In This Issue

October was declared Manufacturing Month across a multitude of different industries. The National Marine Manufacturers Association encouraged members of the marine industry to participate by hosting an event to promote and educate others about the boating industry. Last year, a record 300,000 students, parents and teachers nationwide gained insight into modern-day manufacturing. Manufacturing Day, according to a survey from DeLoitte, ...

Survey respondents address family role Employee retention was the top issue of succession concern in the latest survey of Boating Industry print and digital subscribers, conducted by email in mid-October.  Respondents were a mix of boat dealers, manufacturers, marina owners, industry suppliers and others working in the industry.  Seventy-three percent of surveyed business owners who completed a transition or ownership ...

In a state full of boat dealers as far as the eye can see, Regal & Nautique of Orlando continuously strives to lead the pack. Regal & Nautique of Orlando’s sole location resides just off of Florida’s well-traveled Interstate 4 in Orlando. The dealership’s 6,000-square foot facility located in the center of the property features a reception and sales office, ...

When was the last time you watched a video online? Based on recent stats, the answer is likely within the last 24 hours. Over 500 million hours of video is watched on YouTube every day, with another 100 million hours on Facebook.   So, how can you turn those views into revenue for your boat business.  A client of mine ...

It's long been clear the importance a supervisor plays in employee’s happiness. A bad one will drive good employees away and a good one will keep people happy. It’s more important than salary or almost any other factor in keeping your best workers. A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research underscores the outsized role that a supervisor ...

Boating industry researchers continue to shed new light on the importance of tracking lapsed boaters as a potential return-to-market segment.  During the Second Annual Grow Boating Marketing Summit presentation at this year’s International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, Jack Ellis, managing director at Info-Link Technologies, Inc., estimated there are 5 million to 10 million lapsed boaters, individuals who have previously owned ...

Diversity still lags as industry issue The industry has continued concern about its potential success in capturing a larger share of younger buyers as a new market segment as opposed to increasing its number of non-white buyers, according to the latest Boating Industry reader survey. We surveyed print and digital products readers in August to find out more about their ...

Market strategies serve boat building clients Interior suppliers are refining their efforts to push new products and serve boat builders throughout the industry.  Boating Industry recently visited with suppliers to learn how they are delivering innovative materials and honing their market strategies for serving boat builders. “We did a really good job this year of staying with our core customers, ...

Current trends show bright future for saltwater fishing segment America’s anglers are estimated to spend $49.8 billion per year in retail sales associated with their sport, according to a recent report released by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), with the help of Southwick Associates titled “Sportfishing in America: An Economic Force for Conservation.” According to the recent Special Report on ...

Dealers share approaches for bettering the bottom line Top dealers understand the importance of cultivating new revenue.  Planning is critical, and the path to a better bottom line often begins when the current boating season starts to wind down and thoughts turn to the year ahead.  A number of Boating Industry’s 2017 Top 20 dealers took unique approaches when it ...