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CHICAGO – Grow Boating Inc. will extend the $1,500 subsidy it offered dealers last year to become certified under the Marine Industry Dealership Certification Program through the remainder of 2007, the organization said in a press release yesterday.
The extension underwrites a portion of program costs, in an effort to foster its ongoing success.
“Grow Boating’s continued support of Dealership Certification has been a tremendous boost for the program,” said Phil Keeter, Marine Retailers Association of America president and vice president of Marine Certification Inc., the governing body that oversees the dealership certification program. “By the close of 2006, 421 dealerships were enrolled in the program, 165 of which had achieved Marine Industry Certified status. And just three months into 2007, the number of certified dealerships has risen to nearly 200. Grow Boating’s ability to subsidize a portion of certification costs for a second consecutive year will only continue attracting new dealerships to the program.”
The full cost for dealerships to become certified under the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program is $3,995 per dealership.
In addition to Grow Boating’s contribution, 23 boat manufacturers have offered various incentive and financial support programs to encourage their dealers to pursue marine industry certification. Several state and local marine trade associations have organized and hosted dealership certification launch workshops, the first step in the certification process.
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