Features

By David Gee There are approximately 4,300 recreational boat dealers in the U.S., but the largest 50 of them generate about 30% of the industry’s $12 billion annual revenue, according to Dun & Bradstreet. So let’s call the industry fragmented. Given that starting point, what is it like to run a boat dealership these days? Especially this summer of 2020? ...

By Adam Quandt As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dash traditional vacation and summer plans, consumers are hungry for a new form of entertainment and recreation. The latest sales data shows that many are flocking to the water as their vacation close to home. The newest report from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) tells of a sharp rebound for ...

By David Gee Although an early electric boat was developed by German inventor Moritz von Jacobi in 1839, it took more than 30 years of battery and motor development before they became more practical – and popular. And it’s taken another 150 years for them to become a four-and-a-half billion dollar segment worldwide. The battery and motor development didn’t stop, ...

By Adam Quandt Boating is in, in a big way this year. With articles in national and international publication such as the New York Times, Fox Business and the Associated Press, it’s clear that boating is the activity of choice in lieu of family vacations and other activities cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. One writer in a recent article in ...

By Myril Shaw Let’s start with this – 80% of “cash” buyers are not using liquid cash. What does that mean? When a customer walks in and says that they are paying cash, the odds are that they talked to their local bank or credit union, that they are using part of a home equity line, that they are selling ...

By Mark Overbye If you are subject to a management team that identifies and potentially leans on having a Plan B, run away. They’re not committed and will be outrun and gunned by those competitors more devoted to their own success. They doubt. There are lots of stories about doubters, famous even, like Doubting Thomas. Doubt is the opposite of ...

By Harry Casimir In the United States, one in five people have a disability. And yet, only 10% of the internet is web accessible. The American Disabilities Act was developed in 1990 and declares that all places of public accommodation remove any access barriers that would inhibit a person with disabilities from accessing the business’s goods and services – including ...

By Adam Quandt Adrenaline pumping, hairpin turns, eyes set on finishing first — there’s something about the racing side of any sport that shines a special spotlight on whatever the activity may be. Pro Watercross — a non-profit organization — in the personal watercraft world is certainly no exception. Despite getting underway almost two months behind schedule — with cancellations, ...

Odin Sletten recently retired after 41 years of service with Navico, parent company of global brands like B&G, C-MAP, Lowrance and Simrad. Over his many years, Sletten contributed to some of Navico’s biggest developments and saw marine electronics change immensely. Boating Industry had the opportunity to ask Sletten about his time in the marine industry. Boating Industry: What first drew ...

Women Making Waves is Boating Industry’s effort to recognize the multitude of women in the industry who have made and continue to make great contributions to its success, propel its growth and lead their organizations and peers into the future. With nearly 100 nominations for this year’s Women Making Waves, choosing the highlighted women was no easy task. There is ...