Weekly 5: Xpress CEO to enter outdoor hall of fame
The BI Weekly 5 is a collection of tips, news and data affecting the boating industry this week. Be sure to look for the BI Weekly 5 every week on BoatingIndustry.com.
1. Xpress CEO to enter outdoor hall of fame
Rodney Herndon, CEO of Xpress Boats, will be inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame this week, the Hot Springs Sentinel Record reports.
Herndon joined Xpress Boats in 1979, when the company was owned by Kermit Bryant, his father-in-law.
“Rodney is an avid outdoorsman,” Chuck Dicus, president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, told the paper. “He values the same things that we do — outdoor conservation and activities. He was a perfect fit.”
2. Lower New Jersey boat tax paying dividends
The new, lower sales tax on boats is helping drive more boat sales, The Press of Atlantic City reported.
In December, Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill halving the sales tax rate to 3.5 percent and capping it at $20,000.
“It’s definitely been good for the economy in New Jersey. I’m sure it’s been a big part of why people are buying, and why people are buying locally,” Lou Piergross, the sales manager at South Jersey Yacht Sales told the paper.
3. New York assemblyman urges tougher BWI law
New York Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara is urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign legislation to toughen penalties for boating while drunk, the Albany Times Union reported.
The legislation, which would mandate judges consider previous drunken driving convictions when sentencing a defendant for boating while intoxicated. has passed both houses unanimously.
“This legislation would strengthen existing BWI laws as we have done on our roadways to address dangerous behavior and hold people accountable for their actions,” Santabarbara said in a prepared statement, the paper reported.
4. EPA opens anti-fouling paint testing method for public comment
NMMA reports that an important testing method that could benefit boaters and marinas faced with strict regulation of copper-based anti-fouling paint has been released for public comment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The saltwater biotic ligand model (BLM) is of particular interest in California, where regulators have set strict limits on dissolved copper in Marina del Rey and other basins, leading to restrictions on the use of copper-based paint, the association said.
5. Mercury Marine event garners consumer press coverage
Mercury Marine hosted a media event aimed at reaching non-boating media, which was also attended by Boating Industry. This article from Forbes is a prime example of the type of coverage the event helped attract.