• Industry award honors a leader dedicated to creating an outstanding workplace culture and was recognized as a “Great Dealership to Work For” within the MRAA Certified Dealership Program.
MINNEAPOLIS, DEC. 18 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) awarded Rob Brown, Owner and General Manager of Clark Marine, with the inaugural MRAA Trailblazer Award at the Dealer Week Conference and Expo in Orlando, Fla.
“The Trailblazer Award recognizes visionary leaders who inspire and empower their teams,” said Stevie Cook, MRAA Certification Manager. “Rob Brown, our first recipient, is one our industry’s outstanding individuals who is committed to creating a workplace and culture where his employees feel valued, motivated and engaged. He leads by example and with humility, which has helped him build a culture of collaboration, innovation and excellence at Clark Marine.”
The Trailblazer Award recognizes a dealership professional that goes above and beyond in creating an exceptional workplace. To be nominated for this prestigious award, a candidate’s dealership had to achieve the esteemed status of a Great Dealership to Work For, along with a nomination from one of their fellow employees. The Trailblazer Award honors a leader who embodies the core values of a positive and productive work environment. Is dedicated to enhancing employee satisfaction, cultivating an inclusive culture, and exemplifying strong leadership. They are a champion of continuous improvement, a skilled collaborator and a significant contributor to their organization’s goals. Above all, they are adept at guiding their team through change and challenges.
Brown’s dedication to creating an exceptional work environment has been widely celebrated by his team.
“He is the heart-and-soul of our dealership,” wrote Amy Gingras, Sales Manager at Clark Marine. “He has fostered an environment at our dealership where people feel safe, comfortable, respected and works hard to ensure that their workplace is positive, inclusive and collaborative. He’s dedicated to creative problem solving, especially in the face of complicated issues, and is compassionate, intelligent and unafraid of conflict.”
In 1996, Brown and his wife Nancy bought the single-location dealership, which was in bankruptcy with four employees and ineligible for floorplanning. They risked everything to grow this business, and today Clark Marine is a very financially healthy business with three locations, 30-plus employees and carries multiple boat and outboard motor brands.
“Thank you to all who had anything to do with this recognition,” said Brown. “It would not be right if I did not give a shout out to everyone who has attended Dealer Week and the earlier versions. So much of how I have learned to run my dealership has come from attending and learning from my peers. If there is one piece of advice I’d pass on learned from my faith, it’s treat others as you want to be treated. It leads to good things.”
To learn more about Dealership Certification, Great Dealerships to Work For and the new MRAA Trailblazer Award, contact Stevie Cook, MRAA Certification Manager, at 763-402-7236 or email: stevie@mraa.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.
