Bigger, faster pontoon boats with increased stability and comfort are making waves in the boating marketplace. Pontoons, once considered an ugly duckling by some boating enthusiasts, are becoming more and more popular. Pontoons can be customized for many purposes including fishing and scuba diving. They’re versatile, although boats with a V-shape hull are easier to [...]

The December Monthly Shipment Report (MSR) is now available. U.S. outboard engine wholesale shipments for NMMA’s control group of manufacturers, which represent 95 percent of the market, grew by 6.5 percent in 2016. Gains were led by 4-strokes and higher-powered engines. Corresponding dollars were up by 9.2 percent. NMMA Statistics Program participants have free access [...]

Six life jacket loaner stands with 400 life jackets will be available to attendees of the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show February 16-20, 2017, on Virginia Key at Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin. Through a partnership with the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the organizers of the Miami Boat Show, Onyx Outdoor and the [...]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) announced this week that unit sales of new powerboats are expected to be up 6 percent in 2017, marking an estimated 260,000 new powerboats sold last year. As consumer confidence continues to rise and boat manufacturers introduce products and experiences to attract younger boaters, the outlook for 2018 new [...]

Spearheaded by the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) and supported by NMMA, the ICOMIA Asia project is an initiative to identify and understand obstacles to growth in Asia by working with the industry and authorities to create recommendations on how to develop a friendly recreational boating environment in the region. Sponsors are needed to [...]

Minnesota boat dealers are preparing and packing their boats to bring to the Minneapolis Boat Show this month. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), “Thirty-six percent of powerboat owners decided to purchase a boat after attending” the Jan. 19-22 boat show. This event and others taking place across the country this month are [...]

The digitization of marine canvas design and production holds many promises, including time savings and fewer errors. However, many small fabrication shops have found that going digital doesn’t make good business sense. Digital measuring machines, cutters and computers that support computer aided design (CAD) software require a large upfront investment in equipment and training. “It [...]

Transportation industry upholsterers do their homework If you run a successful business, you’re probably looking outside your office walls for consumer trends and industry innovations. We asked fabric manufacturers and upholsterers involved in interiors for the transportation market how they accomplish this important task. Here’s what some of them had to say: Jason Estes, director [...]

Government agencies mandate fire-resistance standards for fabrics used in modes of transportation; however, design aesthetics cannot be regulated. So, aside from the first priority of safety, what do fabricators’ customer want in the interiors of their automobiles, buses, trains and planes? Ron Larabie, president of Dallas-based JetSet Interiors, says his customers rank weight at the [...]

SEFAR® Architecture’s TENARA® Fabric is now a registered flame-resistant product under California Title 19, established by the California State Fire Marshal. As a Title 19 registered product, TENARA Fabric expands the applications for large-scale exterior fixed and retractable canopy and tensile fabric applications. The increasing importance of fire prevention in public spaces has caused the [...]