Ben Speciale elected chairman of NMMA board
The president of Yamaha’s U.S. marine business unit has three action items for his two-year term.
Michael Verdon
Articles From This Author
IBEX wraps with 20 percent gain in attendance
Organizers of the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference said the number of visitors was up 20 percent over last year.
IBEX 2018: French firm introduces marina-cleaning robot to U.S. market
Designed like a Roomba, the Jellyfishbot collects oil, trash and other debris along on the surface.
U.S., Canada reach trade deal as deadline loomed
It’s unclear whether the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement removes the retaliatory tariffs.
Can a boat use raw seawater as its only fuel?
MarineMax Chairman Bill McGill is betting on it.
When collaboration equals innovation
Webasto, Four Winns and Volvo Penta launch engine-driven air-conditioning for open-cockpit boats
Canada’s tariff time bomb?
The Canadian government is under pressure this week to agree to a revised NAFTA. If it doesn’t happen, the tariffs on U.S. boats will stay in place and continue to damage the boating industry on both sides of the border.
Groupe Beneteau dealer meeting: domestic up, international down
For its Cadillac, Mich.-built brands, tariffs are eating into a strong sales year.
An eBay for yachts?
While there’s no “buy it now” button, organizers of BoathouseAuctions.com say the website provides a new sales channel for brokers.
The FLIBS jigsaw puzzle
While the physical setup for FLIBS starts about a month before the show, the planning begins six months ahead of time.
![2B-7187-FLIBS-Entry-Tent-Area_10sc[1]](https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/.image/ar_16:9%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cg_faces:center%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTU4NDI2ODk0NDc0MTU5MzYy/2b-7187-flibs-entry-tent-area_10sc1.jpg)
FLIBS Goes Upmarket
FLIBS goes upmarket with a grand new entrance and deep infrastructure improvements.
Midterm Congressional Races Could Impact Industry
A look at how congressional midterm elections could impact the industry.
Boating’s New Gold Rush
Innovation Central: Some of boating's biggest companies are partnering with universities to access new technologies.
Florence floods the Carolinas as it moves north-northwest
More than 900 water rescues, including 200 by the volunteer Cajun Navy, have taken place in North Carolina.
Red tide continues to stalk Florida’s Gulf Coast
Charter fishing businesses, marinas and dealers have been severely impacted, though most report business as usual.
Marquis forms joint venture with Lexus
The Wisconsin builder is currently building the new Lexus 65 for the automotive company.
Hatteras CEO: Cabo will take on large center-console segment
Kelly Grindle says that as more outboards go on, “price differential decreases” between inboards and large center consoles
Barker Boatworks prevails in three-year “trade dress” lawsuit
Yellowfin filed the lawsuit against its rival in 2015 and the case made its way to the U.S. court of appeals.
Malibu CEO: Pursuit now, pontoons next?
Jack Springer discusses the Pursuit acquisition and Malibu’s vision moving forward
Distributors shift business models with changing times
The National Marine Distributors Association held its STEP conference July 23-27 at the Sheraton Chicago O’Hare hotel.
Time travel
One of the takeaways from the recent STEP conference in Chicago is that two-step distributors will always face challenges, but most are smart enough to adapt to the road ahead.
Reinventing yourself: How a traditional wooden boat-building school added diesel engines to its curriculum without losing the smell of sawdust
The Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building has updated its curriculum without losing its focus.
Canadian builder emerges from bankruptcy
Outboard shortage will cause shipping disruption for Rossiter Boats, but production expected to resume next week.
Boaters for life — and the afterlife
Glory Boats makes caskets that look like fishing boats.
Soybeans are set, but E.U. retaliatory tariffs on U.S. boats are still in question
With no relief in sight from E.U., Canadian and Chinese tariffs, builders such as Brunswick Corp. are expecting a second-half impact to their bottom lines.
Are European Union tariffs over?
Yesterday’s announcement could be good news, but at least one boat builder says the best U.S. manufacturers can get out of the new agreement is to be back to where they started.
Inside Brunswick’s new startup
Different than any other Brunswick company, Nautic-On’s goal is to define a new category for boating.
Playing Pac-Man
The boating industry, like the rest of the business world, has been playing what seems like an accelerating game of Pac-Man over the last three years.
Tariff wars roil industry
Tariffs on multiple fronts have hit the U.S. boating industry hard, with tens of millions of dollars worth of boat orders to Canada and Europe cancelled, and prices for steel and aluminum jumping double digits.
NMDA STEP Conference launches in Chicago
Despite e-commerce challenges and competing with products destined for the OEM sector, most distributors report a strong summer, with few headwinds.
Navico to accelerate integration of boat functions with C-MAP merger
Navico CEO: Expect a more car-like experience on boats.
From boat-club owner to celebrity ‘Boatanista’
How one Florida businesswoman trademarked her passion
Swiss firm introduces ‘boat-swapping’ business model
BoatAffair.com is moving beyond the Airbnb-style model with weekly boat trades.
Volvo Penta announces hybrid marine propulsion concept
Volvo Penta has announced a hybrid concept for its IPS propulsion.
Tariff Terror?
The tariffs from the Trump Administration are making boat and equipment manufacturers jittery during what should be another strong year for the industry.
Bankrupt Canadian builder looks for buyer
Rossiter Boats, doing business as Windward Holdings Inc, was placed into bankruptcy on June 5.
Volvo officials discuss long-term plans for Seven Marine
At a media event last weekend in Gothenburg, Sweden, Volvo Penta officials said the company plans to expand its line of Seven Marine outboards to include models that could potentially range between 250 and 400 horsepower.
Help Wanted
The takeaway from the American Boating Congress, my first official appearance as editor of Soundings Trade Only, is that we’re facing some of the most urgent challenges our industry has seen.
ABC: Advocacy Panel shares different ways to lobby for boating
A panel of industry stakeholders at the American Boating Congress (ABC) shared ways they have advanced boating’s interests by lobbying and interacting with government agencies.
ABC: NAFTA uncertainty continues to raise concerns among marine manufacturers
Panelists at the American Boating Congress (ABC) in Washington, DC, spoke about the uncertainties ahead for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as negotiations continue next week.
ABC: Boating industry facing “perfect trade storm” of aluminum tariffs
The boating industry is facing a “perfect trade storm” of three different aluminum tariffs that are impacting supply and pricing, according to a panel at the NMMA’s American Boating Congress (ABC).