Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/173871
BOLD MOVES ket and, since 2012, the marine industry. Since then, Lehr has launched three outboard motors – 2.5 hp and 5.0 hp in 2012 and the 9.9 hp in 2013 – with more powerful ones in development. So far, Lehr motors are being used in applications such as small shore dinghies and as auxiliary motors for sailboats, but Herzer said he sees even more potential for the technology. "Any person looking for an ease-of-use, pricepoint competitive, more reliable engine is our customer," he said. Boating has been a passion of Herzer's since a very young age, so the transition to the marine industry for Lehr products was a natural one. He first started converting marine engines to propane when he was 14 and since then has owned several vessels. In its first year in the marine industry, Lehr generated $3 million in revenue from the 2.5 and 5.0 hp models. The company now has more than 50 employees. The company has been recognized with a Clean Air Excellence Award by the Environmental Protection Agency, but the benefits are not just environmental. www.BoatingIndustry.com P22x28-BI13OCT-BoldMoves.indd 25 Because propane is not a solvent like gasoline, the motors avoid many of the problems that plague occasional use products like outboard engines. "Ninety percent of problems with small engines are fuel related – stale fuel, contaminated field, ethanol issues, fouled carbs, etc.," Herzer said. Many vessels are already using propane for heating and cooking, so there is a convenience factor as well, Herzer added. He also points out the benefits for marinas, noting it is much easier to work with a local distributor to get a propane tank on site than it is to install gasoline pumps. A NEW-LOOK BOAT SHOW RYAN JONES Sales Manager, American Boat Center Knoxville, Tenn. Plenty of dealers complain about stagnant boat shows with declining attendance and fewer sales. Ryan Jones of American Boat Center decided to do something about it. With the local boat show in Knoxville, Tenn., facing most of the same challenges as others across the country, Jones and several other dealers thought it was time for a change. "I wanted to see an updated modern show that was not just a routine 'boat show' but a boat buying experience that was fun for the whole family and the Knoxville community,' Jones said. "This is a boating town. So many large manufactures are here in Knoxville with Mastercraft, Sea Ray, Yamaha Jet Boats, Skier's Choice, and tons more. The Knoxville boaters and dealers deserve the best boat show possible." The existing show was housed in an older facility in desperate need of renovation and the organizers were resisting efforts to move it to Knoxville's new convention center where many dealers wanted to locate it. Still, dealers were reluctant to launch a new show in the challenging economic climate. "To try and throw a boat show production on top of that was not in the cards for most October 2013 | Boating Industry | 25 9/5/13 11:42 AM