Editor’s Choice 2017: Austin Boats and Motors

Austin Boats and Motors
Austin, Texas

Austin Boats and Motors provides consistency to the community through its established boat brands and reliable service staff.

The dealership’s ancillary services approach and attention to changing market demographics and environmental issues creates an unique level of engagement that’s not commonly found in the boating industry.

Austin Boats and Motors’ U-Haul franchise, the largest volume neighborhood rental center in central Texas, continues to produce additional revenue.

“We expanded the hours of operation for this department,” says Owner Martin Boyer. “We have received numerous U-Haul President’s Awards and other volume and customer service recognitions. The increased customer access to this neighborhood service has been well-received.”

The dealership’s in-house floral department provides an added layer of service that’s frequently used for customer appreciation events and community promotions.

A new limited liability company was created to streamline financial reporting associated with the floral department.

“We determined that this business structure needed to be changed,” Boyer says. “The timing was appropriate due to the change in ownership of Austin Boats and Motors.”

At the close of 2015, Austin Boats and Motors successfully transitioned to new ownership.

“We entered what would turn out to be a year of more stability, excitement for the plans that we had, meeting goals that we set, and the joy of working with a lake that was full,” Boyer says.

Two years ago, Austin Boats and Motors added a Spanish page to its website to address a growing boating demographic in central Texas.

The following year, more than $300,000 in Ranger bass boat sales were directly attributed to that change, Boyer says.

And by contacting and proactively meeting with state and federal government representatives, Austin Boats and Motors continues to bring awareness to water supply, conservation, quality and usage issues that affect residents who depend upon the Highland Lakes as a water resource.

“We’ve attended the American Boating Congress to be part of the legislative process, and we’ve supported local activist groups like the Central Texas Water Coalition. Austin Boats and Motors also remains committed to making Lake Travis an outstanding place to live and relax,” Boyer says.

As a major contributor to the Lake Travis Education Foundation, Austin Boats and Motors staff has provided annual gala dinner table centerpieces, silent auction items, and cash donations.

“Our attendance at the annual gala allows us to interact with a large number of community members in a relaxed, fun setting,” Boyer says. “We believe the resulting community awareness puts us ‘top of mind’ with our local consumers when they get ready to purchase a boat or related items and services.”

By enhancing its commitment to the school district sponsored fishing team, Austin Boats and Motors has seen increased community interest in its Ranger boat line and other pre-owned bass boats.

“We provide a new Ranger in each central Texas fishing tournament,” Boyer says. “This promotes our dealership brand.”

Austin Boats and Motors is located 15 minutes west of downtown Austin, on a major highway that runs along the south shore of Lake Travis.

Through the 1980s and early 1990s, Ranch Road 620 was just a small two-lane country road. Infrequently traveled, it served only the retirement community close by and the occasional recreational boater.

Forty years later, Lakeway’s congested five-lane highway serves the fastest population growth area in the Austin metropolitan area.

Lakeway is flourishing as a resort community to both locals and visitors from afar who enjoy active lifestyles associated with lake living and water sports.

“Our business is located in the center of a thriving area that continues to enjoy the area’s strongest population and economic growth,” Boyer says. “We own our property, the largest property for any Austin dealership. We continue to increase our community activities in order to promote our location, create ways to expand product exposure to our new neighbors, and capitalize on our highway presence.”