The New Brunswick: A win for the independents?
June 30, 2004
Regardless of your feelings, Brunswick deserves respect for execution of its plans to consolidate over the past two years. The acquisitions of Lowe, Crestliner and Lund are but the latest moves toward a vertical integration, which includes boat and power production, parts/accessory distribution, and... Read more »
Canvas, fabric makers expect market to grow
June 30, 2004
The days of the musty, beige boat cover that began to rot seconds after it first met moisture are long gone. Synthetic fabrics and microporous membranes are helping companies in the canvas and fabrics segment of the boating industry offer consumers what they have long wanted in boat covers and other... Read more »
Converting Customers to dealer financing
June 30, 2004
My mentor Steve and I had separate offices that were connected by a sliding glass window. This window was designed so that we could pass documents to each other. It also served as a convenience for listening to what Steve was telling his customers. What better way for me to learn than to listen to his... Read more »
Nobody Asked Me, But … (Part II)
June 30, 2004
In my September/October column I addressed several industry issues that I thought deserved either “Darts” or “Laurels.” Sadly, some of these issues have refused to go away. So it’s Dart and Laurel time again. To those receiving Darts, they are not hazardous to your health … but if you continue... Read more »
Parading her success
June 30, 2004
Larson Boats never expected a Minneapolis brand building experiment to have a direct impact on sales – especially sales as far away as Massachusetts. But a few weeks after it floated a boat in the Minneapolis Gay Pride Parade, a dealer nearly 1,500 miles away reaped the rewards. A female customer decided... Read more »
Industry optimism continues
June 30, 2004
Having experienced a successful boat show season and strong start to the peak boating months, the marine industry continues to be optimistic about 2004 sales. Wholesale dollar sales of all boats were up 16.2 percent through February compared to prior year numbers, based on the February Monthly Shipment... Read more »
Boating Industry Index dips slightly
June 30, 2004
In the first quarter of 2004, the performace of the Boat Industry Stock Index was comparable to most major national stock indices, which took a tumble with reports of soft factory orders and a slowdown in job creation in the Midwest. Although overall business activity was up for the 11th-straight month... Read more »
NMMA PAC too small?
June 30, 2004
he National Marine Manufacturers Association has more than doubled the size of its Political Action Committee (PAC) fund over the past two years. However, Monita Fontaine says it still is much smaller than those of other industries our size. The money contributed to the PAC fund is donated only to members... Read more »
Will your dealership make The Cut?
June 30, 2004
If you’re a dealer who wants to set your business apart from the pack, you may soon have a new way to do it. The Grow Boating initiative launched by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and Transamerica last year now includes a fourth task force that addresses dealer sales and service, according... Read more »
Consumers flocking to new technology outboards
June 30, 2004
So far, 2004 has been a year of upheaval for the U.S. outboard market. For one, the sale of Genmar’s aluminum brands to Brunswick Corp. is likely to upset the balance of outboard market share in the industry. In the long-term, Mercury Marine is likely to capture that share, but some believe the outboard... Read more »
