Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/671713
LAUNCH www.BoatingIndustry.com May 2016 | Boating Industry | 9 HOT SPOTS Thirty percent sales growth for bass boats Sales of bass boats grew 29.9 percent in the 12-month rolling period ending February 2016, according to data from Statistical Surveys. Bass boat sales in Longview-Marshall, Texas, more than doubled by growing 113.6 percent. Most other regions grew by 30 or 40 percent, led by southern regions such as Little Rock, Ark; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C. Only one region, Huntsville, declined in February by 13.3 percent. Charlotte-Gastonia, NC 36.8% Knoxville, TN 39.2% Nashville, TN 14.9% Birmingham, AL 16.5% Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 34.2% Little Rock, AR 41.4% Longview-Marshall, TX 113.6% Houston, TX 15.5% Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 33.5% Huntsville, AL 13.3% He served a number of roles in industry asso- ciations, including as a member of the board of directors of the National Marine Manufac- turers Association. "Jim was a great supporter of NMMA and I always enjoyed my time with him," NMMA President Thom Dammrich said in a state- ment. "He was on the search committee that hired me 16 1/2 years ago. His passing is a significant loss. Our sympathies to his wife, Damaris, and the Chaparral family. May God bless Jim, Damaris, his family, and the entire Chaparral family." After Chaparral's acquisition by RPC Energy Services, Inc. in 1986 (and subse- quent spin-off of as Marine Products Corp. in 2001), Lane served on the corporation's board of directors. "Jim Lane's passing is a tremendous loss to our company and to the pleasure boat manufacturing community," Marine Products Corp. President and CEO Richard A. Hub- bell said in a statement. "His business acumen, dedication and work ethic were instrumental in building Marine Products' market position and shareholder value. He was dedicated to our company and proud of its achievements. "While Jim cannot be replaced, his con- tributions during 40 years at the helm of Chaparral and Robalo continue," Hubbell added. "Jim and the rest of the tenured, skilled management team at our company have built good management, strong design and manufacturing processes, and market-leading brands. His contributions to our company will endure for many years." In 2014, Lane and Pegg were named the Boating Industry Movers & Shakers of the Year. In that 2014 article, Lane described what made the nearly 40-year partnership between him and Pegg work. "We have such diverse interests. Buck really enjoys the manufacturing side and I enjoy the business side," Lane said at the time. "The relationship that we set up in the very beginning hasn't really changed a great deal. We meet on everything, we make de- cisions together." He also talked about the importance for the company to invest in its employees and its dealer network. "We can't say enough about how much the employees have helped us grow the business," Lane said. "There's a pride in the company and the town, and our employees work together to help us build the highest quality product." The company also spent more than $18 million supporting its dealers during the re- cession to help them move product through the pipeline and stay financially stable. When dealers did go out of business, that allowed Chaparral to better control the product, dis- tributing it to other dealers rather than having it end up at auction. "Over the last 50 years, Jim Lane has made countless contributions to our industry and undoubtedly left a lasting legacy." — Ron Huibers, president, Volvo Penta of the Americas