News

Brunswick Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Navico, a global leader in marine electronics and sensors for $1.05 billion. As a result of this acquisition, Brunswick will add the industry leading brands of Lowrance, Simrad, B&G, and C-MAP to its Advanced Systems Group (ASG), which includes the leading Parts & Accessories (P&A) brands in power management, digital control ...

Recreational fishing and boating continues to reach new and diverse audiences according to a new industry study from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF). The 2021 Special Report on Fishing found that: 19.7 million females went fishing in 2020, a 10% participation increase in comparison with 2019. Youth and adolescent fishing skyrocketed last year, with 13.5 million youth ages 6 to 17 hitting the ...

Chief Strategy Officer of Correct Craft and President of Watershed Innovation will speak at the Marine Industry Innovation Summit on implementing innovation within organizations. Watershed Innovation exists to create a better tomorrow today for customers and is built on the idea of separating disruptive innovation from sustaining innovation. Over the past three years, Watershed Innovation has evolved by using three easy ...

Walstrom Marine announced that Continuum Ventures and Colony Marine are investing in the 75-year family run business as part of company’s long-term succession plan. Continuum Ventures, an investment management company for the Doug and Maria DeVos family, will assume a majority ownership stake in Walstrom Marine. Both Colony Marine, owned and operated by the Pete Beauregard family and the James ...

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson recently announced that the state will create an Office of Outdoor Recreation (OREC) within the state’s Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (ADPHT). The new office will be focused on developing new opportunities to showcase the state’s wide variety of outdoor activities, including boating, trail activities, and cycling. Arkansas is among the first southern state to ...

SmartPlug Systems LLC, manufacturer of safety-focused power delivery products for boats, RVs and specialty vehicles, announced it continues to expand by adding Andrew Lankford as a quality assurance engineer along with moving to a larger facility. The new location increases the company's manufacturing footprint by 40% to help keep pace with growing demand for its products. Tony Barber, CEO, made ...

Southern Marinas Holdings II, LLC, a partnership between a Denver-based private investment firm and Southern Marinas, announced the purchase of Ocean Isle Marina in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Located along North Carolina’s Intracoastal Waterway, Ocean Isle Marina is a full-service marina with best-in-class amenities providing the perfect home port for boaters looking for year-round storage and transient dockage. The marina ...

After spending years working as a part time on-water towboat captain on the waters off Southern California, Capt. Todd Dillman knew one day he wanted to have his own recreational boat towing business. The question was only where and when. “When I was out there, I fell in love with helping boaters get home safely and knew it was something ...

New product entries for the 2021 IBEX Innovation Awards are being accepted now through August 13. This year's awards will be presented during the industry breakfast taking place on the opening morning of IBEX - Tuesday, September 28 - at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street Hotel. Tickets are available for purchase during IBEX registration. All product entries can be ...

The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion recently held a hearing on the state of outdoor tourism, recreation, and ecotourism, noting the importance outdoor recreation has on local economies as communities recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. In opening remarks, Chairwoman Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) emphasized the role outdoor recreation plays in state economic development and ...