Dismal economic news sends shivers of fear throughout the business world. When sales and dollars dwindle, many business owners and managers have a tendency to circle the wagons and plot ways to defend declining profits. But the secret of success during challenging times is pushing forward: strengthening markets, creatively retooling sales efforts, and exploring new [...]

How did your shop get started? We wanted to diversify, and market research indicated a void in marine fabrication. Omaha doesn’t come to mind as a huge boating community, but it is home to quite a few boat owners. Our research turned up limited options for either them or dealers who wanted to work with [...]

My-Villages, a leader in marine mobile technology, has acquired DockMaster, an information-management program serving marine retailers, marinas and service centers. The integration of DockMaster software and My-Villages’ consumer and professional application, called The Boat Village, will create the largest and most integrated software solution for marine businesses in the industry. The new venture will serve [...]

Saybrook Point Marina, Inn & Spa in Old Saybrook, Conn., (Best Transient Marina) and Oriental, N.C.-based River Dunes (Best Customer Service) were named winners of Marinalife’s 4th Annual Best Marina Contest. Runners-up are two-time winner Nantucket Boat Basin in Nantucket, Mass., (Best Transient Marina), and Dog River Marina in Mobile, Ala., (Best Customer Service). Marinalife [...]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada (NMMA Canada) announced its support of the agreement in principle of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) noting potential growth opportunities for the nation’s $8.9 billion recreational boating industry. The agreement was reached in principle by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the [...]

Abilene, Texas-based Tigé Boats has received the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award, which is presented to a business that sets a positive example and maintains a solid commitment to conducting their business practices in an ethical fashion. The award notes Tigé’s culture of ethics and integrity since being founded in 1991. Tigé has been invited [...]

James I. Pinto has joined the board of Scovill Fasteners, a part of the Gores Group of companies. Scovill combines more than 200 years of experience and expertise to provide high-performance closures and fasteners, and serves a wide range of markets including fashion, infant wear, career apparel, jeans wear, leather products, sporting goods, military, marine [...]

The American Boat Builders & Repairers Association will meet Jan. 22–24, 2014, at the B Ocean Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The program will combine interactive sessions with experienced industry leaders, industry partners and leading non-industry experts with breakout roundtable sessions, and several networking and business-to-business events. The conference is titled “Reflect, Rethink, Refocus:  Business [...]

BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water President Chris Edmonston has been elected chairman of the National Safe Boating Council. Created in its current form by the Federal Boating Safety Act of 1971, the Council is the nation’s principle public-private boating safety advocacy organization with a coalition of more than 330 U.S. and international [...]

The National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) presented the Mel Barr Award posthumously to Ted Hood, internationally heralded yachtsman, sail maker, yacht designer and builder. The award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the improvement of the industry and is named in the memory of marine rep Mel Barr, one of the founders of NMRA [...]