Atlantic States Vote to Reduce Atlantic Menhaden Quota by 10%, Strengthening Fisheries

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Atlantic Menhaden Management Board voted yesterday to reduce the Atlantic menhaden quota by 10 percent, establishing a quota of 194,400 metric tons for the 2021 and 2022 fishing years. Atlantic menhaden are a primary food source for numerous sportfish populations, especially striped bass.

The harvest reduction comes in response to a recent fundamental shift in Atlantic menhaden management. In August, ASMFC unanimously adopted a new ecological management system, which considers the needs of predator species and is set up to specifically help rebuild the striped bass population and fishery. Yesterday’s quota decision on menhaden is especially important to the sportfishing and boating community because it represents a follow through on the commitment by ASMFC to implement this new ecological management system.

“This important first step by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to put science-backed limits on menhaden harvests will help support the entire ecosystem of prized sportfish that our industry’s boaters and anglers count on,” said Adam Fortier-Brown, Government Relations Manager for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “While more may need to be done in the future, this significant improvement to fisheries management will allow our community to work with ASMFC to continue to reduce fishing mortality, and steward our whole marine ecosystem well into the future.”

Several recreational fishing and boating organizations recently sent a letter to ASMFC urging the adoption of a conservative coastwide total allowable catch that will help rebuild the iconic striped bass fishery.
“In order to have a high likelihood of rebuilding striped bass, the fishing mortality for striped bass and menhaden must each be maintained at their target levels,” said Mike Leonard, Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association. “Last year, ASA supported ASMFC’s decision to control fishing mortality for striped bass to its target level, and this decision sets us on the path toward achieving the needed reductions in menhaden harvest to achieve its ecosystem reference point target level.”

“The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission took an important step in curbing harmful menhaden reduction fishing, something recreational fishing and conservation groups have been working on for more than 20 years,” said Whit Fosburgh, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “It’s important to note that the commission’s own science showed that an additional cut is needed to give striped bass a 50 percent chance of meeting target goals. Therefore, additional harvest cuts will likely be needed to ensure the long-term recovery and health of striped bass and other important sportfish. The TRCP will continue to work to implement additional measures to guarantee there are enough menhaden in the Atlantic Basin to serve the critical role of forage as well as improve water quality.”

“Given the importance of menhaden to the Atlantic Coasts largest recreational fishery it is concerning that the board set upcoming quotas at levels that include more risk than sound ecological management suggests,” said David Sikorski, executive director of CCA Maryland. ”While more fish will be left in the water for predators next year, managers should be concerned over the near-failure of recruitment of striped bass that was recently reported in the Chesapeake this year, and not lose site of the vital connection that harvest levels of menhaden have to the future of striped bass.”

Dealer Week education, explained

Many dealers are registering for Dealer Week for the very first time in 2020, thank you, largely to the move to a virtual environment.

 

In addition to being delivered right onto the device of your choice, the online Dealer Week comes to you at half the normal rate and without all of the flights, hotel rooms, meals and bar tabs … not to mention preventing the biggest potential cost commitment of all — leaving your dealership for three or four days.

 

The reality is, however, that people don’t attend educational events if the courses won’t help them solve problems or pursue opportunities in their immediate future. Dealer Week was designed exactly for that purpose, and THAT is why we’re seeing an influx of new (virtual) faces attending this event.

 

Dealer Week’s educational courses are designed with your 

pain points and opportunities in mind.

 

As you look to consider attending the event, let me take a moment to explain our educational approach. At MRAA, we separate our courses into what we believe are the three pillars of any dealership’s success: 1. Dealership Operations, 2. Employees and 3. Customers. At Dealer Week, we call these Educational Pathways, and we offer you content that will help you strengthen each pillar in your business.

 

You, however, may look at the education through a different lens, perhaps through your roll, through your department, or through the biggest pains or opportunities you’re faced with at the moment. Topics like sales or service, marketing or leadership, or otherwise. And if that’s the case, let me show you how these topics and more are waiting for you at Dealer Week 2020.

 

What’s on your mind for the year ahead?

