Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/231507
Dealers, manufacturers express OPTIMISM a BY JONATHAN SWEET Obstacles remain but most feel market is headed in the right direction fter a spring that had many worried about a doubledip, the marine industry continues to show strength headed into 2014. "I think we're finishing the year very strong," said NMMA President Thom Dammrich. "We had a weak spring because of the cold weather and that led some of us to think this was going to be a pretty weak year. When the warm weather came in July in the north and Midwest, the boat buyers came out." The numbers coming in from the individual states confirm that trend, said Peter Houseworth, director of client services at Info-Link. Info-Link's analysis of sales data shows solid growth in most of the largest boating states this year, including Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, New York and Wisconsin (see chart p. 22). 18 | Boating Industry | January 2014 P18x22-BI14JAN-2014Forecast.indd 18 Boating Industry readers – which run the gamut from manufacturers to distributors to dealers and other retailers – also are reporting higher revenues in 2013 than 2012. A quick note on terminology: For simplicity's sake in this article we have divided respondents into two groups – manufacturers, suppliers and service providers (referred to as "manufacturers") and dealers, marinas and other retailers (referred to as "dealers.") In a survey conducted in November 2013, 63 percent of respondents said their revenue increased in 2013 – 38 percent by more than 10 percent. Only 16 percent reported a decrease. Those numbers were steady across all types of businesses. What also was consistent were the trends in different segments of the market. Pontoons continue to show great growth, www.BoatingIndustry.com 12/18/13 9:59 AM