Insights from Boating Industry’s Top 20 Dealers: Clemons Boats

While Clemons Boats has been serving the Sandusky, Ohio, area for nearly 60 years, the Clemons family’s legacy in the industry began about 80 years ago.

Jason Clemons, the current owner of the dealership, represents the fourth generation of marine business owners in his family. His great-grandfather opened a boat dealership in the 1940s, and in 1966, his grandfather forged his own path within the industry by founding Clemons Boats. By the 1990s, Jason’s father, aunts and uncles had all become involved in the family business.

“I’ve worked here my whole life,” Clemons said. “I stacked blocks, mowed grass, washed and buffed boats. Everything other than actually fixing a boat or motor, I’ve done here. I started selling boats in 2000 and took over operations in 2014.”

Today, Clemons Boats is ranked number 13 on Boating Industry’s 2024 Top Dealers list.

“The amount of work that we put in, people in the boating industry understand it, but customers don’t necessarily understand it,” Clemons said. “I think there’s a lot of pride that comes with being in the Top 20, knowing that, not only did we make the list, but we performed well enough to be in the Top 20. We took the time to make sure we’re doing things correctly. It means a lot.”

Finishing the year up

“Having the Top 100 logo on all our stuff definitely helps on the consumer side,” he added. “If you’re going up against someone who isn’t a Top 100 dealer, it definitely puts a feather in your cap.”

In today’s competitive market, every feather counts, and like many dealers, the Clemons team is working harder than ever to earn each sale. “This year was very turbulent,” Clemons said. “Obviously, Covid is over, so last year we had to remember that we’re not just going to be given sales.”

He said the team worked twice as hard compared to 2024 to keep units moving. “Our mantra here is ‘If you’re not growing, you’re dying,’” he said.

In terms of sales, he said the first quarter of 2025 was “good,” the second was “slow,” the third was “extremely good,” and the fourth has been “better than expected.” He expects the dealership to be up around 13 percent by year-end.

“In 2008, when the downturn hit, we learned really quickly that you don’t want to be caught with a bunch of low-end product when times are really tough,” he added. “We learned that the hard way.” The Clemons team is focused on offering premium boats and even hosting events geared towards those buyers.

Enhancing events

“[In 2026,] we’re going to be doing more in-person events targeted towards our high-end clientele,” he explained. “Think whiskey, cigar, red carpet type things.”

This year, Clemons Boats participated in four boat shows, hosted three in-water demo events and held its annual customer appreciation event, which drew about 350 attendees and raised nearly $18,000 for the Lake Erie Foundation.

“When I said we worked a lot harder this year to get the results we got, that’s a big part of what I meant,” Clemons said. “We did two more demo events and two more boat shows than we normally would, which obviously cost money, but you have to be out there in front of the people to get sales, and you have to be aggressive. I think a lot of people weren’t ready to do that this year and they got left behind.”

AI assistance

To stay ahead, the Clemons team also uses AI to streamline operations. “We’re looking at AI in a large way,” Clemons said. “Not to replace people but to make the people we have more productive.”

The team uses AI daily to improve communication with customers. “Overall, we are hoping that AI will greatly enhance the customer experience,” he said.

Clemons also uses AI to convert PDFs and other documents into usable data, saving the team hours of work, even after taking time to double-check for accuracy.

Clemons and the industry today

Clemons points to two major areas of opportunity for the marine industry: technology adoption and dealer- and customer-friendly warranty systems. He stated that AI has the potential to improve efficiency and productivity, emphasizing that those who don’t adopt it risk falling behind.

He also sees the need for a change in the manufacturing warranty process, which he noted is structured around protecting manufacturers more than serving customers. As a result, dealers often absorb costs to maintain customer satisfaction.

“It’s our 60th anniversary next year,” Clemons added. “We’re putting a lot of effort into pushing out the family dealership atmosphere that has been here for 60 years. So that marketing and the AI aspect is a big push.

“We’re also putting a very large internal focus on our service and storage and parts departments, knowing that if sales dip, we need to rely on those departments more heavily. So we’re investing a lot of time, effort, capital, people and equipment in the service and storage area.”