Another Record Sales Year? Try these sessions:

·Grow Your Customer Base with Facebook Ads, with Danny Decker

·Fill the Gaps in Your Sales Process, with Jim Million & Bob McCann

·Get Ahead of the Pre-Owned Opportunity, with Tony Gonzalez

 

Your Service Department? Try these sessions:

·How to Catch Up In Service, with Max Materne

·Turn Your Shop Inside Out, with Valerie Ziebron

·3 Ways to Earn Your Service Customer’s Trust, with Chris Collins

 

Digital Marketing Lead Generation? Try these sessions:

·Use Digital to Personalize the Customer Experience, with Rich DeLancey

·How to Build Your 2021 Marketing Plan, With or Without an In-Person Boat Show, with Marcus Sheridan

·Grow Your Customer Base with Facebook Ads, with Danny Decker

·How to Become a Video-First Dealership, with Marcus Sheridan

 

Customer Experience? Try these sessions:

·Shine a Light on Your Dealership’s Dark Spaces, with Sam Dantzler

·How to Navigate Difficult Customer Conversations, with John Spence

·Use Digital to Personalize the Customer Experience, with Rich Delancey

 

Your own Leadership Growth? Try these sessions:

·Move Beyond Burnout: The Search for Sustained Motivation for Yourself and Your Team, with David Spader

·How to Recruit, Work With, and Lead People Not Like You, with Kelly McDonald

·How to Thrive on the Other Side of 2020, with John Spence

·Develop Your Dealership’s Bench Strength, with The Rawls Group

 

Strengthening Your Team? Try these sessions:

·Develop Your Dealership’s Bench Strength, with The Rawls Group

·How To Recruit, Work With and Lead People Not Like You, with Kelly McDonald

·Frankly, any Dealer Week course, in a training environment, can make your team stronger…

 

What else? If you don’t see the topic that’s most on your mind among these options, shoot me a note or give me a call, and I’d be happy to walk you through the opportunities MRAA and Dealer Week have available to you.

 

If you can’t tell by reading this, our team built this educational agenda to deliver extremely timely and relevant information you can implement immediately. That’s a hallmark of MRAA and Dealer Week, and delivering that in an online environment makes it easier than ever for you to benefit from.

Certified Dealership Program Revamps Continuous Education

As rollout of the fourth year of the Continuous Certification Curriculum approaches, the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program team has taken feedback from participating dealers and worked to develop continuing education courses that are more customizable and flexible to the business needs of today’s marine dealers.

The updated program will require current Certified Dealers enrolled in Continuous Certification to complete two in-depth courses, “How to Raise Your Game as a Leader & Follower” with John Spence, and “Become a Trusted Dealership in the Eyes of Today’s Customer,” with Marcus Sheridan. These courses will be similar in composition to those offered in the 2018-2020 Continuous Certification Curriculums.

Where the 2021 program differs, is that dealers will have the opportunity to choose two additional courses in the areas of Service Efficiency and Marketing. Both topic areas offer 5-6 courses that dealers can choose from in order to customize their learning. Dealers are welcomed to watch as many sessions as they want, but only one from each topic area will be required.

“While dealers tell us they’ve appreciated the high level of education we’ve provided over the past three years with Continuous Certification, they have also expressed that they each have unique needs and would like to tailor their dealership-wide training to those needs,” said Certification Manager Liz Keener. “This revamped program will allow us to share two exclusive, high-impact courses with dealers annually, and then give dealers the flexibility to choose from a number of courses on specific topics that will best benefit their business, their employees and their customer experience.”

Additionally, dealers will have the opportunity to get a head start on the 2021 Continuous Certification Curriculum through MRAA’s 2020 annual conference, Dealer Week. Four educational sessions that will be featured as part of this year’s educational line-up will be eligible to fulfill two of the program requirements. Register for the conference here.

“The Continuous Certification program was launched in 2018 as a continuing education program in response to dealers looking for more value from Dealership Certification. While the program has been extremely successful, one of the cornerstones of this format is that we can continually adjust to dealer feedback, and the program can evolve as they evolve,” said MRAA President Matt Gruhn. “This improved program is the result of the MRAA responding to their needs but also to the needs of today’s market place with timely, relevant and impactful topics. Dealers will continue to find this program valuable as they seek solutions to their individual challenges.”

