In This Issue

By Jonathan Sweet When the Boating Industry Top 100 started in 2005, it was a major undertaking for both the magazine and the industry. Nobody had ever attempted to find and recognize the best dealers in the industry. The goal of celebrating those top dealers was only part of the program. The most important goal of the Boating Industry Top ...

By David Gee The term “Movers and Shakers” was coined by Arthur O’Shaughnessy in his 1874 poem Ode. It is commonly used to describe those whose achievements are uncommon. For our purposes, the 9th annual Movers & Shakers Awards recognize innovative leaders and pioneers in the recreational boating industry who embrace the challenge of change. Their passion for boating, combined ...

By Adam Quandt We’ve highlighted our 2019 Mover & Shaker of the Year and three finalists – however there are many other industry leaders who continue to propel the industry forward across all segments day in and day out. The six leaders below aren’t afraid to make bold moves to advance boating by improving technology, growing its customer base, bringing ...

By David Gee So were all those deals good, bad or ugly for investors, employees, consumers and other stakeholders? That’s what we wanted to look at a year – or two – after several boat builders, an RV company, and a powersports company, went on a buying binge. Malibu buys Pursuit and Cobalt. MasterCraft buys Crest Marine and NauticStar. Correct ...

By Adam Quandt Builders aim to please the entire family with a new generation of fishing boats. Fishing around the country marked its highest number of participants since 2007 in 2018, leading to a reason for increased optimism across many manufacturers within the segment. The trend is only gaining popularity as fishing participation featured its 11th straight year of upward movement ...

By Matt Sellhorst Getting the most out of your email marketing is like getting the best performance from your boat. It requires more than just having lots of horsepower. Little tweaks like getting it propped just right, adjusting the trim or ballast, or even weight distribution all combine to deliver the best performance. A single mistake in one of the ...

By David Gee “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” American philosopher and psychologist William James wrote that in the early 1900’s. But it was British entrepreneur, philanthropist and philosopher Richard Branson who brought it to my attention in a blog post about the power of connections. “Across all my years ...

By Jonathan Sweet The Boating Industry Top 100 is a celebration of the best in the boating industry.  As we mark 15 years of recognizing the top boat dealers in North America, we’re not only celebrating the past, but also the future. You’ll notice some changes in this year’s program as we have listened to the feedback from dealers about ...

By Adam Quandt Over 60 marine educators recently gathered at the American Boat & Yacht Council’s (ABYC) headquarters in Annapolis, Md. for the inaugural ABYC Marine Service Technology: Educator Training Conference. The first-of-its-kind event over three days featured a variety of topics to support and encourage current and potential marine educators. “Participants in this conference spanned from a high school ...

(Hint)…create better content and tell better stories By David Gee The good news is it has never been easier to reach large numbers of people with our marketing and messaging due to the proliferation of social media platforms and other marketing channels. The bad news though is it has never been more difficult to actually connect with them…due to the proliferation of ...