shifts in consumer behavior that will further provide insight about what we can expect in 2023.”

Throughout the past year, budget-friendly options have become increasingly popular for buyers looking to get out on the water. Boats in the 26-foot range saw an average price increase of 71.5 percent in the U.S. and 140.6 percent internationally compared to pre-pandemic values. The overall market driver for unit sales from 2019 to 2022 were boats in the less than 35-foot segment.

“As we head into the second half of 2022, we’re closely tracking the volume of boats listed for sale. Early indicators show inventory making a comeback and becoming more consistent compared to the peaks and valleys we saw in 2020 and 2021,” said Chalmers. “This very positive trend will help boat builders, dealers and brokers to be well-positioned for the strong consumer demand that doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.”

For a comprehensive view of the boating market, visit boatsgroup.com/ne ws to download the  2022 Midyear Market Index from Boats Group. 

​

About Boats Group
Boats Group owns and operates the world’s leading online boating marketplaces, connecting the largest global audience of boat buyers with top sellers and manufacturers. Boats Group’s portfolio includes a variety of industry-leading brands like Boat Trader, YachtWorld, boats.com, iNautia, Cosas De Barcos, Botentekoop, Annonces du Bateau, Boats and Outboards, Boatshop24, Click&Boat and Trident Funding.

For nearly three decades, Boats Group has helped marine retailers sell more boats faster and convert more shoppers into buyers than any other source. Through a comprehensive suite of digital business solutions, including proprietary web-based contract management tools, and premier digital marketing strategies and services, Boats Group delivers unmatched value to its industry partners and optimizes the virtual path to boat ownership.

Owned by Permira, Boats Group is headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States, with co-headquarters in Fareham, England, and additional offices in Padova, Italy and Barcelona, Spain. For more information about Boats Group, visit www.boatsgroup.com.

MRAA Grows its Partner Members by Three in July

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced the addition of three Partner Members to its list of supporting organizations that make delivering education, resources and tools to its dealer members possible.

Marine manufacturers, suppliers and service providers that become Partner Members of the MRAA align their brands with the MRAA and the success of the North American dealer body. Because of this support, MRAA has the ability to expand its offerings and make a greater impact on dealer success.

These three new Partner Members, Radian, Unishippers – Creative Control and MDS Brand, help fuel the success of dealers in unique avenues. Radian aims to provide enterprises with the most powerful data in the marine industry. Unishippers commits to providing higher quality shipping and transportation for the marine industry. MDS Brand intends to become a resource for businesses wanting to make transitions into the digital marketplace. All three of these companies provide unique support to the industry, making it a natural progression to join the MRAA as Partner Members showing a greater level of support to dealers across the US and Canada.

·      Unishippers – Creative Control: The Shipping Company That Works For You.

·      Radian: Supply Chain Optimization, Intelligent Logistics & Asset Management Solutions.

·      MDS Brand: Digital Solutions With A Human Touch That Generate Leads.

“As the number of MRAA Partner Members continues to grow, the MRAA becomes better equipped to successfully serve our dealer members” says Allison Gruhn, Vice President of Business Development. “Each of these new Partner Members provide a unique perspective and expertise needed by many of our dealers. We’re grateful to welcome them to the MRAA family.”

Visit https://mraa.com/page/mraapartners to view the entire list of companies who actively support the MRAA across four levels of partnership.

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.