Sea Tow Foundation Announces Official Call for Entry for “National Boating Industry Safety Awards”

The Sea Tow Foundation in cooperation with its North American Sober Skipper Advisory Council, announced the official call for entry for its “National Boating Industry Safety Awards.”

The 2020 contest features an enhanced series of categories which recognize top boating safety programs and campaigns within the for-profit segment of the recreational marine industry. This year’s event includes 11 categories of entry, up from four the previous year.

“Due to the positive response from our inaugural contest in 2019, coupled with recommendations from our advisory council, we have nearly tripled the categories of entry in hopes of recognizing the outstanding work of many more boating safety advocates throughout all segments of the recreational marine industry,” said Sea Tow Foundation Executive Director Gail R. Kulp.

The 2020 National Boating Industry Safety Awards include the following categories for submission: Powerboat Manufacturer; Sailboat Manufacturer; Engine Manufacturer; Gear/Equipment Manufacturer; Human Powered (Canoe, Kayak, SUP) Manufacturer; Marine Retailer with up to 3 Locations; Marine Retailer with more than 3 Locations; Marine Media Outlets; Marine Marketing and Outreach; Marine Distributor; and a Multi-Year Campaign will also be available for any category.

Also new for 2020 is the title sponsorship from KICKER® Marine Audio, based in Stillwater, OK.

“KICKER Marine Audio is very pleased to contribute to this important effort that promotes boating safety within the recreational marine space,” said KICKER Marine Audio’s National Brand Manager Jeremy Bale. “The good work of leading marine organizations in educating and advancing boating safety messages benefits the entire industry, as well as boaters throughout the nation. KICKER is very proud to lend our support to this worthwhile and very important cause.”

“We appreciate the generous financial support of KICKER Marine Audio in helping to support our national awards program,” added Kulp. “We hope to continually build this program and involve many in the industry who share our passion and focus on boating safety.”

Entries may be submitted from September 3 through midnight, October 15, 2020 for any boating safety campaigns conducted between August 15, 2019 and August 15, 2020. A new multi-year category is also available to recognize ongoing boating safety programs and promotions.

Contest information and applications are available for download at www.boatingsafety.com/awards along with information and samples from the 2019 winners.

Winners for the 2020 awards contest will be announced live during the MRAA’s Dealer Week scheduled for December 8 – 11, 2020 in Austin, TX.

“We highly encourage all those organizations throughout the marine industry involved in promoting boating safety to apply in this year’s awards competition,” said Kulp. “The Sea Tow Foundation and our North American Sober Skipper Advisory Council, coupled with the title sponsor KICKER Marine Audio, are very pleased to shine the spotlight on the best boating safety efforts by companies in the for-profit segment of the recreational marine industry.”

About Sea Tow Foundation
With a focus on safe boating practices that result in fun on the water, the Sea Tow Foundation – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – was established in 2007 by Sea Tow Founder Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer. After his passing in 2015, Captain Joe’s legacy continues as the Foundation brings attention to the number of preventable boating-related accidents, injuries, and deaths, and directly addresses prevention methods through education and awareness. More than 650 life jacket loaner stands are now available across the United States and the Foundation’s Sober Skipper program continues to grow.

Correct Craft To Display Boats At The White House

Correct Craft is honored to represent our industry, North Carolina, and Florida at the White House’s fourth annual Made in America event on Monday, October 5th.

President Trump invited 50 companies, large and small, to showcase their products in this year’s celebration. Parker Boats and Nautique Boat Company will represent their respective states. The Correct Craft companies, along with other U.S. companies, will join the President, Vice President, and members of the Administration to highlight American-made products.

Bill Yeargin, CEO of Correct Craft stated, “Our team is thrilled to represent not only our industry but also Florida and North Carolina in the White House Made in America event. We build uniquely American made products which are sold throughout the U.S. and into dozens of countries around the world. Our American made quality is second to none and people around the globe aspire to own our products.”

Yeargin added, “I look forward to sharing the story of our company and boats with the President, Vice President, and other officials; I am certain they will be impressed. Our Nautique and Parker teams could not be more excited to show off our product at the White House!”

