Q&A: GE executive looks ahead
April 1, 2012
Kicking off the 2012 Miami International Boat Show, the GE Capital & NMMA Industry Leadership Conference featured an economic outlook by Rob Podorefsky, managing director of GE Capital Interest Rate Management Group. Podorefsky detailed what is ahead for the economy and what to watch for in 2012,... Read more »
MasterCraft talks QR code strategy
February 1, 2012
MasterCraft has been at the forefront of QR code technology in the marine industry. The manufacturer of the MasterCraft and Hydra-Sports boat brands employs QR codes in its advertising and encourages its dealer network to use the codes in their showrooms. Richie Brashears, programming service director... Read more »
Wisdom from the woman of the year
January 6, 2012
Jewell “Julie” Crowe joined the ranks of an elite group of marine industry executives who have received the honor of being named Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year at the 2011 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, held Nov. 6-9 in Orlando, Fla. Crowe, who serves as co-owner, secretary and treasurer... Read more »
Q&A: The Internet Inside and Out
July 29, 2011
The Web is always changing, and I’m sure Gordy’s online presence is as well. What new things are Gordy’s doing online? We are in the process of redoing our website. We should have a new site ready to launch this summer. Some of the areas that we are focusing on with the new site include more imagery,... Read more »
Q&A: Inventory’s new normal
July 8, 2011
Boating Industry: Following the recession, there’s been a lot of discussion of change, with talk of a “new normal.” How has your company changed and how do you view the changes in the marine market? Steve McKee: I would describe change within our company in terms of a more focused attitude and... Read more »
Q&A: Treating your employees right
May 16, 2011
Boating Industry: How many employees do you have on your team today? And how does that number compare to the same time last year? We are just hiring up to 225 employees versus a peak of about 450. Last year at this time, we had about 140. It is important to note that these numbers are meaningless, though,... Read more »
Q&A: Taking turns taking the lead
May 16, 2011
Boating Industry: How have you prepared your team to be successful in 2011? We went against the crowd a bit and purchased increased levels of inventory during 2010 and into 2011. While 2010 was our best year ever (sales volume and profit), we feel we are positioned even better for 2011. For the first... Read more »
Q&A: Selling your competitive advantage
April 19, 2011
Boating Industry: 2011 is a new year. How is your marketing strategy for this year different than past years and why? We will be focusing more on our Unique Selling Proposition at Pride — on-water locations. We have a unique advantage over most of our competitors, which is negated when we choose... Read more »
Q&A: Joel Bartlett of DECKadence Marine Flooring
March 29, 2011
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — From a distance, it looks like carpeting; up close it looks like fuzzy no-slip matting. In practice, it’s a combination of both: a non-slip deck cover for boats. The product, made by Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based DECKadence Marine Flooring, is an anti-slip boat deck covering... Read more »
Q&A: Budgeting for growth
March 14, 2011
Boating Industry editors spoke to Travis and Cathy Hayes, co-owners of Hayes Marine in Appling, Ga., about their perspective on the year ahead. Boating Industry: How do you expect the boating industry to perform in 2011? We are staffing and budgeting for a 15- to 20-percent increase in overall revenue,... Read more »
