Episodes
Wednesday May 05, 2021
Chatting with Chad Lyon, Managing Director, Marine, Wells Fargo Distribution Finance
Wednesday May 05, 2021
Wednesday May 05, 2021
Chad Lyon was recently named to head the Marine group at Wells Fargo Distribution Finance, part of Wells Fargo & Company. The news follows the retirement of industry veteran Bruce Van Wagoner after 45 years in the industry and 33 years with Distribution Finance (DF). Shortly after the announcement, Boating Industry Content Director David Gee spoke with Chad via Zoom about his first thoughts after being named to the role, a little about his background, and what he sees as some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in the recreational boating industry.
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Towboat Talk with Bill Yeargin
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
The towboat segment has been one of the shining stars of the recreational boating industry when it comes to year over year growth. But as Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin points out in this Boating Industry Insider episode with David Gee, the category only recently returned to pre-recession unit sales levels in 2020. In this wide-ranging discussion with an industry leader, find out when Yeargin thinks supply will align with demand, what he has to say on the “affordability” of watersports boats, what virtual boat shows meant to the industry and what the future holds for electric watersports boats.
Wednesday Mar 31, 2021
Pontoons surge in popularity – and price
Wednesday Mar 31, 2021
Wednesday Mar 31, 2021
Pontoons these days offer better engineering, improved fuel efficiency, increased speed and space and all-around versatility. And that all comes at a higher cost of course. Some pontoon manufacturers are trying to mitigate sticker shock by offering different levels of pontoon lines that target different price points, from entry-level to high luxury. Others, such as Anthem Marine and Avalon, are offering pontoons with features such as surfable wakes. Whatever the sales strategy is, it seems to be working. The pontoon segment led the industry out of the last recession, and the NMMA says sales of freshwater fishing boats and pontoons accounted for 50% percent of all new powerboats sold in 2020. For the month of June, 2020, pontoon sales were up 23%, by July they were up 53%, and in August they were up 44% YoY. And Stratview Research estimates that the pontoon boat market will reach $2.5 billion by 2025. In this episode of Boating Industry Insider Content Director David Gee speaks with serial boat building entrepreneur Mark Overbye about the pontoon segment, the category’s popularity, where some of the high costs come from and what the future looks like for the segment.
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
The sterndrive show goes in with Ilmor COO Mike Lindberg
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
There’s no denying that the sterndrive no longer holds the place in the recreational boating industry it once did. However, there are plenty of manufacturers, dealers and customers who still see value in the sterndrive market, and that’s why Ilmor, Mercury Marine and Volvo Penta continue to invest, iterate and improve their sterndrive offerings. In this Boating Industry Insider episode, content director and editor-in-chief David Gee speaks about sterndrives with Mike Lindberg, Chief Operating Officer of Ilmor Marine, who oversees engineering, sales and service for the company. Among other things they talk about how the COVID sales surge re-energized the category, especially among first-time boaters, as well as sustainability, eco-friendliness, electrification, corrosion and reliability improvements and the future of the sterndrive space.
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Monday Feb 22, 2021
In the modern workplace, disabilities are more common than we may know. Yet too often, a stigma still exists when it comes to employing people with disabilities. According to Tova Sherman—a CEO, TED Speaker, and thought leader with more than 25 years of experience in diversity and inclusion—educating your existing team is crucial to a ensuring a thriving workplace filled with diverse people. “Disability is not a dirty word, so let’s stop acting like it is,” says Sherman, author of the book Win, Win, Win! The 18 Inclusion-isms you need to become a disability confident employer. “People often choose not to discuss what they don’t understand and that is why myths about disability continue to persist. Silence can no longer be an option in the workplace - and leaders must replace it with honest conversation.”
In this interesting interview with Tova, Boating Industry editor-in-chief David Gee discusses:
-Actionable steps to build the foundation for a truly inclusive workplace
-Why attitudinal barriers are the biggest obstacles to an inclusive culture
-Biggest mistakes leaders make when managing people with disabilities
-Why diversity is not the only aspect of an inclusive workplace culture
About the Host
David Gee is a professional keynote speaker and author of the 3 Second Selling platform. He is also a lifelong boater and watersports enthusiast and former editor-in-chief of Boating Industry.