"The backbone of this thriving sector is a growing workforce that meets the dynamic needs of today’s fast-paced industry,” said Jessica Turner, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable President. “Right now, there are so many high-quality jobs that exist across the outdoor recreation industry for professionals with a variety of skillsets that provide outstanding lifelong careers.”

As folks continue explore the great outdoors to boat, fish, hunt, hike and recreate, the stress on the outdoor recreation workforce magnifies, with many sectors experiencing severe workforce shortages. For example, a 2019 survey of MRAA members found that there was a surplus of 31,000 job openings at the marine dealerships alone. A combination of an aging workforce, lack of established career pipelines and lack of awareness of the great jobs available in the outdoor industry have generated these unfilled roles.

The report, which MRAA Director of Workforce and Foundation Development, Wendy Mackie, contributed to, takes a deep dive into the career opportunities in the $689 billion outdoor recreation sector. It elucidates how these jobs can provide an outstanding quality of life, upward mobility and connect workers to the outdoors.

“It was an honor to work with the ORR, OSU CORE and others in the Outdoor Recreation Industry on this report” said Wendy Mackie, MRAA Director of Workforce and Foundation Development. “The release of this report is very timely, as we are laser focused on improving and bolstering the workforce in the recreational boating industry. Thanks to the work and focus of ORR, the boating industry at large is now well positioned to showcase our economic impact and garner further support on our workforce development efforts.”

Outdoor Recreation Workforce Report Highlights
• Deep and Diverse Jobs: The report illustrates the breadth, depth, and diversity of the outdoor recreation industry workforce, which totals over 4.3 million good jobs that help develop economies, increase rural prosperity, improve public health outcomes and quality of life, and promote environmental stewardship and conservation. The report organizes outdoor jobs into three categories: “Technical Specialists,” “Participant-Facing,” and “Integrators” to help the public understand the types of career paths for people with and without higher academic degrees.

• High-Quality Career Opportunities: The report also seeks to clear up misconceptions among the public and policymakers about the types and diversity of jobs in the outdoor recreation economy.

As a newly organized sector — including well over 110,000 small, medium and Fortune 500 businesses across America — many professional and technical careers in the outdoors are unseen or unknown by the public. Most participants in outdoor recreation activities only interact with consumer-facing employees, including retail and hospitality staff members, guides and outfitters, parking and campground attendants, and concessionaires who sell food, beverages, supplies and souvenirs at recreation hot-spots. While these important jobs certainly make up a segment of jobs in the outdoor recreation economy, there are also millions of professional and technical, full-time positions across the sector that are lesser known and provide competitive wages and meaningful careers. Today’s report helps illustrate the breadth of these roles.

• Outdoor Recreation is a Growth Industry: Multiple factors have converged to drive the significant growth in the outdoor recreation industry in recent years, with the corresponding increase in the number of jobs throughout the country, including in rural areas which are transitional from extractive and other industries and focusing more on recreation.

Finally, ORR also debuted a new Career Path module to help meet real people in the outdoor recreation industry. This digital resource features professionals across the outdoor recreation industry telling their stories about:
• How they arrived in their current roles.
• What they appreciate about their work/life balance.
• The advice they have for prospective workers who want to emulate their journey.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

In addition to on-water assistance, the franchise network handles salvage and recovery missions, and responds to natural disasters, environmental hazards, and oil spill cleanups. Visit seatow.com to learn more.

“Along with the massive size of the pre-owned boat market — one that saw 1.1 million units sold in 2021 — comes massive potential for dealers to capitalize on opportunities within this $10 billion segment of the marine industry,’” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA President of Education. “Dealers can fuel their bottom line and diversify their revenue by creating an effective process for securing, servicing, marketing and selling pre-owned inventory. With proper pre-owned boat system in place, businesses can set themselves up for long-term stability.”

To help dealers overcome hurdles and to enhance their current pre-owned boat market efforts, MRAA has built a designated landing page complete with new tools and custom content. The page — MRAA.com/PreOwnedSuccess — provides members and non-members educational resources and content in the form of dealer conversations, articles and blogs, expert interviews, informational videos and more. The content is designed to be evergreen, like all the MRAA Spotlight pages, so site visitors can bookmark the page and revisit the topics to help them work through current issues.

In addition to the Pre-Owned Boat Market Spotlight page, the MRAA also has created “The Ultimate MRAA Guide to the Pre-Owned Boat Market” and a pre-owned boat market article series. They are filled with expert analysis, tactics and implementable processes that will help MRAA members navigate all of the unknowns and capture the business they deserve. Furthermore, MRAA launched its Certified Pre-Owned Boat Market Program this year to provide dealers and their customers with the confidence they each deserve in buying (and selling) pre-owned boats. This exclusive CPO program provides a proven process, quality third-party inspections and analysis, and a direct pathway for dealers to both differentiate their inventory AND make a sizable margin.

