Features

By David Gee With a history dating all the way back to 1930, when the first “inboard/outboard” was introduced by Johnson Motor Company, the sterndrive space has seen constant investment, improvement and innovation. And that continues today, especially since the pandemic drove a record rise in boat sales, and perhaps reinvigorated the sterndrive category. “We’ve continued to see consistent demand ...

By Adam Quandt While many parts of the country deal with snow and freezing temperatures, it’s hard to think about the coming warm months and another season of personal watercraft riding and selling. But that’s exactly what powersports dealers are doing, after an unprecedented year of PWC sales last year. The most recent statistics from the National Marine Manufacturers Associations ...

In an effort to further boost its students’ endeavors to launch their careers when they graduate, The Landing School in Arundel, Maine, has dedicated a section of its website to videos and resumes showcasing its student body. The Student Resume pages include short clips of each participating student discussing their ideal job and their experience, with a resume available under ...

By Adam Quandt The show must go on. Much like nearly every other association in the boating industry, the Association of Marina Industries (AMI) was faced with a tough decision in its annual AMI Conference & Expo (formerly known as the International Marina and Boatyard Conference and Expo, or IMBC). As the global pandemic continues, AMI made the decision to ...

When we told Dan and David Bair, the second-generation owners and operators of Quality Boats of Tampa, they won the Top 100 Dealer of the Year Award for the second year in a row, our most immediate question was how does it feel? “It feels just as exciting the second time as the first,” saidDan enthusiastically. Enthusiasm is something that ...

Now in its 16th year, the Boating Industry Top 100 truly continues to celebrate the best of the best. There’s simply no denying that 2020 has been a different year to say the least and while the 2020 Top 100 is decided on 2019 results and data, the current year certainly shaped how the program ran for this year, including ...

Galati Yacht Sales — Anna Maria, Fla.Gordy’s Lakefront Marine — Lake Geneva, Wis.MarineMax — Clearwater, Fla.OneWater Marine Holdings — Buford, Ga.Prince William Marine — Woodbridge, Va. The Boating Industry Top 100 Hall of Fame recognizes dealers who have won the coveted Dealer of the Year award twice. These companies support the Top 100 program through their continued excellence and growth. ...

By Adam QuandtTop 100 Program Director, Managing Editor Jerry's Majestic MarineLake Geneva, WI For those looking for a humble beginnings story, one doesn’t need to go any further than Jerry’s Majestic Marine in Walworth, Wisconsin. In 1984, after being out of work, Jerry Oglesby — a mechanic by trade since the age of 16 — painted the side of his ...

By David GeeEditor-in-Chief FB Marine GroupFort Lauderdale, FL Teamwork makes the dream work! If you spend much time around Kim Sweers, or her husband Randy, who together co-own and operate Florida’s FB Marine Group, you will no doubt hear that statement a lot. You can see the slogan on their website and sprinkled around their dealership locations. It’s also apparent, ...

By Mark Overbye Setting speed, capacity and size records, the straight-deck bulk carrier Edward L. Ryerson plied the Great Lakes for over 50 years. At its completion, the steamer was 730 feet long, containing four cargo holds and reaching a service speed of 16.75 miles per hour. Its crew totaled 37, and it could accommodate eight additional guests, in lavish ...