About Parker Boats: Parker Boats builds premium offshore and inshore fishing boats in Beaufort, NC. A subsidiary of Correct Craft, Parker delivers a lifetime of enjoyment and rugged fish-ability focusing on strength, simplicity, and seaworthiness.

About Nautique Boats: Nautique is celebrating its 95th anniversary of delivering excellence in the marine industry. A subsidiary of Correct Craft, Nautique has been on the waters of the world with a passion for innovation since 1925. Delivering the very best waterski, wakeboard and wakesurf boats on the market, Nautique continues to drive progression with their award-winning technology and dedication to building the highest-quality boats imaginable. New technology, performance innovations and attention to detail are the cornerstones of what makes the Nautique brand the industry leader. Through the Nautique Cares initiative, employees and athletes dedicate themselves to not only making a difference on the water, but to extend their support to people in need around the world. The world’s best ski boat, world’s best wake boat, and a company that cares.

About Correct Craft: Celebrating 95 years of excellence in the marine industry, Correct Craft is a Florida-based company with global operations. Focused on “Making Life Better,” the Correct Craft family includes Nautique, Centurion, Supreme, Bass Cat, Yar-Craft, SeaArk, Parker, and Bryant boat companies, Pleasurecraft Marine Engine Group, Watershed Innovation and Aktion Parks.

Bonnier, MRAA Partner to Promote Certified Dealers

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has announced a partnership with Bonnier Corporation, one of the largest consumer-facing, special-interest publishing groups in America, in order to promote the Marine Industry Certified Dealership program and the retailers who are Certified.

With this year’s influx of boat buyers, especially new boat buyers, saturating the market, it has become more important than ever to promote and explain the importance of working with a Certified Dealer.

“Our Certified Dealers put in a lot of work to become Certified, and much of that effort is focused on the customer experience. We’re entering into this partnership with Bonnier to tell consumers all about Certified Dealers and how Certified Dealers can serve them,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager, “Our hope is that as consumers see these marketing efforts, they’ll make a larger effort to seek Certified Dealers when they’re ready to buy.”

Readers of Boating and Salt Water Sportsman will experience marketing campaigns through various channels, including print magazines, websites, email sends and social media platforms.

“Bonnier is committed to growing participation in boating and the enjoyment of the boating lifestyle. Nothing is more important than having a great dealer get you started in boating and guide you along the way,” says Glenn Sandridge, Vice President and Managing Director at Bonnier Corporation. “Choosing an MRAA Certified Dealer is the best way to ensure you are choosing a trained professional partner to maximize you and your family’s fun on the water.”

The MRAA continues to build and evolve the Certification program to help boat dealers establish efficient and effective processes that lead to an exceptional retail experience for everyone. Certification offers dealers the blueprint to developing a world-class business.

This partnership and the promotion of the Certified Dealer program will run through 2021 and 2022.

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.

Increase Your Social Media Engagement in 5 Easy Steps – Operate Beyond

Image of Tweets Likes and Shares

In 2019, 79 percent of U.S. Americans had a social media profile and that number has only continued to grow since. As a result, everyone from politicians to teenagers use the most popular social media sites daily. Search practically any business on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and you will find a page where the business can interact with its audience in real-time. Staying connected to family, friends, businesses, and our personal interests is what social media is all about.

The expansiveness of the online platforms have created an entirely new standard for communication, and with the plethora of updates, posts, and tweets how do you stand out amongst the crowd? Fortunately, following these five steps will help you increase your social media engagement and reach your target audience.

Step 1: Share Valuable Content
First and foremost, you need content. Even if it’s not yours, share it. You want your social media page to be an authority by providing valuable information, that includes specific business and industry-related info. Whether it be a post from a major news source or one of your dedicated followers, this content is the lifeblood of your social media.
Updating content allows users to see that you are active and attempting to engage with them, which can lead to more positive impressions of your business. Just remember that this content should be about what your audience finds interesting, helpful, or newsworthy. The more engaged users, the more likely they are to stay on your page and view your products.

Step 2: Use Video and Photos
Using visuals and having quality content go hand-in-hand on social media. By nature, we tend to be drawn to visuals more than plain text. Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also proven to receive higher engagement online. According to a content preferences survey, “91% of consumers now prefer interactive and visual content over traditional, text-based or static media”. Visuals work well on practically any social media platform and help the reader to remember content better. Platforms such as: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter are ideal for posting visual content like photos or videos.

