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36 | Boating Industry | March 2015 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// deck space," said Poppell. "It's like owning a small boat and converting it to one that is much larger when it is time to have fun." Transporting pontoons can be a hassle, which Poppell was very familiar with on the trailering side of the business. With Island Boats' pontoons, Poppell says customers can use the mirrors of a standard pick-up truck and see be- hind the pontoon. "Anybody that's pulled a regular pontoon boat at 8.5 feet wide, they know how difficult it is to know what's coming up behind you if you want to change lanes on the highway. It's dan- gerous because you can't see what's going on. With ours, you can see everything," said Poppell. "It's a game changer." The time for change was now, according to Poppell, as he wanted to ensure any concerns customers may have with trailering and storage were addressed. "For years and years, the pontoon design has changed very little: 8.5-foot beam, a boat that sits real high and round pontoons," said Poppell. "We've changed the industry. We saw a need for changes and actively pursued solutions. When you're dealing with the same thing and issues that nobody has solved, it was time." The pontoons are offered as a boat, trailer and motor package with Float-On trailers included. Island Boats hopes to establish its dealer network across the U.S.. The capacity to change Existing pontoon manufacturers have taken no- tice of the new OEMs in the segment, though they aren't surprised by the additions to the mar- ket as pontoons' trajectory of growth continues. "It's a very competitive market," said Lori Melbostad, president of Premier Pontoons. "If you're not evolving and changing, you're at risk of losing your market share." With a market this competitive, it is more important than ever to keep from becoming stagnated. Luckily, according to Melbostad, pontoons have a significant advantage when it comes to innovation. "Pontoons, in general, have the capacity to be rapidly changing," said Melbostad, likening the design of a new pontoon to redesigning the family room in your home. "The development of the pontoon and [the expense and planning] … is not as significant as if you're in a large glass boat, for example. Some of those projects are three-year projects where they have to plan their tooling far in advance if they're going to create a new model." Removing the stigma that has long existed with pontoons of being a slower, entry-level boat has made the segment more desirable and cus- tomers are now more willing to move away from traditional boating methods. Melbostad likened it to the rise of popularity in crossover vehicle in the auto industry. "If you need to accomplish a specific task, you're going to purchase something like a pickup truck. Or if you need to accomplish that task and also save on gas mileage and fuel economy, you're going to purchase a crossover vehicle and get everything you need from it. Pontoons similarly satisfy all the needs of the consumer," said Melbostad. Peter Barrett, senior vice president of mar- keting corporate development at SmokerCraft, says the company expanded its research and de- velopment department over the past two years for its SunChaser, Sylvan and StarCraft pon- toon brands, with a focus on tube technologies. The company also invested $3 million in a new building, which is currently being constructed, dedicated to increased pontoon production and improved workflow. "The segment is alive right now and the con- sumers are paying attention to it. We feel that there's a real advantage to continue with the in- novation and to deliver new and exciting prod- ucts to that audience that is looking for a better boating experience.," said Barrett. Sylvan's painted tubes are currently offered in matte black, with other colors coming to the market soon. /// Market Trends ///