SeaDek sponsors MRAA retail compensation study
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced that SeaDek Marine Products has come on board to support MRAA’s efforts to field and finalize a retail compensation and benefits study.
As a manufacturer of non-skid, closed-cell EVA traction products, SeaDek has demonstrated a commitment to supporting the marine dealer body with its new membership with the MRAA and its participation in the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. SeaDek COO Serenity Gardner and VP of Marketing/Advertising Jason Gardner have also voiced a desire to help the industry work to solve its workforce issues.
“We talked with the SeaDek team about its sincere interest in supporting industry efforts on the workforce front as far back as the American Boating Congress event,” said Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “We’re honored to work alongside them on this compensation and benefits study, as one of our first steps in identifying and addressing the workforce issues our industry is faced with.”
This first-of-its-kind study has already seen participation from hundreds of retail outlets in the United States and Canada. The deadline to submit compensation data, which will be collected in confidence, is Dec. 15. Retailers have received an invite and two follow-up reminders to date. If they have not received an invite but would like to participate in this survey, contact Matt Gruhn at matt@mraa.com or 763-333-2421.
This compensation study follows the Workforce Assessment project conducted by MRAA, which outlined that, among other factors, one of the largest issues the marine industry faces in hiring and retaining employees is its ability to compete with the compensation rates of other industries.
“As a fast-growing U.S. manufacturer, hiring and retaining employees is an important issue we face every day. The only way to properly address a complex challenge such as this is with a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying factors at work,” said Jason Gardner. “We feel that this study will help our industry better comprehend and contend with the issues surrounding this problem.”
The survey itself asks dealers to provide some demographic information, such as geographic location, total revenue category, type of retail operation, employee benefits offered, and service rates, in addition to specific compensation data for 34 common job titles. MRAA partnered with Readex Research, a third-party firm that specializes in self-administered research methods, association research projects, and specifically, salary and benefits surveys to conduct the survey on MRAA’s behalf.