Consider investing some time into creating educational and informative videos to show your expertise and authority in your industry. These can be displayed across websites and social platforms to increase engagement among followers. Remember you don’t always have to use a video, as they can be time consuming to produce by yourself. Consider opting for quality images or even short clips to share on the regular. Without visual aids a follower may scroll through their entire newsfeed and not give any notice to your stand alone text.

Step 3: Facebook Ads and Boosts
To begin, Facebook ads are not free, but they do resemble the typical “pay-per-click” campaign, which makes them well worth it. Pay-per-click means you only pay for the ads that actually worked i.e., by getting someone to click on them. When it comes to budgeting, Facebook allows you to specify your budget and manage all spending from the platform. Facebook ads can be successful and a more budget friendly option for smaller businesses.

If you choose to “boost” a post, that post will show up as “sponsored” in the newsfeed, unlike traditional ads that appear in the sidebar. If you “boost” a post, ensure it is concise and engaging to pull interested users in for a click.

Facebook also allows you to choose an audience based on the age, location, or time of day you want to reach them. These specifications and many more enable businesses to reach interested buyers in no time. With Facebook’s 1.69 billion active users a day in 2019, advertising and boosting on the platform can be crucial to your businesses exposure.

Step 4: Use Tags
If you have partnered with a company or you and that company have a relationship in some way, tag it. The tag likely will be seen by their followers and can encourage them to click on your organization. Recognition is always a good thing and using tags will often get your business more of it. Tagging important or relatable content will also allow a larger user base to see and interact with your posts. Many businesses use custom tags to follow giveaways, important events, or even social movements. Use tags across all social media platforms for the greatest impact.

Step 5: Post in Groups
Online platforms that have “Groups” give you the opportunity to engage with people interested in what you have to offer. Facebook has a multitude of local and national “For Sale” groups that you can advertise on free of charge. These communities are receptive to content that strikes their interests. In addition, many users receive notifications of new group postings, so remember to participate frequently and stick to the subject matter. Frequent participation is always a good practice and applies to any social media groups that you may join.

If you incorporate these 5 easy steps to your social media routine, you’ll begin seeing an increase in your media engagement. The truth of the matter is, you will get out what you put into it. Be engaging, create strong content, and use advertising and tags to reach the audience you want.

F&I Stands For Fun and Inspiration – Enable The Lifestyle (And Make Some Money Too)

F&I has earned a bad reputation, thanks, largely, to the way it was handled for far too long in the automotive industry. The recreational industry can and should refresh the way people think about F&I.

For purchasers of recreational vehicles – boats, RVs, ATVs, off-road, Powersports – F&I should not, cannot, be a pressure-filled, must do, frankly, uncomfortable experience. Rather, F&I aids in creating and/or sustaining a lifestyle of pleasure.

No one “needs” a boat or an RV. They want one. They want what a boat or RV promises for them – freedom, relaxation, entertainment, and simply a way to breathe freely. F&I facilitates that promise – that dream.

The F in F&I stands for Finance. Financing makes it possible for your customer to afford the great lifestyle – so the F really stands for Fun The I for Insurance offers all the Protective Products then ensure that all your customer has to worry about is enjoying themselves, comfortable in the knowledge that if anything goes wrong, they are protected and will be able to continue their lifestyle enjoyment without added cost. Save in that knowledge, your customer is able to relax and open themselves up – when that happens I stands for Inspiration.

Everyone involved with the customer’s F&I experience must fully internalize the fact that they are not pushing profit – they are enabling and delivering a lifestyle – they are delivering Fun and Inspiration. That said, “not pushing profit” does NOT mean not making a profit – it simply means delivering that profit with the lifestyle message and not with the pressure and fear technique that so many are so familiar with.

Why does a customer want to finance? Well, it could be for a couple of reasons, or perhaps both reasons. First, Finance allows the customer to acquire the unit that they want without needing or using liquid cash to do so. It frees them to get want they want while conserving more cash to help enjoy the lifestyle even more. Beside Fun, the F means Free – Free, to get what they want and Free to do what they want

What about Insurance or, in this case, Protective Products? These are NOT scams or rip-offs – ever. These are the products that allow your customer to relax without concern about things that might happen and in this relaxed mode, they can be Inspired. Warranties, Interior/Exterior Protection, Tire and Wheel Protection, GAP provide the assurance that their lifestyle can be Idyllic.