“Focusing on the pre-owned boat market offers dealers a competitive advantage and a chance to capture new customers,” said Jason Walz, MRAA Director of Programs. “The MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program eliminates some of the guess work for marine retailers by providing a universal standard for fluid testing, boat history documentation and inspection that will clearly differentiate a dealership’s used boat inventory from non-certified inventory and private sellers. In turn, both dealers and their customers gain confidence in the certified pre-owned boat process, while retailers can add to their much-needed profit center.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

HF 4356, introduced by Representatives Davnie, Hansen, Ecklund, Noor, Jordan, Sandstede and Vang, would move forward with recommendations from the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Task Force and create Minnesota’s first Office of Outdoor Recreation. The office will be instrumental in strengthening Minnesota’s outdoor recreation economy, bolstering the workforce and creating more opportunities for residents and visitors. Outdoor recreation in Minnesota is a major economic driver, generating $8.4 billion, or 2.2 percent, of the state’s GDP and provides for nearly 11,000 jobs at almost 700 individual businesses. However, the most conducive method to continue growing this forceful sector is through improvements on the outdoor workforce and increased access to recreational opportunities.

“After serving as a member on the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Task Force, which recommended the creation of an office, it is uplifting to see the introduction of HF 4356,” says Gruhn. “The sponsors of this bill deserve thanks for being champions of policy that will help grow and strengthen our state’s already robust outdoor recreation economy.”

Currently, 18 states have an office of outdoor recreation and have experienced massive improvements in their outdoor recreation economies. These offices are instrumental in developing the workforce, increasing access and providing more resources to both businesses and recreational enthusiasts. The work done by an OREC office will have compounding effects and not only benefit visitors and tourists but also residents of the state.

“The outdoor recreation economy — driven by recreational boating and fishing across 39 states and D.C. — has shown its resiliency and strong economic contributions across Minnesota, generating $8.4 billion in economic impact in 2020 alone, despite uncertainty and pandemic-related closures,” said Jill Sims, Great Lakes Region Policy and Engagement Manager, National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “As Minnesotans continue to explore the great outdoors and re-discover the joy of time spent on our waters, we encourage the legislature to establish an office of outdoor recreation to build upon the state’s storied outdoor legacy and commitment to leverage our natural resources.”

Friday, March 25, The House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy HF4356 was laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Bill. If you are interested in supporting HF4356, or have any questions, contact Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager at Chad@mraa.com, or 978-569-5127.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

The genesis of the study came out of a summer 2021 meeting that the MRAA Executive Committee held with its colleagues on the National Marine Manufacturers Association Executive committee, and specifically upon review of data supplied by MRAA’s partners at Lightspeed DMS. That data showed that industry repair cycle times, or the amount of time it’s taking to get customer boats serviced and back on the water, was exceeding industry expectations and only worsening.

“Today’s most significant metric when it comes to monitoring the boat ownership experience comes down to the repair event cycle times,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “With a pandemic-inflamed perfect storm of issues on dealership service departments – impacted by technician shortages, supply chain issues and unprecedented demand – it has become critical for us to not only benchmark where we’re at as an industry but also to begin showcasing opportunities on how the industry can collaborate to begin implementing new approaches to getting customers back on the water more quickly.”

The study was sparked by the collection and publishing of Repair Event Cycle Times, or RECT, which when presented to the two associations’ executive committees showed that it was taking more than 50 days, on average, to service and return boats to customers. In the event of warranty work, data showed that it’s taking more than 70 days to repair boats.

Last fall, MRAA convened a work group of dealers, manufacturers and suppliers to begin addressing the issues and identifying solutions for reducing RECT. The results of that and subsequent conversations has transitioned into a focus MRAA will place on helping the industry improve its repair cycle times.

“I just love looking at what it takes to flip the switch from more of a reactive service department to more of a proactive service department operation,” says Valerie Ziebron of VRZ Consulting, who moderated the RECT strategy meeting. “When we’re talking about Repair Event Cycle Times, we’re talking about customers waiting for their boats. Ideally, we should be asking how we can make sure that we are fast tracking or expediting our service work when we can. We can be training our service writers and technicians to be looking for opportunities to get more work done more quickly and boats back in the hands of their customers. This study, the workshop and other subsequent conversations are already bringing ideas to the forefront.”

