Features

TAMPA, Fla. – Mark Schwabero, Chairman and CEO Brunswick Corp., has been named the 2018 Boating Industry Mover & Shaker of the Year. Boating Industry Editor-in-Chief Tim Hennagir presented Schwabero with the award during the IBEX Industry Breakfast Tuesday morning at the Tampa Waterside Marriott Hotel. “The 8th annual Movers & Shakers Awards recognizes leaders who haven’t been afraid to take chances ...

The 8th annual Movers & Shakers Awards recognize leaders who haven’t been afraid to take chances in rethinking the way they do business, while embracing the challenges facing the marine industry. These leaders are people whose initiative and drive shake up and better their companies and the entire industry. From product entrepreneurs to advocacy champions to leaders who continue to ...

By Adam Quandt We’ve profiled our four 2018 Movers & Shakers finalists, however many other industry leaders continue to push and work to grow the boating industry across all segments. The six leaders below are making bold moves to advance boating by growing its customer base, improving technology, bringing industry stakeholders together and raising the bar of professionalism for the ...

Evinrude Marine Group’s recently completed Edge events on lakes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota provided the engine manufacture with plenty of consumer data and dealer feedback about the company’s E-TEC G2 outboards. The summer-long event series also provided another opportunity. Since Evinrude is now a part of the newly established BRP Marine Group, boaters were able to test Manitou pontoons and ...

Marine workforce development and boating careers took center stage at the outset of last week’s Progressive Insurance Norwalk Boat Show. The Connecticut Marine Trade Association made a major announcement at an event-opening press conference Thursday morning at Norwalk Cove Marina. Dozens of students from high schools, technical schools and marine schools from throughout the region listened to marine engineering and ...

Oru Kayak, makers of the original origami-inspired folding kayak, has unveiled the Haven, an all new convertible tandem kayak. After years of customer request, Oru designers took on the challenge to create the company’s largest and most ambitious kayak design yet: a two-person origami-inspired kayak that can quickly and easily convert to single-person occupancy. The Haven is Oru’s largest kayak ...

Sea Tow Services International – started in 1983 by Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer in response to the U.S. Coast Guard’s decision to cease servicing boaters in non-emergency situations – celebrated 35 years in business on Sept. 3. A pioneer of the marine assistance industry, the Long Island-based company has since grown to more than 100 locations serving thousands of communities across ...

Lapsed boaters – individuals who have left the water or the boating lifestyle – represent a critical recapture segment within the industry’s online marketplace. An in-depth analysis of U.S. sales leads on three Boats Group sites conducted earlier this spring by Info-Link Technologies, Inc. continues to provide additional consumer data for this key sector. The firm evaluated more than 2.68 ...

Boat sales increased by almost 3.5 percent in July, according to the latest Info-Link Bellwether report. The Bellwether report tracks sales of powerboats across the country based on new U.S. boat registrations on a rolling 12-month basis. Bellwether states are geographically dispersed states representing roughly half of the U.S. boat market (varies by market segment and time of year). Boat ...

The Sea Tow Foundation – a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to the education and promotion of safe boating practices – has announced the launch of its newest social media campaign – a program it calls Vest Friends. Vest friends are two or more people wearing life jackets and sharing a photo or video of themselves on social media to promote life ...