Genmar reports 20 per cent increase in dealer orders

By IBI Magazine / Michael Verdon

In a letter to Genmar dealers, Genmar chief Irwin Jacobs reported that dealer orders from 15 of its 16 summer dealer meetings were up 20 per cent over last year. "I am pleased to tell you that we've set another sales record for early season orders," he wrote.

He also noted that Genmar, over the past five months, including July, has sold more boats at retail than they've been manufacturing. "In fact, in July alone our dealers retailed more than one and a half times as many boats as we built and shipped. Genmar's dealer pipeline inventories are at historic lows," he wrote. Jacobs informed the dealer network that the 2003 model year will include "many new aggressive marketing programs, opportunities and great surprises." He said that the company would be sending out a list showing where dealership opportunities are available.

Jacobs also touched on the subject of its proprietary VEC technology, and said that over the next 24 months, the company will be converting all of its fibreglass boat factories to the closed-mould technology. "To date we've shipped more than 1,000 boats manufactured with VEC," he wrote. "Once the Phase I conversion is completed we plan to start the VEC Phase II conversion, which will include building VEC boats from 27 to 40 feet."

Genmar, Jacobs said, has spent more than US$60 million on the development of the low-styrene VEC technology, and as a result, he plans to push for tighter styrene emissions for the industry as a whole. "I am personally taking on the responsibility to push for a major policy change - a dramatic reduction in the release and usage of styrenes within the boatbuilding industry," he wrote. "I can tell you right now that the entire fibreglass boatbuilding industry is up in arms with Genmar's commitment to push for cleaner and safer environmental processes." Jacobs said that EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman recently toured its Little Falls, Minnesota VEC facility and "was impressed with what she saw."

A statement released by the National Marine Manufacturer's Association last week said that just one year after federal MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) Standards were finalised, many NMMA boat manufacturing members were either very close to or fully MACT-compliant. According to the NMMA's release boatbuilders are stepping up to the challenge and meeting stringent styrene emission standards - two years ahead of the August 2004 deadline set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

(27 August 2002)