For those interested in viewing the full results of this survey, you can find them under the Free Resources Tab at www.MRAA.com/improveRECT. On this page, viewers will find numerous resources and opportunities to help them improve upon the repair event cycle times that challenge their profitability, CSI scores and overall customer experience.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Valerie Ziebron President VRZ Consulting
Valerie and her team have decades of experience helping marine dealerships learn and adopt more proactive process. www.vrzconsulting.com

“Participating in this event is a huge opportunity for MRAA’s new program because it’s also the first time pre-owned boats have been on display at the Seattle Boat Show,” says Walz. “We will be able to use the excitement and momentum generated by this new boat show feature to educate both dealers and consumers about the advantages of the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program. In today’s supply-constrained marketplace, pre-owned boats offer a potential solution for dealers with low inventory levels. The new boat inventory shortage can also make pre-owned boats an attractive option for consumers. When a boat earns certification status, the boat buyer can have peace of mind, knowing the boat has passed the program’s rigorous criteria.”

Unveiled in December at Dealer Week 2021 in Austin, Texas, the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program is designed to create a better pre-owned boat experience for both dealers and customers. For buyers, it generates a level of unmatched trust between them and the dealer. Marine retailers gain confidence in locating, evaluating, marketing and selling quality pre-owned units using the program’s proven process. With backing from Titan Certified and Boat History Report, the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program adds a level of third-party verification to give both buyer and seller peace of mind, which enriches the boat ownership experience.

“For the first time in its 75-year history, the Seattle Boat Show is featuring a display dedicated to pre-owned boats from a variety of dealers,” says Katy McPhail, Seattle Boat Show Director. “We’re very excited that MRAA will be there on opening weekend, Feb. 4-6. Our goal is to educate boaters on the different advantages of buying new or pre-owned so they can make the decision with confidence.”

About MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program
The MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program is owned and operated by MRAA Dealer Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. Through a licensing agreement, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas provides MRAA Dealer Solutions and the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program with marketing and staffing support. MRAA Dealer Solutions’ supporters include: MRAA, Titan Certified and Boat History Report. For more detailed information on the program, visit www.CPOBoats.com, or contact Jason Walz at 315-256-2878 or jason@mraa.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Titan Certified
Formed in 1996, Titan Certified of Bellingham, Washington, has developed, for all industries, the ability to economically certify a vehicle that will comply with ASTM/OEM standards. We are the founder and leader in used vehicle lab testing for the automotive industry, with over 800,000 vehicles tested in the United States and over 20,000 internationally. Titan Certified Pre-Owned Testing Programs are the only programs in the United States and Canada that precisely determine the “real time” internal condition of an engine and transmission. For more information, call 360-334-9350; titancertified.com

About Boat History Report
Boat History Report is the leading provider of boat background data and information, serving used boat buyers, sellers, dealers/brokers, marine surveyors, law enforcement and finance and insurance companies. Founded in 2005 and based out of Florida, Boat History Report has amassed over 120 million unique records and more than 1.4 million significant negative events. On average, Boat History Report finds that 1 in 17 used boats has a significant negative event in its history — a startling statistic that reinforces the importance of having this information. As the most trusted resource for watercraft history information, Boat History Report helps its clients make better lending and purchasing decisions and has become an essential step in the used boat buying process. For more information, please visit BoatHistoryReport.com or email us at info@boathistoryreport.com.

About Seattle Boat Show
The West Coast's Largest Boat Show, the Seattle Boat Show is held Feb. 4-12, 2022, at Lumen Field Event Center & Bell Harbor Marina. The Seattle Boat Show, celebrating its 75th anniversary, is presented by Union Marine and sponsored by Basta Boatlifts, S3 Maritime, Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, Peoples Bank, Golden Boatlifts and City Loo. For specific details about hours, exhibitors, seminars and attractions, visit www.SeattleBoatShow.com.

Mike Davin has been promoted to Vice President of Business Planning. In three years at MRAA Davin has helped to craft and enhance MRAA’s brand messaging, marketing and awareness within the marine industry, overseeing the organization’s annual Dealer Week conference and expo as well as the functions of MRAA’s sales and marketing teams. In his new role, Davin will be responsible for creating and overseeing the execution of MRAA’s overall business plan.

Allison Gruhn, who started with MRAA in 2017 as Director of Business Development, has been elevated to Vice President of Business Development. Gruhn has significantly advanced MRAA’s partner relationships and involvement and simultaneously helped drive the growth of partner memberships, programs and Dealer Week conference and expo engagement. She will expand her role by leading a growing team of sales professionals and their focus on customer service and relationship development.

Katie Eichelberger, who began her career at MRAA in the summer of 2017, has been promoted to Marketing Manager. Eichelberger has served as the point person for marketing the MRAA’s annual conference, Dealer Week. In her new role, Eichelberger will take on responsibility for creating even greater efficiency and effectiveness with MRAA’s marketing team and marketing efforts.