The 2021 Continuous Certification program will kick off January 1st with the course “How to Raise Your Game as a Leader and a follower,” with subject-matter expert, John Spence, and those dealers who attend Dealer Week 2020 can work ahead by attending “How to Catch-Up in Service” (for the Service Efficiency Credits) and any one of the following educational sessions (for the Marketing Credits): “How to Build Your 2021 Marketing Plan With or Without a Boat Show”; “Grow Your Customer Base with Facebook Ads in 2021”; or “Using Digital to Personalize the Customer Experience.”

Dealers who are interested in the Certification program and how it can improve their business can reach out to MRAA Director of Business Development Allison Gruhn at 763-458-8036 or allison@mraa.com.

SmokerCraft Makes Large Contribution to MRAA and Dealer Week

Smoker Craft, Inc. has made a significant donation to the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas in support of Dealer Week and educational programming for its entire dealer network.

While the Smoker Craft executive team of Doug Smoker, Peter Barrett, and Phil Smoker noted their desire to support MRAA financially with a significant donation, they also wanted to use the opportunity to expose more of the company’s dealers to MRAA’s educational programming. With this in mind, Smoker Craft and MRAA are offering dealers of the Smoker Craft, Starcraft and Sylvan brands a registration matching program, giving them the opportunity to double their registrations for Dealer Week at no additional charge.

Smoker Craft dealers who register one team member, will receive a second team member registration as part of the program, courtesy of Smoker Craft, Inc. If they register two team members, Smoker Craft will provide them with two additional complementary registrations. And the matching offer will apply no matter how many team members a Smoker Craft dealer registers.

“Dealer Week is an ideal setting for dealers to exchange ideas and learn from its fantastic educational seminars,” said Doug Smoker, President of Smoker Craft, in a video the company released. “The stronger our dealers become, the more beneficial it is for everybody. Learning about new and better ideas makes this happen, and that is what Dealer Week is all about.”

Watch the video here.

Smoker Craft, Inc., already supports MRAA at the highest level as a Strategic Partner, a partnership that includes the company in the association’s strategic planning alongside MRAA’s staff, board of directors, Young Leaders Advisory Council and other Strategic Partners. In an effort to provide greater support for MRAA’s Dealer Week and the significant shortfall it has experienced with its move online, and in a follow-up to Barletta Boats President Bill Fenech’s challenge for the industry to increase its support of MRAA during what has otherwise been a strong year for the boat industry, Smoker Craft leadership worked closely with MRAA to create a program that would support both the association and the advancement of its dealer network.

“At Smoker Craft, we understand the importance of a strong dealer body and a strong dealer association,” said Peter Barrett, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development at Smoker Craft. “We appreciate Bill and Barletta issuing this challenge, because as he suggests, we understand the critical nature of our dealers’ ability to service current and next generation of boaters. The MRAA and Dealer Week help us do this by providing the tools necessary to be better partners in their boating experience.”

Dealer Week, now online and easier for dealers to participate in than ever before, is scheduled for Dec. 8-11. For as little as $249, dealers can access nearly 30 educational sessions, a number of MRAA partner exhibits, and networking opportunities to help them prepare for the year ahead. The courses are designed to answer the most pressing questions for the 2021 market place, such as how to plan for boat shows, how to create more leads, how to strengthen your service department, how to maximize digital marketing efforts, how to enhance the customer experience and much more.

MRAA responded to Fenech’s challenge and conversations with its Strategic Partners by creating the web page MRAA.com/Support where dealers, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers alike can join or update their membership, register for Dealer Week or make a donation to the organization. As a non-profit trade association, 100 percent of all funds collected are always reinvested right back into the industry and specifically in support of dealers.

“We are so grateful to the Smoker Craft team for its generous contribution toward propping our team and the great work we do here at the MRAA,” said Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We’re thrilled to have developed this innovative approach to using their investment to expose more dealers to the opportunities they have through the educational programming at Dealer Week. We believe this will be a powerful way to help Smoker Craft provide high-quality courses on timely topics and help set their dealers up for success in the year ahead.”

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, r contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Smoker Craft Inc.
Owned and operated by the Schrock and Smoker families since 1903, Smoker Craft Inc. manufactures an extensive lineup of award-winning aluminum fishing boats, high-performance sport boats and next-generation pontoons that are sold through a global dealer network. For more information please visit the corporate website at www.thebestboatbrands.com.
 

