IBBI announces supplier award winners

West Frankfort, Ill. –  IBBI (Independent Boat Builders Incorporated) has awarded Dometic, of Pompano Beach, Fla., as the recipient of the fourth annual John “Walkabout” Sisson Memorial Innovation Award for their new Eskimo Cup, as announced at the recent IBBI meeting in St. Louis, Mo.

IBBI President Tom Broy, says, “We are happy to announce the 2015 John ‘Walkabout’ Sisson Innovation Award was presented to Dometic’s Eskimo Cup entry. Our members voted amongst several new products during our meeting earlier this month. We had great entries this year but Dometic’s Eskimo Cup really captured the innovative thinking that we look for to honor John Sisson. John ‘Walkabout’ Sisson served on the IBBI Board of Directors and on the Technical Committee while with Malibu and Bryant Boats. This is also an opportunity to reward a supplier for their innovative thinking and to display new products that drive our industry forward. Dometic’s Eskimo Cup is very unique in that your drink is staying cool on the boat simply from this specialized cup holder.”

“Dometic is thrilled that our thermoelectric cup holder, the Eskimo Cup, has been honored with an IBBI Innovation Award. A first in the marine industry, the Dometic Eskimo Cup brings a new element of luxury and comfort onboard, keeping drinks refrigerator-cold even on the hottest days,” said Ed Todd, director of national OEM sales, Dometic Marine. “A soda or beer may be cold enough when you pull it out of the ice chest, but from that moment on it starts warming up. Now, for the first time in the history of boating, your beverage will actually get colder as you drink it.”

Bill Liptak, Dometic product engineer and inventor of the Eskimo Cup, added: “When we developed the technology for the Eskimo Cup, we had a singular mission: to invent a cost-effective, easy-to-install device that would keep drinks cold without the need for ice or a cooler. Boaters can easily and affordably replace their standard four-inch cup holders with Eskimo Cups. We are delighted to announce to boaters that with this new thermoelectric cup holder, they never need to drink warm beer or soda again.”

IBBI also honored six other suppliers at the recent purchasing meeting. The award winners were chosen on the basis of a survey that IBBI members completed that rated suppliers in five key categories: product quality, delivery, technical service, customer service/warranty claims/returns and accurate invoicing.

ASA Electronics was awarded the overall Supplier of the Year distinction. Matt Wood, OEM account manager marine division says, “On behalf of ASA Electronics and the marine division, we would like to thank Tom Broy and his dedicated staff for their continued support. It has been our distinct privilege to work with the IBBI group and we are truly honored to have received the Supplier of the Year Award among so many worthy suppliers to the group. We’re looking forward to continued success within the group and are so appreciative for its members, who rank among the best boat builders in the country. We wouldn’t be here today without your partnerships. Thank you! We’ve got many exciting developments in the works and have already begun gearing up for next year!”

Lenco Marine and Composites One were also given Supplier of the Year honors. Both have been valued partners to IBBI for many years and have been at the top of the rankings many times.

IBBI also handed out Outstanding Partner Awards to companies that narrowly missed out on the top awards – Piedmont Plastics, Fin-Addict Marine and Inland Plywood. AcryliCo was named the Best New Supplier to the group.

“Our supplier base continues to strive to do better each year, raising the standards amongst them all. They exceed our expectations for the service level for our members,” says Broy. “Our award winners and their teams work very hard to support to our members. They understand the IBBI mission and are fully committed to making our contracts successful. It is an honor to be able to recognize their dedication with these awards.”

IBBI is celebrating 26 years in business this year and was originally founded by a group of independent, recreational boat builders to negotiate with suppliers on their behalf. Today, IBBI has 21 members in multiple locations.

For more information, please contact Jodi Sanders at jodi@ibbi.com.