Forward!

By Adam Quandt

Well, we’re just about halfway through the year, and what a year it’s been so far.

Have you checked in with yourself? Your family? Your colleague? Your team? Anyone else you can think of. If not, take a moment to catch up with everyone, including yourself. Look back at the first six months of the year. Look at the hurdles you’ve jumped, the adaptations you and your team have had to make, the innovation that’s occurred in these six months.

Now, take a breath. Then, let’s move forward as you all have continued to do through highs and lows, not just this year, but always.

We at Boating Industry continue to hear trends of strength across dealerships all over the country, especially within service and sales of used boats. You are not just moving your dealership forward, you all are moving the country forward through boating.

Top 100 Hall of Fame dealer OneWater Marine Inc. recently reported its third quarter results for the fiscal year, with a revenue increase in excess of 30% and same-store sales topping 25% compared to the year prior.

“As many summer activities that have historically competed for time on the water have been canceled, our customers are turning to boating as a safe, outdoor leisure activity that allows families to come together and maintain social distancing,” said Austin Singleton, CEO of OneWater.

Last month, we highlighted the 2019 No. 3 dealer on the Top 100 list, Marine Connection for its special sales promotion in service. This month, the dealer opened a brand new location in Stuart, Fla., the company’s sixth.

Things are moving forward here at Boating Industry as well. We are busying planning and prepping for another great year of the Elevate Summit and the Top 100.

With that being said, given the craziness that everyone has gone through (and many continue to go through) and all of the circumstances, we have decided to push the Top 100 application deadline back to Monday, August 17, 2020.

We know you’ve had to make plenty of changes around your dealerships, while many of you have been busier than ever, and we understand that completing the application may not have been at the top of your to-do list. However, we also know what this program means to the industry and your dealerships, and we certainly want to be able to highlight all of your hard work throughout the year.

All of the information for applying for Top 100 consideration can be found at www.boatingindustry.com/top-100/application.

Farewell

Continuing with the trend of moving forward, it is with mixed emotions that I announce that Jonathan Sweet has moved on from the Boating Industry team, to pursue a new endeavor in a different industry.

Jonathan drove Boating Industry, the Top 100 program and the Elevate Summit forward through his many years at the helm of the publication and all of its initiatives. In turn, his contributions continued to drive the entire industry forward through information, education and so much more.

We simply cannot thank Jonathan enough for everything he has done during his time with Boating Industry, the Top 100, the Elevate Summit and most importantly, the industry.

In moving forward, I am extremely excited to be taking on the role of Top 100 Program Director. When I began at Boating Industry, the Top 100 was one of my very first experiences in the industry — about one week into the job, to be exact. The program and what it means to the industry immediately energized me and I dove right in.

I’ve maintained that passion for the program each year since I began and I can’t wait to continue bringing this program further into the future. I look forward to celebrating your successes and providing more benefits to all of you through the Top 100.

I’ve already visited many of your dealerships and spent time connecting with a lot of you, but I can’t wait to connect with even more of you and welcoming new dealerships into the Top 100! Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out for anything, I certainly have an “open door” (ok, maybe, “open phone and email”) mentality and can’t wait to chat with all of you. 

Adam Quandt is the director of the Boating Industry Top 100 program and the managing editor of Boating Industry magazine.