MasterCraft hands out annual dealer awards

ORLANDO, Fla. – At the 2004 MasterCraft Dealer Days, the inboard boat builder recognized the accomplishments of its dealer network, introduced the MasterCraft X-80 and unveiled a new company motto/marketing campaign — Held To A Higher Standard, the company reported in a recent statement.

“We had another tremendous Dealer Days,” said MasterCraft President & CEO John Dorton. “This meeting comes on the heels of an unbelievable summer, unmatched by any other year in our company’s history. The MasterCraft ProStar 190/197 towed 3 water ski world records, the X-Star was voted #1 wakeboard boat by WakeWorld.com riders and the MariStar 280 VLD earned Boating’s Boat of the Year award.”

The President’s Award, the company’s highest honor, was won by Holland, Mich.-based Action Water Sports (AWS) for the second year in a row.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Jerry Brouwer, AWS owner. “It’s pretty amazing because when we first started selling boats [in Holland, Michigan] the market hardly existed. I used to sit back and think even if we worked our butts off we’ll probably never be in the top-twenty because there are too many big metropolitan dealers that we won’t be able to compete with. I just really started to believe in controlling the controllables and maintaining a laser beam focus. Marketing to the right people and delivering outstanding customer service. Now everyone on our staff is a believer.”

In 2003 Action Water Sports opened a second location in Traverse City, Mich., was ranked #1 in service among MasterCraft’s Midwest dealers, was ranked #1 in marketing among MasterCraft’s Midwest dealers and was ranked #8 in national sales.

Other MasterCraft dealers were also recognized for their hard work and dedication to the brand. The Top 20 sales dealers nationwide, from No.1 to No. 20, were: Ski World USA; Cope & McPhetres, CA; California Skier; Portland Ski Boat Center; Pine Crest Marina; JOA Marine; Water Sports Marine; Action Water Sports; Darryl Moore’s Marine; Texas MasterCraft; Cope & McPhetres, WA; Utah WaterSports; Midwest MasterCraft; Desjardins Ste-Adele Marine; MasterCraft Boats of Arizona; Liquid Sports Marine; Ron’s Marine; Performance Marine; Williams Bros. Ski & Sports; and Travis Marine.

The Outstanding New Dealer was Nebraska Watersports, Papillion, Neb. The Top Servicing Dealer was Rambo Marine, Hazel Green, Ala. The Top Marketing Dealer was Texas MasterCraft, Dallas, Texas. The Top International Distributors were MasterCraft de Mexico – David Craig and MasterCraft Boat Co. of UK Ltd. – Ian Birdsall.

In the East Coast Region, the Top Servicing Dealer was Ron’s Marine, Mantua, Ohio; the Top Marketing Dealer was Buckeye Marine, South Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada; the Best Boat Show was Ron’s Marine – Cleveland Boat Show; the Salesperson of the Year was Jeff MacKay – Buckeye Marine, South Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada; and the Dealer on the Move was MasterCraft of Charlotte, Charlotte, N.C.

In the Midwest Region, the Top Servicing Dealer was Action Water Sports, Hudsonville, Mich.; the Top Marketing Dealer was Action Water Sports, Hudsonville, Mich.; the Best Boat Show was Midwest MasterCraft – Minneapolis Boat Show; the Salesperson of the Year was Deb Showley – Pine Crest Marine; and the Dealer on the Move was Pine Crest Marine.

In the Southeast Region, the Top Servicing Dealer was Rambo Marine, Hazel Green, Ala.; the Top Marketing Dealer was Liquid Sports Marine, Orlando, Fla.; the Best Boat Show was JOA Marine – Atlanta Boat Show; the Salesperson of the Year was April Williams – Williams Bros. Ski & Sports, Shell Knob, Mo.; and the Dealer on the Move was Rambo Marine, Hazel Green, Ala.

In the South Central Region, the Top Servicing Dealer was Texas MasterCraft, Dallas, Texas; the Top Marketing Dealer was Texas MasterCraft, Dallas, Texas; the Best Boat Show was Boat Town – Austin Boat Show; the Salesperson of the Year was Todd Overmire – Darryl Moore’s Marine, Houston, Texas; and the Dealer on the Move was Texas Ski Ranch, San Antonio, Texas.

In the West Region, the Top Servicing Dealer was MasterCraft Boats of Arizona, Phoenix, Ariz.; the Top Marketing Dealer was Cope & McPhetres, Rocklin, Calif.;the Best Boat Show was Portland Ski Boat Center – Portland Boat Show; the Salesperson of the Year was Mark Lawhead – Portland Ski Boat Center; and the Dealer on the Move was California Skier, Riverside, Calif.

Receiving Community All-Star Awards were MasterCraft of Charlotte, Charlotte, N.C.; Travis Marine, Knoxville, Tenn.; Ray Crenshaw, Tournament Team Coordinator, Southeast Region; Kowaliga Marina, Lake Martin, Ala.; Boatworks, Taylorsville, Ky.; MasterCraft Boats of Arizona, Phoenix, Ariz.; and Portland Ski Boat Center, Portland, Ore.

Over 120 MasterCraft dealerships from around the globe attended the company’s annual 4-day meeting at the Grand Cypress Hotel in Orlando. After the last of the awards were handed out, the next 3 days were focused on sales and customer service training, including seminars on The Power of the Brand: Boat Shows to Promotions, Customer Service, Virtual Factory Tour, Competitive Brands, Big Boats 101 and Online Boat Ordering.

Dealers were also invited to test drive 17 MasterCraft models and competitive brands at 2 nearby lakes. Those models included the new MasterCraft X-80, which is a wakeboard version of the MariStar 280 VLD with a liner ballast system and X-Series attitude, as well as a yet-to-be named product scheduled to premiere at the Miami International Boat Show on February 12.

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