Sarah Korbel has been promoted to Events and Operations Manager. Korbel, a self-described resource collector, people connector and maker of moments, has been with MRAA since the fall of 2018. In her nearly four years, Korbel has led MRAA’s efforts with event planning and logistics as well as vendor relationships related to Dealer Week, successfully helping to reinvent the event’s execution in each of the last three years. Her new role will ask her to take on more leadership with those responsibilities.

Having joined MRAA in 2019, Cecelia Pallotto has been promoted to Online Education Manager. Over the last couple years, Pallotto has excelled as the “Ask the Expert” Webinar series host, and has taken the lead with creating courses for MRAA’s Continuous Certification Curriculum as well as contributing to MRAA’s strong educational programming. In her new role, Pallotto will assume responsibility for driving greater value and engagement in MRAA’s online education efforts, including both MRAATraining.com and Dealer Week online. 

“At the MRAA, our No. 1 priority is to recruit, hire, onboard and grow the best possible team of marine industry professionals,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “These incredible teammates have helped MRAA achieve new heights in our many programs and services, and it is truly a pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity to recognize their commitment to MRAA’s mission and vision of serving our industry through these promotions.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

“I feel extremely honored by this recognition and am proud to be ranked among 99 other amazing women in powersports,” says Keener. “It has been exciting to be a part of the launch of NPDA. I look forward to working with the association again at AIMExpo and going forward, as they grow their resources for their powersports dealers, as MRAA does for marine dealers.”

AIMExpo, open only to dealers and industry professionals, provides the powersports industry an immersive experience by creating a platform for brands, dealers, distributors, manufacturers, media outlets and influencers to gather, engage and learn about important issues within powersports. AIMExpo says powersports generates more than $39.9 billion US dollars in consumer spending each year.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see Liz recognized for her deep commitment to the dealer community, which has been integral to her success in the marine and powersports industries,” says Liz Walz, MRAA Vice President. “On behalf of all of us at MRAA, we congratulate Liz on this accomplishment and extend our salutations to all the other influential women named Dealernews Top 100 Women in Powersports.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Mackie brings to the MRAA a long history of workforce development expertise. Wendy’s roots are in youth and workforce development, non-profit leadership, alternative education and entrepreneurship. In 2006, Wendy aligned her work with the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association centering her work around the creation and implementation of best practice industry training programs for youth and new workers. In 2014, Wendy spearheaded the development of the Composites Alliance of Rhode Island to better serve the industry’s manufacturing sector and in 2018, the MRAA, along with its partners at the National Marine Manufacturers Association, turned to Mackie to author a marine industry strategy for growing its workforce. That “10+1” strategy included local, state and national tactics businesses can use to strengthen their workforce, and the “Plus 1” represented a recommendation that the industry appoint someone to lead the marine industry’s national workforce efforts.

“The hiring of Wendy Mackie is that strategy coming to life,” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “For years, our members have struggled to find, hire and develop their workforce – the most critical part of their business. Wendy Mackie brings the highest level of expertise in workforce development that our industry knows, and we are thrilled to have her join our team.”

The board of directors at the MRAA Educational Foundation, which is a separate entity from the MRAA trade association, has endorsed Mackie’s comprehensive workforce development plan, which calls for a focus on the development of regional sectoral partnerships to address our industry’s most pressing demand-driven workforce challenges, like the engine technician shortage. The creation of these community-based coalitions mirrors best practice programming currently being supported by state and national funding streams. By instituting this model in regions across the country, the boating industry will have access to the workforce they need, where they need it, when they need it.

“The key,” according to Mackie, “is to tap into the dedicated workforce development funding streams in each area to ensure the training programs developed are sustainable. The money is there; we just need to show there is demand for the workers and that our industry’s employers will hire them. That’s where MRAA’s focus on this front will give us the platform to be successful.”

“Wendy understands the nation’s workforce development system and the needs of the marine industry,” says Jeff Siems, president of the MRAA Educational Foundation. “Our industry is going to benefit from her ability to connect the two. The MRAA Educational Foundation Board is thrilled to have Wendy leading the workforce development charge for our industry.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

About MRAA Educational Foundation
The MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation, was founded in 2004 to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine industry. The Educational Foundation is dedicated to the growth of the marine industry through workforce development. For more information or to donate to support the foundation’s mission, visit MRAA.com/foundation.

