Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/750216
INDUSTRY NEWS www.BoatingIndustry.com November 2016 | Boating Industry | 13 owners, ensuring that their voice was heard when unfair legislation was being debated. She's been a strong environmental advocate and played a big role in successfully growing BoatUS into the more than half-a-million- member association that we are today." Podlich began her career at BoatUS in 1993 as director of the Clean Water Trust, now part of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Under her direction, the Trust (and later the Foundation) grew to play a na- tional role in clean water issues that affect recreational boaters. Many of today's Clean Marina programs were developed under Pod- lich's vision and leadership and now these efforts are accepted as an essential part of managing a boating facility. A 2014 honoree of the Darlene Briggs Marine Industry Woman of the Year award, Podlich also worked to promote boating safety initiatives and participated on the pres- tigious U.S. Coast Guard National Boating Safety Advisory Committee. As former BoatUS Vice President of Gov- ernment Affairs, Margaret supported realistic, boating-friendly policies and helped success- fully pass the 2008 Federal Clean Boating Act that freed boaters from a new state-operating permit. Podlich is also credited in leading BoatUS to work with the recreational boat- ing industry, working on policy and programs mutually beneficial to boat owners, manufac- turers and service providers, such as combat- ting the spread of ethanol fuels and saving the GPS system. In 2012 she was bestowed the NASBLA Award by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, their highest recognition, for notable contributions to the betterment of boating. Pursuit Boats promotes Bruce Thompson to president S2 Yachts CEO and President Tom Slikkers announced the promotion of industry veteran Bruce F. Thompson to the position of presi- dent at Pursuit Boats. Thompson began his Pursuit Boats career in 2004 as vice president of manufacturing and has worked in the marine industry for 30 years. Prior to joining Pursuit, Thompson led the product development and engineering team at Sea Ray Boats. During his tenure, the company said, Thompson has managed the manufacturing and operations including suc- cessfully guiding the company through one of the most challenging economic climates the marine industry has ever experienced. "Bruce has consistently demonstrated solid leadership backed by his extensive marine experience. Bruce and the Ft. Pierce team have been able to consistently deliver positive results. He has implemented effec- tive process and discipline within our entire organization," said Slikkers. Sales up 10 percent at Brunswick for quarter Brunswick Corp. reported a 10 percent in- crease in net sales for the third quarter, with strength across all segments. Sales were up 13 percent for the com- pany's boat segment. The engine segment posted a 6 percent gain with growth in parts and accessories and outboards offsetting de- clines in sterndrive sales. The U.S. marine market -- with 93 per- cent of the season completed -- has been strong this year, Brunswick Chairman and CEO Mark Schwabero said during a call dis- cussing the earnings. Brunswick is "outpacing the market growth rates in U.S. and Europe," he said. "Canada continues to show weakness and dealers are managing inventories very conservatively." Demand remains strong in Asia Pacific, Schwabero said, but Latin America, Africa and Middle East remain difficult markets. For the third quarter of 2016, the com- pany reported net sales of $1,093.0 million, up from $991.9 million a year earlier. For the quarter, the company reported operating earnings of $122.5 million, which included $2.4 million of restructuring and integration charges related to recent fitness acquisitions. This compares with operating earnings of $115.8 million in the third quarter of 2015. For the third quarter of 2016, Brunswick re- ported net earnings of $85.3 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, compared with net earn- ings of $72.2 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2015. Sales up 17.7 percent for Chaparral, Robalo parent Marine Products Corp., which owns Chap- paral and Robalo, reported higher sales for the quarter on the strength of increased unit sales of its SunCoast deck boats, Robalo out- boards and Vortex jet boats. For the quarter ended September 30, 2016, Marine Products generated net sales of $55,361,000, a 17.7 percent increase, compared to $47,038,000 in the same pe- riod of the prior year. The increase in net sales was due primarily to a 12.5 percent increase in unit sales and a 1.7 percent in- crease in the average selling price per boat, the company said. Richard A. Hubbell, Marine Products' president and CEO stated, "Our third quarter financial results reflect a strong re- tail selling season and the continued popu- larity of our product offerings. The trends of the last several quarters continued with strong sales of our Robalo outboard sport fishing boats, particularly the Robalo 180 and 246 models, as well as our SunCoast outboards and Vortex Jet Boats. Within our Chaparral sterndrive offerings, several of our SSX models also sold well compared to the prior year." Margaret Bonds Podlich