Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/244294
[ Prepare for the inconceivable ] ling and the rest of the Seattle Boat Company team are focused on learning lessons from the incident, maintaining relations with its customers (all impacted parties were given complementary boat club memberships to keep them on the water) and being grateful that a bad situation didn't end any worse than it did. "We had to stay [focused on] the main thing, which was taking care of the customers that were using their boats, taking care of the customers that were still coming to see us." — Fred Pace, CEO, Legendary Marine A LEGENDARY OIL SPILL What happened on April 20, 2010, shocked the world — scenes on global news broadcasts showed an exploding oil platform 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana that had killed 11 workers and spewed an incomprehensible amount of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. When video surfaced showing the frantic environmental disaster at the floor of the ocean, residents and business owners along the Gulf of Mexico began to fear the worst. They all wondered the same thing: when would this thing finally be capped? The answer to that question was far longer than anybody would have hoped or guessed: 87 agonizing days. Countless waterways were closed, oil slicks formed on the surface, tar balls washed up on shore and a tremendous recovery operation was launched as fishing and tourism ground to a halt. With four Gulf locations between the closest, Gulf Shores, Ala., and furthest, Destin, Fla., Legendary Marine CEO Fred Pace quickly realized the gravity of the situation unfolding beyond the edge of the horizon. After two crushing years of recession, economic indicators and early boat show traffic suggested 2010 would be a better year for Legendary and the marine industry as a whole. That MARINE RETAIL UNIVERSITY COMING TO A LOCATION NEAR YOU! With an educational line-up designed to make an even bigger impact on your business, Marine Retail University is back for another round of one-day events. Find an MRU near you and save the date! More events to be added soon. Feburary 6 | Portland, ME with the Maine Marine Trades Association March TBD | Minneapolis, MN with the North Central Marine Association Call (315-692-4533) or email (liz@mraa.com) Liz Walz for more information. www.BoatingIndustry.com P26x31-BI14FEB-Disaster-dv.indd 29 February 2014 | Boating Industry | 29 1/8/14 12:50 PM