Twenty-one dealerships qualified for recognition by earning an overall score of 90 percent or better on the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program’s annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. Administered anonymously through the MRAA, the survey
 asks employees of Certified Dealerships to answer 32 ranking questions about overall satisfaction regarding their unique dealership’s customer relations, employee satisfaction, leadership, management and reputation.

“Earning the acknowledgement
 as a Great Dealership to Work is no simple task. It means all these dealerships unequivocally invest in their employee’s satisfaction levels to cultivate an environment that is both motivating and morale boosting,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification
 Manager. “This past season produced many unforeseen challenges that required dealership personnel to meet extremely high consumer demands in spite of industry supply shortages and delays.”

Of those participating, 21 dealerships qualified
 to be named a Great Dealership to Work For. The 2021 recipients are:

1. Breath’s Boats & Motors, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi*
2. Tracker Marine Boating Center, in Mitchell, South Dakota
3. Regal & Nautique of Orlando, in Orlando, Florida*
4. Clark Marine, in Manchester, Maine
5. Off Shore Marine, in Branchville, New Jersey*
6. Wakeside Marine, in Elkhart, Indiana
7. 3A Marine Service, in Hingham, Massachusetts
8. All Seasons Marine Works, in Rowayton, Connecticut*
9. Tracker Marine Boating Center, Memphis, Tennessee
10. Mount Dora Boating Center, in Mount Dora, Florida

11. Desmasdon’s Boatworks, in Pointe Au Baril, Ontario*
12. Tracker Marine Boating Center, in North Houston, Texas
13. Action WaterSports, in Fort Worth, Texas
14. Tri-State Marine, in Deale, Maryland
15. River City Boat Sales, in Aurora, Oregon
16. Tracker Marine Boating Center, in Monroe, Louisiana

17. Action WaterSports in Mesa, Arizona
18. Buckeye Sports Center, in Peninsula, Ohio*
19. Tracker Marine Boating Center, in Harlingen, Texas
20. Tracker Marine Boating Center, in Longview, Texas
21. Tracker Marine Boating Center, in Islamorada, Florida*
* Denotes recipients/locations earning back-to-back (2020/2021) recognition

“This year especially in such a challenging workforce market, it’s evident that more Certified Dealers are committed to enhancing
 their employee satisfaction levels through the establishment of strong employee processes,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We are inspired by the tactics these leading dealerships have used to nurture great cultures to become our industry’s greatest
 dealerships to work for.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong
 and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us
 at 763-315-8043.

Over the past two years, the MRAA consulted with marine industry dealers, manufacturers and suppliers across the United States and Canada to create the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program and help dealers capitalize on the $10 billion pre-owned boat market. The program’s criteria and deliverables offer marine dealers across North America proven processes and tools to help them overcome the obstacles in the pre-owned market. The MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program seeks to help dealers grow their pre-owned boat business and increase sales while providing greater confidence in their boat-buying and selling processes.

“The MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program offers a proven approach to delivering confidence in the boats that dealers buy and sell,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Available to all dealers across North America and eligible for the majority of boat brands on the market, the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program helps dealerships strengthen a much-needed profit center in their business, establish superior levels of trust with new and existing customers, and enjoy peace of mind at each step along the way.”

The MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program outlines, for dealers, a five-part analysis of each boat. It begins with age and manufacturing certification eligibility — the boat must be less than 10 years old and must have been originally Certified by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Then, MRAA produced an all-new, comprehensive 130-point inspection form, offered in both hard copy and digital format. The inspection must demonstrate that the boat does not have any required repairs necessary.

If the boat passes those checkpoints, MRAA engages its two partners — Boat History Report and Titan Certified — to offer third-party validation of the quality and condition of the boat. Boat History Report provides an in-depth review of the history of the vessel, and in order to qualify for MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat status, the boat’s history must show “no negative incidences.” And the core of the program engages Titan Certified, which conducts a thorough fluid analysis, or DNA “blood test,” analyzing fluid samples from the engine and transmission to determine if they each independently achieve the “pass,” “fail,” or “pass with fluid change” designation. By achieving a “pass” or “pass with fluid change” designation, the boat becomes an MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat and is awarded a 55-hour or three-month, Limited Guarantee.

“The MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program establishes industry benchmarks within the pre-owned boat market to help dealers differentiate their pre-owned inventory and give them the ability to capture more business,” says Jason Walz, MRAA Director of Programs. “The trusted, third-party verification and approval process offers a win-win, providing dealers with an optimal program to find greater confidence and profitability in their pre-owned business, while offering customers peace of mind in the buying process, knowing they are working with a dealer that engages this proven MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat process.”

The new program has an initial start-up fee of $215 for enrollees, which includes fluid testing materials and supplies. MRAA Certified Dealers and members receive reduced rates for per boat/engine testing costs, but even non-members can participate for less than $300 per boat and one engine.