First-Of-Its-Kind ‘Get On Board’ Campaign Makes Historic Impact on Fishing & Boating Industry

This summer, the recreational boating and fishing industry rallied together in support of a public service campaign to encourage consumers to take to the water, which yielded unparalleled results on many levels. The Get On Board campaign from Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating amplified the industry’s collective voice during a time when consumer interest in safe outdoor recreation was at an all-time high amidst COVID-19 – ultimately generating 1.8 billion impressions and more than 19 million online video views.

“We joined forces with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) to create a first-of-its-kind industry-wide effort, which uniquely positioned us to tell our story to new and existing audiences in a more impactful way,” says National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) President Frank Hugelmeyer. “During these unprecedented times, Americans were compelled to experience the restorative power and social distancing benefits that only boating and fishing can provide. This campaign helped to motivate more people to rediscover their love for the outdoors by offering safe ways to get on the water and reconnect with loved ones.”

The Get On Board integrated marketing campaign featured digital advertising, public service announcements, social media and public relations. Highlights of the campaign’s success include:

Participation Growth

  • Increase of 3 million fishing license registrations year-over-year according to RBFF.
  • Through August, new boat retail sales were up 8 percent from a year ago, marking the highest sales volume in 13 years. More than 165,000 new boats were sold in May, June and July alone, up 25 percent compared to 2019 according to NMMA.

Paid & Earned Media

  • 23,300 PSA airings equating to $3.6 million in ad value – the cost if they were paid ads (up 33 percent year-over-year).
  • 13,000 earned media placements (i.e., CNN, Washington Post, People, HuffPost and USA Today).
  • 381 million impressions from paid advertising in media outlets (up 22 percent year-over-year).

Web & Social Performance

  • 46 percent increase in Discover Boating web traffic year-over-year, especially among target audiences like women (up 59 percent) and Gen Z ages 18-24 (up 125 percent).
  • The Get On Board video was among Discover Boating’s top three most popular social posts of the summer with more than 7,000 video views and 1,900 minutes watched, driving more than 1,200 engagements (website visits, likes, shares, comments).
  • 1,600 social media posts using the campaign hashtag #TheWaterIsOpen creating a social media movement among influencers, brands, outdoor enthusiasts, anglers and boaters.
  • Social content from @TakeMeFishing and @DiscoverBoating reached 179 million impressions (up 165 percent year-over-year).

Social Influencers

  • Two million likes, comments, shares, views and clicks generated by social influencers, significantly exceeded expectations in consumer interactions.
  • Us The Duo got creative by recording videos such as an original cover of the Get On Board theme song and a date night video with safety tips, both garnering one million views in a single week.
  • Allison Anderson went on a boating adventure and encouraged her 1+ million followers to get on the water because of the benefits and accessibility boating offers.

“Aside from the fact that RBFF and NMMA saw a rise in fishing license registrations and new boat sales respectively this year, the Get On Board campaign piqued consumer interest at the right time and provided the perfect remedy to pandemic stress that triggered a flurry of positive attention around fishing and boating,” says Frank Peterson, President and CEO of RBFF. “We are thrilled to see an influx in participation and to have strategically sparked more meaningful engagements with people, which is valuable to bringing in the next generation of anglers and boaters in an organic way.”

Additionally, RBFF saw record growth in diverse audiences including an increase of more than four million Hispanic participants and nearly 18 million female participants this year compared to last year. NMMA also saw an uptick in diverse boat buyers amid the pandemic compared to the baseline – more female first-time boat buyers and repeat boat buyers (up one percentage point), more minorities (up three percentage points for repeat buyers) and younger demographics in first-time boat buyers (median age is 48 compared to 51).

“With the industry’s collaborative efforts, we were able to leverage the Get On Board assets and bring more awareness to boating and fishing than ever before,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA president. “We are proud that nearly 400 marine industry businesses got involved to support the campaign and help spread the message that boating and fishing are enjoyable ways to recreate responsibly among many Americans who were yearning for safe outdoor recreation this summer.”

CHECK OUT THE SIZZLE REEL TO VIEW CAMPAIGN RESULTS

For questions about Get On Board, please contact Take Me Fishing’s Stephanie Vatalaro at svatalaro@rbff.org or Discover Boating’s Ellen Bradley at ebradley@nmma.org.

