Who’s No. 1 in boat building? The market share question was rarely in doubt in recent years, thanks to the domination of Brunswick and the demise of the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC). But has Brunswick’s run at the top ended? That question was raised after a flurry of press releases were exchanged between Minnesota-based Genmar and Illinois-based Brunswick. Both companies ...

It’s a question that’s been nagging in the background of the marine business for several years, and only now are people on the inside of the controversy willing to admit the existence of a “gray market” within the outboard boat segments. Recently, frustration over the practice of boat builders selling excess outboard engines to retail dealers (instead of including them ...

Are boaters afraid of complete electronics when it comes to controlling the steering, speed and direction of their boat? The answer, apparently, depends on whether you’re talking about steering or other controls. For throttle control, electronics are becoming a bigger and bigger part of the game, replacing more mechanical linkages and hydraulic cylinders. For steering, however, component manufacturers are, at ...

New Yards Set Their Sights On Booming Market Speculation that the superyacht market is leveling off may be just that — speculation. A recent survey produced by UK-based First Marine International Ltd. on behalf of the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) suggests that the long-term outlook for the market is extremely promising. The study also concluded that the recent lull ...

A joint marketing agreement signed between two former rivals will results in an expansion of Shakespeare products into the V-Tronix lineup. Under an agreement announced at the Marine Industry Trade Show (METS) in November, U.S.-based Shakespeare C&E will begin manufacturing selected marine antenna products for England-based Communications Aerials V-Tronix. According to V-Tronix officials, the latest Communications Aerials catalog contains a ...

The U.S.-based SHURflo Pump Manufacturing Company has added a distributor for the Pacific Rim. Saying that the companies had “similar visions and are committed to continued growth,” SHURflo announced that the Camec group will begin distributing SHURflo marine products in Australia and New Zealand. Camec, founded in 1962, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fleetwood Corporation in Australia. The distributor ...

Three top boating associations are answering the call for boating brotherhood with recent actions that could result in fewer trade shows and better focus The Marina Operators Association of America (MOAA), International Marina Institute (IMI) and American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA) got together to organize the National Marina and Boatyard Conference and Exposition at the Radisson Bahia Mar ...

Conglomerates & Large Boatbuilders ALUMACRAFT BOAT CO. (Ken Zimmerman, president) Alumacraft AMELS HOLLAND BV (Frans Felix, commercial director) Superyachts AMERICAN MARINE HOLDINGS (Lee Kimmell, chairman) Donzi Marine Pro-Line Boats AZIMUT S.p.A. (Paolo Vitelli, chairman) Benetti BAVARIA YACHTBAU GmbH (Winfried Herrmann, managing director entitled to act as substitute) Bavaria yacht range Bavaria motor boat range BENNINGTON MARINE (Steve Vogel, president) Bennington ...

DOCK SYSTEMS AND ACCESSORIES Bayshore Dock Co. offers a wide variety of docking systems, including floating dock systems, piers, gangways, seawalls & cantilever decks, and concrete docking systems. In addition, the manufacturers offers a complete line of docking accessories customized to individual needs, as well as repairs, redecks, rebuilds and additions. With over 30 years of combined experience in the ...

Marine industry finance and insurance (F&I) providers are predicting that 2003 will be a better year than the industry experienced in 2002, despite stock market woes and challenging economic conditions. One of the major reasons for this predicted turnaround is that dealers’ inventories are in better shape than they’ve been for several years. Several providers said that while spring sales ...