MRAA Dealer Week 2021 attendees can visit the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Pavilion (booth #3060) featuring Boat History Report (booth #3060A) and Titan Certified (booth #3060B) at the in-person event Dec. 6-9, in Austin, Texas.

For more detailed information, complete pricing, warranty options and to enroll in the program, visit www.CPOBoats.com, or contact Jason Walz at 315-256-2878 or jason@mraa.com.

About MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program
The MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program is owned and operated by MRAA Dealer Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. Through a licensing agreement, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas provides MRAA Dealer Solutions and the MRAA Certified Pre-Owned Boat Program with marketing and staffing support.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.


About Titan Certified 

Formed in 1996, Titan Certified of Bellingham, Washington, has developed, for all industries, the ability to economically certify a vehicle that will comply with ASTM/OEM standards. We are the founder and leader in used vehicle lab testing for the automotive industry, with over 800,000 vehicles tested in the United States and over 20,000 internationally. Titan Certified Pre-Owned Testing Programs are the only programs in the United States and Canada that precisely determine the “real time” internal condition of an engine and transmission. For more information, call 360-334-9350; titancertified.com

About Boat History Report

Boat History Report is the leading provider of boat background data and information, serving used boat buyers, sellers, dealers/brokers, marine surveyors, law enforcement and finance and insurance companies. Founded in 2005 and based out of Florida, Boat History Report has amassed over 120 million unique records and more than 1.4 million significant negative events. On average, Boat History Report finds that 1 in 17 used boats has a significant negative event in its history — a startling statistic that reinforces the importance of having this information. As the most trusted resource for watercraft history information, Boat History Report helps its clients make better lending and purchasing decisions and has become an essential step in the used boat buying process. For more information, please visit BoatHistoryReport.com or email us at info@boathistoryreport.com.

The panel, which provided a status updates on the current state of the outdoor industry, was hosted by Lindsay Davis, Vice President of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and featured Cassie Gasaway,
 Communications Manager for the Archery Trade Association, and Andria Yu, Director of Media Relations for the Motorcycle Industry Council, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America.During the panel,
 speakers highlighted the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the outdoor recreation industry and the challenges and opportunities this presented. According to a survey conducted by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable during the pandemic, 89 percent
 of the businesses surveyed had trouble with production and distribution.

Furthermore, 79 percent of these businesses have laid off or furloughed a portion of their workforce. Although the pandemic did stifle trade shows and create challenges for production distribution, more Americans recreated outdoors during the pandemic.

Fishing, hunting, and recreational boating all experienced massive increases in participation throughout the pandemic, with boating in particular soaring to all-time highs. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association new boat sales, which
 reached a 13-year high in 2020, remained at elevated levels with sales through March of 2021, up 30 percent compared to 2020. Additionally, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation Special Report on Fishing found that from 2019 to 2020, there
 was a net increase of 4.6 million fishing participants, and that the fishing participation rate rose to 18 percent of the U.S. population.

Panel attendees primarily featured writers in the outdoor space but also consisted of representatives from State Tourism Departments like New York and Vermont. During the panels question-and-answer session, the panelists discussed a variety of topics,
 ranging from inquiries about the diversity and equity initiatives in the outdoor space to current priorities of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.

“It was so wonderful to meet writers, photographers, and other media experts in the outdoor space and share with them an update on the outdoor recreation economy,” noted Tokowicz. “It is my hope that we can work closer with OWAA members in the future
 and provide them additional resources and information to take their understanding of boating, fishing and all outdoor recreational pursuits to the next level.”

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong
 and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

“I would like to thank the Department of Revenue for working with stakeholders in the marine industry to create a final rule that reflects the concerns we raised,” said Chad Tokowicz Government Relations Manager for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “With more people on the water than ever and many more considering buying boats, it is imperative we do whatever we can to lower the financial burden on consumers.”

Under the newly proposed excise tax depreciation schedule rates have been adjusted with Year 1 depreciation rate for sailboats at 10%, 16% for powerboats under 30 feet, and 17% for powerboats over 30 feet. Despite the updated depreciation schedule reflecting concerns raised by the marine industry, MRAA and its partners will continue to work with the Department of Revenue as the Final rule still needs improvement concerning the depreciation rates for sailboats vs. powerboats and for older vessels (older than 14 years).

“This issue demonstrated, once again, the importance of trade and member associations,” said Peter Schrappen V.P. and Director of Government Affairs for the Northwest Marine Trades Association. “The all-star team in place to advocate for boaters put together our case, the decision makers at the Department of Revenue listened and boaters and boating businesses won.”

