Boat sales hit all-time high in Missouri

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. – Sales of new boats in Missouri have jumped to an all-time high, the Associated Press reported this morning in a story posted by the Kansas City Star on its Web site.

National Marine Manufacturers Association figures show new boat sales totaled $352 million last year in Missouri, up 9.2 percent from 2003, the first time the state ever amassed sales of more than $300 million, AP reported.

Missouri ranked 16th in the country last year for new boat sales.

At the Point Arrowhead Sea Ray dealership in Nixa, Mo., general manager John Montella told the Associated Press that higher-end boats are selling fastest. Many of those sales are to boaters moving to the Ozarks from California and the East Coast.

“People are moving in with a lot of money and they want to continue their boating lifestyle,” Montella said.

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