CSI Tracking & Trending: How did you do?

 

Intent: One of the pillars of Certification is customer service. Certified Dealers need to understand how their CSI numbers are trending alongside their peers carrying the same brands and other dealers in the industry. If the numbers aren’t up to national standards, they need a plan to address and remedy this.

If you are a current Certified Dealer you received an email from Liz K. this week assigning your last 2020 Continuous Certification requirement for the year (wahoo!), the CSI Tracking & Trending requirement.

As many of you already know, CSI scores overall took a hit this year due to the rapid growth that our industry experienced. While some things (i.e. inventory shortages) were out of your control, others (i.e. buyer follow-up) were not. How did you do? Do you know how your CSI scores were affected over the course of 2020? Do you expect your new customers to continue to come back to your dealership after the initial sale?

The intention of the CSI Tracking & Trending requirement of the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program, and also, the Continuous Certification program, is to make sure that you understand and have a pulse on how your CSI numbers trend year over year. This exercise allows you to compare your numbers to yourself and your competition and create an action plan for improving your customer experience, which, in turn, will improve your CSI scores.

P.S. Shout out to the team at Russell Marine – Real Island for getting in their 2020 Tracking & Trending requirement in first this year! Yes, a few dealerships have already turned in all of their assignments for 2020 Continuous Certification, more than two months before the deadline!

Grady-White Boats Subsidizes Registrations for Dealer Week

Grady-White Boats has expanded its partnership with the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and is subsidizing the cost of its dealers’ participation in MRAA’s annual Dealer Week conference and expo.

Already a Partner Member of the MRAA, Grady-White enhanced its partnership with the MRAA in 2019 when it announced its support of MRAA’s Dealership Certification Program. The North Carolina-based boat builder encouraged its dealers to become Certified so they could take advantage of the educational programs Certification offers.

“Now, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2021,” wrote Joey Weller, Grady-White Vice President of Sales, in a letter to his dealers. “With the right insights and strategies, we can build on our successes from this year.”

Grady-White will cover the cost of Dealer Week registration for two people from each of its dealerships. “We’ve seen the Dealer Week educational line-up, and we believe that the courses offered through this event will help you create a clear game plan for your business,” Weller said in his letter. “We truly believe those programs will add value to your business.”

Dealer Week 2020 has moved online, and has become more accessible to boat dealers and their partners than ever before. With no airfare, hotel rooms, meal expenses or other associated costs, and with registration rates at less than half of their normal price, Dealer Week will offer greater return on your investment than ever before.

Participants can access exclusive webinars immediately upon registration; they are invited to participate in a Dealer Week preview event on Oct. 29th; they’ll have full access to the live conference from Dec. 8-11, 2020; and they will retain access to the content and the exhibits from Dealer Week through March 31, 2021. All for as little as $249 per person.

Dealer Week offers nearly 30 educational sessions, including 18 “pathway” sessions; several thought-provoking insights you should consider before finalizing plans for 2021; and a keynote on how to re-wire relationships to respond to the growth we experienced in our businesses in 2020. For more information, visit DealerWeek.com.

About Dealer Week
For nearly 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 is MRAA’s annual conference and expo, designed to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. Learn more at DealerWeek.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, contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Grady-White Boats
Founded in 1959, Grady-White Boats builds 26 models from 18 to 45 feet at its 500,000+ sq. ft. facility in Greenville, NC. The company has been under continuous private ownership since 1968 by Eddie Smith, NMMA Hall of Fame member. Grady-White has been awarded every third-party customer satisfaction award ever presented in the marine industry, including the National Marine Manufacturers Association Customer Satisfaction Index award for all 18 years the recognition has been granted. The company was awarded Highest Ranked Customer Satisfaction in the Coastal Fishing boats segment by J.D. Power Associates for all nine years that studies were conducted in the marine industry.

Please visit gradywhite.com to learn more about the company’s award-winning boats, unrivaled SeaV® hull performance, and the commitment the dedicated craftspeople have to exceptional attention to detail as they create the very best fishing and family-oriented boats.

National Marine Lenders Association Joins MRAA as Partner Member

MINNEAPOLIS — October 20 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces the National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA) has joined as a Partner Member.