With all of this, your message to your customers needs to be clear.

Yes, you offer Financing and that needs to be advertised early and often so that there is no reason for your customer to seek that elsewhere.

Your messaging needs to let customers know that be Financing through you, they do not simply get F&I, they are getting Fun and Inspiration. They are getting a lifestyle that you understand and that they are looking for or maintaining that is Fun and Inspirational and that truly does offer a Free and Idyllic lifestyle.

F&I never needs to mean, “Oh no, not that” ever again – change your attitude about F&I and watch the profit skyrocket!

Dealer Profit Services – Driving Profit Through Fun and Inspiration

Dealer Profit Services, LLC can help you achieve F&I excellence – no matter where you are in the development and/or maturity of your store or stores F&I success model. As the industry’s best Finance Solutions Provider and the only one to take your customer to Fun and Inspiration with a Free and Idyllic lifestyle through F&I, thus driving industry-leading levels of F&I profit, Dealer Profit Services can and will equip you with what you need to take that next step in your F&I success – regardless of what that next step might be. Whether you want someone to help you take over take over your F&I and with our experienced personnel just help you drive profit to your store, provide help to you some of the time, need some quick advice, or just provide F&I Training/Consulting, we are here to help you. If you are not fully equipped with all of your Compliance Manuals and Training, Dealer Profit Services can do that too. Contact us anytime at info@dealerprofit.com or give us a call at (470) 326-0966.

Dealer Week 2020: More Accessible Than Ever

If you’re like most dealers, you can simply shake your head in amazement over what happened in 2020. A fast start, a sudden stop, and an unparalleled, dizzying re-acceleration to the business of selling boats.

 

The pressing question now appears to be: What does 2021 have in store?

 

There’s so much to consider with that question. Will I get the inventory I need? Will record sales resume? Will Covid concerns persist? Are there economic challenges ahead? What impact will the election have on my business? And how will my customers respond to it all?

 

Of course, these are questions you ask when you are at the mercy of whatever the market throws at you, but smart dealers know that the actions they take are what dictate their level of success.

 

The real question you should be asking yourself is: How will I steer my company to prosperity in 2021? Because the results are in your control.

 

As you seek to manage inventory levels, sales strategies, the customer experience, service department profitability and more, you can turn to Dealer Week, MRAA’s annual conference and expo, for direction. With the industry’s top experts and leading solution providers gathered in one event, Dealer Week is our industry’s only event geared to helping you maximize your success.

 

What’s more is that this year, as we move Dealer Week to an online-only event, this educational content becomes more accessible to you and your team than ever before. With no travel, hotel, or meal expenses, or required days out of the office, Dealer Week will be delivered to your dealership, making it the perfect way to train and prepare your team for the year ahead.

 

 

If you have not attended Dealer Week previously, you should know that dealers just like you have noted numerous strategies and tactics they have implemented based on what they learned at the event. And for 2020, MRAA has not only increased our investment in the educational content, but we are working with our experts to ensure that it’s as timely and relevant as possible in this rapidly changing business environment. That means you can trust that Dealer Week will provide you with the absolute latest trends, insights, strategies and best practices from the absolute best speakers and trainers.

 

As you seek to answer the questions that 2021 presents you — as you seek to remain in control of your business’ future — Dealer Week will take the guesswork out of your operations and help you run your business with clarity and confidence. I hope you’ll register today.

Dealer Week 2020 moves online, adds webinar series

Dealer Week, the annual conference and expo of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, is moving online in 2020. The event will take place, as scheduled, Dec. 8-11, 2020, on the device of your choice, with a preview event slated for October and a series of educational webinars taking place, beginning in mid-September, available to all registered attendees.

“Picking the right venue is crucial for a successful event, and this year it’s obvious that a great online platform — which we have found — is the best way to provide the insights, education and business solutions dealers need from Dealer Week,” said Mike Davin, Brand Director at the MRAA. “Dealer Week will connect dealers with solutions to the pain points and opportunities they face.”

