Barletta Boat Company becomes newest MRAA Platinum Partner

Barletta Boat Company, LLC, manufacturers of Barletta Pontoon Boats, a new entry into the pontoon segment of the marine industry, has become the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’s newest Platinum Partner Member, the MRAA’s highest level of support.

“We are entering the marine business with an all-new approach to dealer and customer relations,” said Bill Fenech, president and co-owner of Barletta Boats. “As a longtime participant in the RV industry, the partnership we developed with our dealer network was absolutely the difference between being a good company and being a great company. It seems a natural starting point to engage with the MRAA and all that it does to support the growth and success of the marine industry dealer body. This is an important step for us to take.”

Based in Bristol, Ind., Barletta Pontoon Boats is the newest, and maybe the most anticipated, entry into the pontoon boat segment in years. President and co-owner Bill Fenech, a longtime boater, brings nearly 30 years of RV experience to Barletta. Bill, along with brother Ron and good friend Don Clark, was part of the ownership group that led Keystone RV Company to become the largest travel trailer and fifth wheel company in the world. In 2012, the three of them created Grand Design RV and led that company to $500 million in sales in just four short years.

With a customer-focused/dealer-centric approach, high quality products and truly partnering with the dealer network, GDRV achieved record setting scores from RV dealers on the Dealer Satisfaction Index survey. The success of GDRV, along with Bill’s experience and leadership, has provided a road-map for Barletta’s future. Bill is developing an all-star team of industry professionals to help him build a solid foundation for Barletta, with the goal of launching the company’s first model later this year.

“Bill and his team have demonstrated a passion for a dealer-centric approach to conducting business,” said Matt Gruhn, president of MRAA. “We are encouraged by the thinking that this business model has been built upon, and we’re very much looking forward to partnering with Barletta Boats on dealer development projects.”

Barletta Boat Company, LLC, joins a growing roster of boat manufacturers, vendors and suppliers that have chosen to support the dealer community through partnership with the MRAA. The support of these organizations enables MRAA to expand the products and services it offers to dealers, with the goal of providing them with more tools, resources and educational opportunities to fuel their success. Find a full menu of partner benefits on the MRAA website.