 

The NMLA, founded in 1979, specializes in educating current and prospective lenders in marine financing procedures, promotes the extension of credit to consumer and trade borrowers, maintains alliances with industry partners, measures and reports on the vitality of the marine lending market and actively maintains networking and communication benefits for its members.

 

Marine financing today is widely available throughout the United States due to the efforts of the NMLA. Through its education on the benefits of marine financing, the NMLA has helped improve how the marine industry interacts with lenders and consumers. The NMLA offers both Lender and Associate membership levels and provides tangible benefits to all of its members through the association’s five core values: the annual conference, a yearly continuing education workshop, independent industry reports, public advocacy initiatives and ongoing communication and networking.

 

“NMLA is excited to join the MRAA as a partner member,” said current NMLA President, John Haymond. “Strategic alliances are extremely valuable within our industry, not only as a means to measure the vitality of the retail and marine lending markets but certainly, to allow each entity to achieve more together then would be possible alone. The NMLA looks forward to continued communication, education and networking opportunities with MRAA and its members.”

 

Through Partner Membership, marine manufacturers, suppliers and service providers can align their brands with the MRAA programs, including education and training, to effectively reach the dealer body and fuel success within the industry. Support from Partners enables the Association to expand its offerings and create a positive, long-term impact in the business of MRAA members.

 

“The NMLA plays a significant role in supporting the marine industry as a whole through its marine financing education programs,” said Allison Gruhn, Director of Business development. “We welcome the National Marine Lenders Association to Partner Membership with 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 National Marine Lenders Association

The National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA) began operations in 1979 for the purpose of promoting and improving recreational lending in the United States. NMLA membership is comprised of banks, loan origination companies (service companies), finance companies, credit unions, and private financing firms who extend or originate credit to consumers, dealers, retailers and manufacturers of recreational boats and equipment. Membership is also open to businesses associated with other important marine industry segments such as insurance underwriters/agents, admiralty attorneys, surveyors, title and documentation companies, recovery/remarketing agents, industry associations, software firms, valuation publications and media and industry consultants. For additional information, visit www.marinelenders.org, call 410-980-1401, or email: info@marinelenders.org.

Barletta President Bill Fenech Issues MRAA Support Challenge

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Barletta Boats President Bill Fenech has issued a challenge to marine industry businesses to “step up” and support the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas financially.

Watch the video challenge here.

In what has otherwise been a record-setting year for the boat business, the MRAA’s annual revenue has taken a major hit on the heels of announcing that its Dealer Week annual conference would move to a virtual environment. The conference, which accounts for 70 percent of the MRAA’s annual revenue, does not provide for the same level of revenue potential that an in-person event offers.

To make matters worse, MRAA has not been eligible, due to its status as a 501-c-6 organization, for the stimulus loans that the federal government made available to most every other small business and non-profit.

“That’s scary for our industry,” Fenech noted in his challenge video. “We’re having very strong years in our industry, yet MRAA isn’t able to participate in that growth and success. So, it dawned on me that we just can’t let this slip. MRAA’s doing such a great job … and so I called Matt (Gruhn) and talked to my team and said, ‘can we do a challenge or how can I help?’”

Fenech, whose Barletta Boat Co. is already a Platinum Partner member of the MRAA and continues to support Dealer Week, has made a $25,000 donation to MRAA as a challenge to others. “I hope you’ll find it in your hearts and in your pocket books to take some action and send some money to MRAA,” stated Fenech.

Support MRAA here.

The MRAA is a non-profit trade association created and operated entirely to support boat and engine dealers across North America. The organization advocates for dealerships and other industry business, protecting them from unwarranted regulation and legislation, and provides them with educational programming that sets dealerships up for success. All funding that the organization receives through membership, Dealer Week, Certification or donations, is reinvested back into the industry. With the current revenue shortfall, the organization has been forced to dip into its reserves.

“Our team’s entire focus here at the MRAA is to give back to our industry, and each member of this team delivers on that mission with incredible passion,” explained MRAA President Matt Gruhn. “When Bill first entered the industry, he committed to me and the organization that he would always be dealer-first in his approach to the business, and he’s lived up to that at every turn. To quote him from that first conversation when he called to offer his support and this challenge, ‘this fundraiser is not about Bill or Barletta. It’s not about Matt. It’s about our dealers and the organization that does so much to help them.’”

