Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/416199
www.BoatingIndustry.com 6 | Boating Industry | December 2014 AT THE HELM JONATHAN SWEET jsweet@BoatingIndustry.com Boating Industry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jonathan Sweet (jsweet@boatingindustry.com) SENIOR EDITOR: Liz Keener (lkeener@boatingindustry.com) MANAGING EDITOR: Brianna Liestman (bliestman@boatingindustry.com) ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Nicholas Upton (nupton@boatingindustry.com) DIGITAL PRODUCTION EDITOR: Heather Brown (hbrown@boatingindustry.com) MANAGING ART DIRECTOR: Dodi Vessels PRODUCTION ARTIST: Kelsey Houle (khoule@epgmediallc.com) PRODUCTION MANAGER: Angela Schmieg PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Cherri Perschmann NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR: Kathy Johnson 480-988-3658 (kathyjohnson@boatingindustry.com) SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, EAST: Chris Pelikan 954-964-8676 (cpelikan@boatingindustry.com) CEO: Marion Minor SR. VICE PRESIDENT/FINANCE & OPERATIONS: Gerald Winkel SR. VICE PRESIDENT/MARKET DEVELOPMENT: Joanne Juda-Prainito VICE PRESIDENT/MARINE, POWERSPORTS, BEVERAGE: Amy Collins AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Tim Morgan MARKETING SPECIALIST: Geoff Christ SENIOR SALES ADMINISTRATOR: Bernadette Wohlman BOATING INDUSTRY (ISSN #1543-4400) is published nine times per year – January, February, March, April, May, July, August, October and December – by EPG Media, LLC, 3300 Fernbrook Lane N #200, Plymouth, MN 55447. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN and additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Free to qualified members of the boating industry. Annual subscription rate is $99 per year for U.S., Mexican and Canadian residents and $149 for residents in other countries. All paid subscriptions must be paid in advance and in U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Boating Industry, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Visit www.BoatingIndustry.com, call (847) 763-9565, fax (847) 763 9569, email BoatingIndustry@halldata.com or write to Boating Industry, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823. EDITORIAL: All manuscripts, materials, photographs and artwork submitted are at mailer's risk and must include self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage for return. No responsibility will be assumed for unsolicited materials. Boating Industry is a registered trademark of EPG Media, LLC. © 2014 by EPG Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited unless expressly authorized by publisher. For more information on e-prints or reprints from Boating Industry, contact Bernadette Wohlman, 763-383-4400 x2464 Printed in U.S.A. THIS MONTH WE HONOR the Boating Industry Top 100 – the best boat dealers in North America. But as we celebrate the 10th year of the program, it's worth remembering the Top 100 is about more than just recognizing the best of the best. It's also about sharing their best practices to improve the businesses of the thousands of dealers across North America. You can learn some of those Top 100 "Success Secrets" starting on p. 8, but we also share them through webinars, white papers and more – most of which you can find on our website. It's these best practices, from marketing to customer service to sales, that help the Top 100 continue to outpace the industry's growth. As a whole, retail expenditures on boating were up 3.5 percent in 2013. At the same time, the Top 100 dealers increased revenue by 13 percent on average, which was the third year in a row of double-digit growth. The Top 100 and the four Hall of Fame companies represent more than $2.1 billion in total revenue. We've ranked the Top 20 this year from No. 1 to No. 20, with Gordy's Lakefront Ma- rine of Fontana, Wis., capturing Dealer of the Year honors for the first time. Beyond the Top 20, we've listed the other 80 dealers in alphabetical order. We've also called out 12 companies for special recognition beyond the Top 100. Eight companies earned "Best in Class" honors for their success in specific areas of their busi- ness from service to industry involvement to training. The editorial team each also picked one team from outside of the Top 20 that they felt was worthy of special recognition for their overall business success. Finally, I want to be sure to thank the group of manufacturers and service providers that make the Top 100 program possible. The Top 100 Leadership Alliance supports the program, and the entire industry, throughout the year. It is this Leadership Alliance — GE Capital Commercial Distribution Finance, Manheim Specialty Auctions, Volvo Penta, Brunswick Dealer Advantage, Sunbrella Marine, Freedom Boat Club and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas – that make it possible to recognize the top dealers in North America and share their best practices with the entire industry. A decade of Top 100 Boating Industry magazine and the