Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/288177
LAUNCH www.BoatingIndustry.com April 2014 | Boating Industry | 11 CHECKLIST EASY WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS (LE)GO Boating » Getting families and children interested in boating is one of the best ways we have to grow the industry. Capitalizing on the buzz around The LEGO Movie, Breakwater Ma- rine found a creative way to grab that demographic's attention and help draw them to the Vancouver Boat Show. The Surrey, B.C., dealer partnered with LEGO and Brickville Design Works for the show to build a replica of the Larson Lx180, built entirely out of LEGO and DUPLO blocks. Using 10,500 bricks over the course of three days, a four-person team lead by Robin Salther built the scaled replica. (The company also gave away a real Larson Lx180 at the show.) A second, 24-inch replica was built and auctioned off to benefi t the BC Children's Hospital and the Juvenile Diabetes Association. The auction raised more than $2,000 for the charities and both LEGO boats were a draw and exciting for young kids and old kids at heart, said Breakwater President/CEO Aaron Fell. » Inspired by his experience at a local power equipment dealer, Kelly's Port owner Randy Kelly launched the "Unhappy Camper" program at his Lake of the Ozarks dealership. The idea is simple: anytime an employee encounters a customer unhappy with something, however small, they notify Kelly. After get- ting the details, he calls the customer directly. Most of the time, the customers are just blown away that the owner of the dealership called to apologize directly to the customer. "They continue to do business with us and even appreciate us more given the fact that we cared enough to take the time to call," said vice president Kyle Kelly. "This program has been great for us as it doesn't cost us anymore money besides a phone call and it almost al- ways turns a negative experience into a positive one for the customer." 'Unhappy Camper' program team and Nautic Global Group's 900-plus employees to further our objectives of manufacturing great boats and selling them through a great dealer network." MERCURY MARINE NAMED 2013 WISCONSIN MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR Mercury Marine was named 2013 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year by Wis- consin Manufacturers and Commerce at a banquet held in Milwaukee. The award is presented to leading Wisconsin-based manufacturers that produce world-class products and create employment opportunities in their communities. Mercury Marine took top honors in the Mega category, which recognizes com- panies with more than 750 employees. Mercury employs 5,400 people worldwide, with 3,100 employees in Wisconsin. "We're extremely honored to be named Manufacturer of the Year," said Mark Schwabero, president of Mercury Marine. "The award is a testament to the efforts and commitment of Mercury employees over the past 75 years, and our relentless determi- nation to position Mercury as the world's leading manufacturer of marine propulsion systems. Our values-based culture makes Mercury an integral part of the fabric of many Wisconsin families and communities." Mercury Marine is the largest division of Brunswick Corporation and is a lead- ing developer and manufacturer of commercial and recreational marine propulsion systems. Mercury has manufactured more than 11 million boat engines during its 75-year history, and its global sales in 2013 totaled $2.1 billion. Mercury Marine, which also was named Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year in 2006, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2014. DOMETIC ACQUIRES ASSETS OF MARVAIR'S MARINE A/C BUSINESS Dometic Group, a global provider of leisure products for the marine, truck, caravan, motorhome and automotive markets, an- nounced an agreement with Airxcel Inc. to buy certain assets related to Marvair's pleasure boat business. Dometic Group entered into an agreement with Marvair to procure a signifi cant parts inventory and provide support and war- ranty service for all Marvair Marine pleasure craft products on a worldwide basis. In addition, Dometic has procured an inventory of Marvair products, which will be offered for sale while supplies last. Marvair has decided to exit the manufacturing and sale of air conditioners for pleasure boats to focus on the growing telecom- munications segment of its business. Moving forward, Dometic will support all of Marvair Marine's OEM customers with products and services to keep their production lines moving without any interruption of supply. Dometic Group will provide current Marvair customers with application engineering, warranty support, parts and ongoing service. Dometic will administer warranties for Marvair Marine products sold into the pleasure boat market for the duration of the warranty period. "Dometic Group is pleased to have the opportunity to support Marvair customers and will make every effort to meet their needs with our extensive products and global service network," said Ned Trigg, VP of Marine OEM sales at Dometic Group. U.S. HOUSE BILL WOULD SEPARATE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, GREAT LAKES WATERSHEDS U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., introduced the Defending Against Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2014 as a solution to stop the spread of Asian carp to the Great Lakes. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Army to completely sepa- rate the hydrologic connection between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan, preventing the invasive species from invading the Great Lakes. If enacted, the legislation would require the Secretary to start de- signing the project within 180 days in consultation with important stakeholders including the governors of the surrounding states and the Great Lakes Commission. Once completed, the Secretary would have another 180 days to start construction. The bill, H.R. 4001, has no co-sponsors and was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. P08x11-BI14APR-Launch.indd 11 3/13/14 4:07 PM