If you’d like to contribute to this effort to prop up the MRAA and the work it does on behalf of our dealers and our industry, you can visit MRAA.com/support. There, you can join MRAA as a member or renew your dues; you can register for Dealer Week, which is now online and easier for you to participate in than ever before; and you can offer support in the form of a monetary donation.

“On behalf of my team and the tireless work they put into serving our dealers through the crisis months of March and April 2020 and through the craziness of this past summer, we thank you for any way you can support our mission,” Gruhn says. “And our mission is literally your success, so I think we can all agree that that’s a mission worth supporting.”

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, contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Barletta Boats
Barletta Pontoon Boats burst onto the scene in January of 2018 when they were awarded the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award for Pontoon Boats with their first-ever pontoon boat, the L-Class L25UC. Barletta has also been awarded the NMMA Customer Satisfaction Award in its first two years of production. Supported by a dealer network that is arguably the envy of the industry, Barletta has created a pontoon boat and customer experience second to none. For more information about Barletta Pontoon Boats, visit BarlettaPontoonBoats.com.

Dealership Advantage, Derema Group Join MRAA as Partner Members

MINNEAPOLIS — October 12 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces the Dealership Advantage and Derema Group have committed to Partner Memberships.

 

“We are excited to have Dealership Advantage and Derema Group join the MRAA as our newest Partner Members,” says Allison Gruhn, MRAA Director of Business Development. “Both of these companies have expansive knowledge within the marine industry that will benefit marine dealers nationwide.”    

 

Dealership Advantage, a rapidly growing 16-member team of software and consulting experts, specializes in Dealer Management Software (DMS) to aid marine and water sports dealers in implementing and perfecting their parts, sales, service, finance, rentals and other business practices. Dealership Advantage has expanded from a boat dealership into a nurturing resource for dealers, by offering them flexible and uncomplicated solutions to build higher margins and improved workflows. By supplying dealers with efficiencies for internal improvement, Dealership Advantage helps dealers streamline their operations and enhance employee satisfaction while also creating repeat customers.   

 

Derema Group has more than six decades of national sales and marketing solutions experience. Derema Group, a multi-faceted customer support resource for marine and RV dealers, services all marine and RV accessory customer channels including retail chains, OEM, distribution and dealer, throughout the U.S. and Canada. It also represents some of the top brands in the marine accessory industry.

 

Through Partner Membership, marine manufacturers, suppliers and service providers can align their brands with the MRAA programs, including education and training, to effectively reach the dealer body and fuel success within the industry. Support from Partners enables the Association to expand its offerings and create a positive, long-term impact in the business of MRAA members.

 

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 Dealership Advantage

Dealership Advantage is a well-funded, fast growing software and consulting company located in the Riverview Building near downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Carefully designed to make a dealer’s life easier, Dealership Advantage is a dealer management software fulfilling Sales, Service, and Parts accessible from any browser without installation. We build software for the marine and watersports industry. Our specialties include: Technology, Marine, Marina Management Software, Dealer Management System, Boat Dealer Software, Marina Management System, Dealer Consulting and Marine Software. For more information, visit  www.dealershipadvantage.com or contact us at 616-210-1060.

 

About Derema Group

In January of 2000, the R.J. de Recat Co., Inc. and Eastern Marketing Associates (EMA) merged to form Derema Group. Combining more than 60 years of experience, and offering regional office locations in the Northeast, West, Southeast, and Central, Derema Group became the marine industry’s first and largest national Sales and Marketing Solution.

 

We service all customer channels including Retail Chains, OEM, Distribution and Dealer. Through innovative sales and marketing programs, Derema has consistently outpaced sales growth in our base territories. By leveraging Brand Enhancement concepts that create demand for product at both the consumer and dealer level, we understand the dynamics of the successful sale of products in each corresponding market channel. It’s the people behind the scenes at Derema who enable the sales team to effectively manage their territories and provide first-class support to our customer channels. Derema is committed to providing our customers with the latest news, product updates and happenings in the marine industry. For all of our brands, go to www.DeremaHelp.com.