Dealer Week 2020 will include opening and closing ceremonies, education sessions, partners and exhibits with business solutions, Q&As with the experts, roundtable discussions, awards presentations, networking and more.

“As we look ahead to 2021, dealers have a lot of unknowns about inventory levels, market conditions, sales and service demand, customer expectations and more,” explains Liz Walz, MRAA Vice President. “Dealers and their teams who participate in the Dealer Week education lineup will receive powerful tools to navigate the uncertainty and maximize their success, no matter what the market throws at them.”

As part of their Dealer Week registration, dealers will receive exclusive access to a preview event as well as a series of webinars hosted by the same trainers scheduled to appear at the event. Scheduled for Oct. 29, 2020, the preview event will allow registrants access to a VIP panel discussion with the three leading trainers who will host this year’s Dealer Week, as well as sneak peeks into the exhibit hall and networking opportunities you’ll experience at the event.

The webinars will take place most Wednesdays leading up to the event, beginning Sept. 16. The first session, titled “3 Ways to Start Turning Your Shop Inside Out,” features Valerie Ziebron of VRZ Consulting, who will also serve as one of three “Education Hosts” during Dealer Week. The next two webinars will feature the event’s other hosts, Sam Dantzler of Wheelhouse College and Jim Million of Million Learning. The webinar series offers dealers an opportunity to prepare themselves for success before the event, but they will also have the ability to continue learning after the closing ceremony because MRAA will make the webinars and all Dealer Week education sessions and exhibits available for event attendees to access through March 31, 2021.

For MRAA partners who support Dealer Week through an exhibit or sponsorship, the event platform offers a robust online exhibit opportunity that includes video, downloadable documents, video chat, meeting scheduling and more. Partners can engage in the education and contribute to the learning and conversations that take place through Dealer Week, making this event a strong contributor to marine industry success. Their exhibit and exposure through this event will remain active in the online platform through March 31. Those partners who support Dealer Week will have an opportunity to submit a 10-minute thought leader-style video, which will be shared with dealers who attend the event. Those companies who supported Dealer Week in 2019 and 2020 will also be able to lock in 2019 booth pricing for Dealer Week 2021.

“The 2020 selling season was turned on its head a couple times with the sudden slowdown and subsequent rapid acceleration of boat sales,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Dealer Week seeks to provide our dealers and our partners an opportunity to pause, collect themselves, plan for a strong year ahead, and collaborate on the collective success of our industry. And in this online format, Dealer Week becomes more accessible to more companies than ever before. We look forward to leading our industry with great confidence into the year ahead.”

Early Bird pricing for Dealer Week is $249 per person for MRAA Members and $349 per person for non-members. Prices increase to $299 and $399, respectively, after Oct. 31.

Originally slated to take place in Austin, Texas, the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact required MRAA to reschedule the in-person event for December 2021. More details will be shared soon.   

For more information and to register today, go to DealerWeek.com.

MRAA President to Speak at SHOWUP2020 LIVE!

Derema Group has opened registration for SHOWUP2020 LIVE! The event will be streaming live from Philadelphia PA on Wednesday September 23rd from 12:00PM EDT – 6:00PM EDT. Registrants will have the ability to visit the site throughout the day to learn more about what the top brands have planned for 2021.  Among the offerings included:

  • 2021 vendor booth tours
  • Introduction of 2021 new products
  • Live interviews with leaders from major industry trade organizations
  • Feature product demonstrations
  • Appointment booking capability with vendor personnel
  • Virtual booth chat rooms
  • General session webinars

Hosted by Philadelphia TV sports personality Lou Tilley, this is an event that will feature the industry’s top Marine and RV brands including Sierra & Seastar by Dometic, Starbrite, Hughes, RV Designer. In addition to several speakers from around the marine and RV industries, MRAA President Matt Gruhn will provide event participants with key insights on the 2020 boating season and the needs of today’s customer experience.

The event is free for approved Marine and RV trade members.