The Department of Revenue has opened a public comment period on the final rule until September 10th, 2021. MRAA will continue to support the aforementioned organizations to provide additional comments and continue advocating for the Marine industry and its consumers.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, contact us at 763-315-8043.

About Dealer Profit Services
As a premier F&I Services Provider, Trainer, Consultant, and Comprehensive Compliance Program supplier, Dealer Profit Services is about improving a dealer’s F&I profit and then providing the tools to ensure that profit is protected. As a Service Provider, Dealer Profit Services provides complete F&I services and delivers the industry leading F&I Profit Results. As Trainers and Consultants, we help dealers improve their in-house F&I departments. Through the Comprehensive Compliance Program, Dealer Profit Services provides an on-line, on-demand, Compliance Program with documents, training and tools to make F&I Compliance a process that helps protect the dealer against potential risks from compliance issues. Learn more by visiting dealerprofit.com, email info@dealerprofit.com, or call (470) 326-0966.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, contact us at 763-315-8043.

join effort to promote nature’s wellness benefits

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (June 7, 2021) — A new study from Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating uncovers a wellness deficit in America as recreational activities begin reopening amid improving public health conditions. Based on the findings, the two outdoor recreation organizations are launching their summer-long Get On Board campaign this National Fishing and Boating Week (NFBW), June 5 through 13, to help Americans from all walks of life fill their wellness deficits by experiencing the benefits of the outdoors firsthand. Research shows that simply getting outside or being near water lowers stress and anxiety. With help from mental health changemaker Dr. Jessica Clemons and a fleet of social media influencers, Get On Board will encourage, uplift and inspire Americans with its message that The Water Is Open to Everyone.

“With health clubs, sports leagues, summer camps and more on pause last year, many of us found ourselves missing the activities we once depended on to sustain our wellness — and as a result, we accumulated a wellness deficit,” said Stephanie Vatalaro, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and its Take Me Fishing brand. “To fill our wellness deficits, many of us turned to outdoor recreational activities like fishing and boating as ways to recreate responsibly during the pandemic. Our goal now is to help everyone experience the healing power of nature.”

According to a new online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults by The Harris Poll, most Americans agree that participating in outdoor recreation is good for both mental (89%) and physical (89%) well-being. And while many (70%) do see people like themselves in outdoor recreation events, social media, advertising, etc., filling America’s wellness deficit may begin with inviting a more diverse population to experience the outdoors. More than 4 in 10 (43%) would be more likely to participate in outdoor activities if they saw more examples of people like themselves in the outdoor recreation industry.

“Being on, near or around water is one of the best ways to refresh and reset your mind, giving you the freedom to explore and escape stress on land,” said Ellen Bradley, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief Brand Officer for the National Marine Manufacturers Association and its Discover Boating initiative. “The water is having a renaissance as more Americans discover fishing and boating as ways to relax and spend quality time with friends and family. In fact, demand for new boats has surged, with sales reaching a 13-year high in 2020 — and that’s just the beginning. Get On Board is designed to be a welcome call to relax, explore and connect with loved ones in a way that can only be experienced on the water.”

To help raise awareness about the wellness benefits anyone can experience outdoors and on the water, the campaign will enlist the help of acclaimed mental health expert Dr. Jessica Clemons, known for her @askdrjess social media platform. Heralded as ‘the internet’s favorite psychiatrist,’ Dr. Clemons uses her social influence to encourage everyone to prioritize their wellness and practice self-care.

“Without a conscious effort, it’s easy to put your mental health on autopilot,” Dr. Clemons said. “Exploring new wellness-sustaining activities like fishing and boating is a great way to refill the wellness deficit you may be in following last year’s shutdowns. This is especially true for people who don’t have previous fishing and boating experience. Learning new skills promotes a sense of accomplishment and getting out of your routine can help you get in touch with your friends, your family and yourself.”

As suggested by the study, individuals’ likelihood of trying new outdoor activities often depends on first seeing people they identify with in those activities. Based on that finding, Get On Board is deploying a fleet of social media influencers. Coming from a broad range of backgrounds, through their social influence they will encourage Americans from all walks of life to fill their wellness deficits and have fun this summer by experiencing the benefits of nature.

“Before you can be your best self on the water, you need to see your best self on the water,” said Jenny Anderson through her Instagram account @girlof10000lakes. “The outdoors community has lots of people you might not expect, and we’re sharing our stories using #TheWaterIsOpen. Joining us is as simple as using the hashtag yourself while enjoying nature. We want everyone to experience the wellness benefits of the outdoors, and an easy way to start is by showcasing the breadth of the outdoors community.”