Learn more and register at www.deremashowup2020.com

NJ Governor’s Budget includes Proposed Boating Sales Tax Increase

On Tuesday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy proposed a repeal of the overwhelmingly bipartisan sales tax cap on boats as part of his revised nine-month 2021 state budget to make up for a $5.6 billion budget shortfall due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Governor’s $1 billion tax hike also includes a third attempt to raise the millionaires tax, and additional taxes on HMOs, corporation business surtax, and increased sales tax on cigarettes, limousines, and recreational watercrafts.

MRAA is partnering with the Association of Marina Industries and the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey to oppose this legislation and ensure that small businesses in NJ can continue to remain competitive and drive economic growth and prosperity.

“This proposed tax hike fails to recognize the impact that the recreational boating industry has in supporting many well-paying, blue-collar jobs in New Jersey,” said Adam Fortier-Brown, MRAA government relations manager. “Quite often, the recreational boating industry is painted unfairly as an activity for the nation’s wealthiest. This viewpoint is simply untrue, as the vast majority of boating households are in the middle class. Increasing taxes on boats in NJ will only encourage families to look across state lines for boat purchases so they can recreate responsibly, and harm small businesses and the workers who depend on them.”

This proposal is joined by a proposal in the Senate led by Senator Vin Gopal (D-11). Despite this, the state’s two highest-ranking lawmakers, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, have shown they are hesitant to any tax increases though statements to NJ Advance Media.

“Many families all across this state have struggled with unprecedented hardship, from both a health and a financial perspective,” Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said, adding that NJ lawmakers must “address the extraordinary challenges that COVID-19 has created.”

“I completely agree with the speaker. I said nothing’s off the table. And I think he said the same thing,” State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester. “This all has to be looked at big picture. We have to be very serious about tax increases. We’re talking about adding burden to people If we’re gonna be raising taxes, we’ve got to be very judicious about it.”

The sales tax cap on boats was passed in 2015 to respond to the severe economic downturn and devastation to the industry caused by the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis and Hurricane Sandy to ensure the state remained competitive with neighboring states. In the 15 years preceding the sales tax cap, NJ lost over 90,000 registered boats.

The Democratic-controlled state legislature has until October 1 to pass a spending package or face a government shutdown.

For additional information, please contact MRAA government relations manager Adam Fortier-Brown at adam@mraa.com.

Hurricane Laura Shows the Need for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Hurricane Laura made landfall on Texas and Louisiana’s coasts early Thursday morning as the strongest hurricane to hit the region since 1861. The Category 4 hurricane with a life-threatening storm surge brought significant inland flooding and 150 mph winds. Fortunately search and rescue teams have found no reports of widespread fatalities.

Hurricane Laura is the seventh named storm to make landfall in the U.S. this year, an all-time record. The storm intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm overnight before making landfall, being just shy of a Category 5 strength storm. Winds from Category 4 storms can level communities, causing long-lasting power outages and leave entire swaths of land uninhabitable for weeks and months.

According to the Associated Press, nearly 470,000 homes and businesses are without power.

The Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act, landmark bipartisan legislation that would give small businesses the opportunity to access much needed capital to invest in disaster resilient infrastructure — a top priority for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. This bill would allow the Small Business Administration to make low-interest, fixed rate loans of up to $500,000 to small businesses to invest in their properties to protect their facilities, real estate and contents from natural disasters like Hurricane Laura.

This will preserve small business job gains in communities that depend on them and prevent against the existential threat of permanent business closure. According to FEMA, roughly 40-60 percent of small businesses never reopen following a disaster.

This program would be the only SBA program focused solely on small business disaster prevention, and would complement rebuilding efforts through the government agency’s disaster loan programs. Research shows that every $1 the government spends on disaster mitigation, such as improving existing infrastructure or elevating homes and businesses, saves taxpayers an average of $6.

A study by the MRAA and AMI found that marine businesses need significant funding to protect from flooding, requiring an average of $260,000 to invest in projects like elevating buildings, bulkheads, constructing flood barriers or levees, dry and wet floodproofing, yard regrading, and sewer back up protections. This is an issue that transcends industries where all small businesses across the country face similar needs to mitigate damages caused by an increase in frequency and severity of natural disasters, costing the U.S. over $800 Billion in the last decade. 

See MRAA’s press release outlining the bill here.

For additional information, please contact MRAA government relations manager Adam Fortier-Brown at adam@mraa.com.