Get On Board is accompanied by a variety of programs developed on behalf of the fishing and boating industries. Vamos A Pescar™ is RBFF’s Hispanic outreach initiative, which provides Spanish-language fishing and boating ‘how to’ and ‘where to’ information, along with critical funding to community programs nationwide through the George H. W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund. Women Making Waves is RBFF’s social media movement to increase female visibility in fishing. Additional initiatives from RBFF include the Stories of Mentors and I Am an Angler campaigns. Through spotlighting the experiences of unexpected fishing and boating participants, RBFF and NMMA are committed to supporting the next generation in fishing and boating.

Anyone can celebrate NFBW and experience the wellness benefits of the outdoors by getting started in fishing and boating. An easy way for newcomers to test the water is by participating in their state’s Free Fishing Days when standard fishing license requirements are waived. Those interested in exploring boating can try it out through boat rentals, peer-to-peer sharing and boat clubs.

Visit TakeMeFishing.org for beginner how-to tips, interactive water-access maps, and more. Go to DiscoverBoating.com for how to get started in boating, stress-busting benefits of boating and more. Visitors can also use the websites to purchase a fishing license or register a boat, which help provide critical funding for the conservation programs that preserve our waterways for future generations to enjoy.

About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)

RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase recreational angling and boating participation, thereby protecting and restoring the nation's aquatic natural resources. RBFF's 60 in 60 effort strives to attract 60 million anglers to the sport by the end of 2021. To help recruit, retain and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to build awareness of boating, fishing, and conservation and educate people about the benefits of participation. The campaign websites feature how-to-videos and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots, helping boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan, and equip for a successful day on the water.

About Discover Boating

Discover Boating is a national program managed by the two leading trade groups for the recreational boating industry, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and Marine Retailers Association of the Americas to help people get on the water and experience the fun of boating. For anyone exploring the boating lifestyle, DiscoverBoating.com is a resource for getting started in boating. It offers tools for finding accessible ways to get on the water such as rentals and charters, plus a boat selector tool and a boat loan calculator to find the right boat for your budget and lifestyle. Follow along on Discover Boating’s social channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Survey Method

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Take Me Fishing between April 14-16 among 2,050 adults ages 18+. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Bruna Carincotte at bcarincotte@rbff.org.

MINNEAPOLIS — MAY 19 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces that its recent MRAA Marine Industry Certified Dealership program campaign as part of its partnership with Bonnier Corporation was an overwhelming success, capturing nearly 800,000 total impressions.

“Our campaign partnership with Bonnier focused on informing consumers, especially the hundreds of thousands of new boaters out there, about Certified Dealers and how they are built to serve them,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager, “It’s abundantly clear that boating and fishing consumers saw these marketing efforts through their participation and campaign interaction.”

The Certified Dealer campaign targeted consumers with the key message of the importance of working with a Marine Industry Certified Dealer when buying a boat, parts and accessories. It highlighted how customers can “Buy with Confidence” from a Certified Dealer, as the customer experience is one of the pillars of the Certification program. Throughout the first several months of 2021, the campaign leveraged Bonnier’s consumer reach with strategic marketing and advertising efforts. This included a custom article, social media posts on Facebook and Instagram, story and profile takeovers, newsletter inclusion and both digital display and print ads. Custom emails saw above-average open and click rates. Instagram takeover stories of Bonnier’s Boating and Salt Water Sportsman publications earned hundreds of interactions, link clicks and sticker taps. A custom Dealer Roundtable virtual video with actual Certified Dealers aired on Facebook, YouTube and Dailymotion, garnering more than 245 hours of viewing hours.

“The Dealer Roundtable video has proven to be a big hit for its authentic testimonial of the Certified Dealer program,” added Keener. “This campaign was one way to shed some light on the efforts Certified Dealers put forth to earn this prominent designation, but it’s even more important to note that hundreds of thousands of consumers now know about this dedicated group of dealers and what it means to do business with them. They know they are in good hands, and our hope is they mature into life-long customers.”

“The results of this 2021 MRAA Certified Dealer campaign are outstanding and helped consumers gain a better understanding of the importance of choosing a dealer that can help them to amplify their boating experiences,” says Glenn Sandridge, Vice President and Managing Director at Bonnier Corporation. “Bonnier is committed to growing participation in boating, so it was imperative to educate the public about why Certified Dealers are to be highly valued and a first stop in the boat buying process."

The MRAA continues to evolve the Certification program to help boat dealers institute efficient and accurate processes that lead to an exceptional retail experience for everyone. Certification guides dealers to success with a proven blueprint for developing a world-class business. The MRAA and Bonnier partnership and Certified Dealer program promotion runs through 2022.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.