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Message From The Editor
IF THERE'S ONE THING I'M SURE OF, IT'S UNCERTAINTY
I don't remember another time in my life when there seemed to be so much uncertainty. Wild fires are burning in Ontario's near north this summer the way they sometimes have in the summer in British Columbia. Just when you wanted to go to the cottage in Parry Sound, the forest catches fire and threatens to jump the Trans Canada Highway.
Temperatures approaching 100°F were making the Okanagan Valley uncomfortable, Québec has experienced a large number of deaths due to heat this summer and we're still in the middle of August. Global warming indeed…
Turning that around, the boating industry is enjoying an incredible summer of heat and sun; perfect boating weather, week after week including the weekends.
I think we can be sure that people will remember this summer and will plan to upgrade or buy a new boat for the summer of 2019 anticipating a repeat of this fabulous weather. We should be ready for that.
In addition to the all-important weather factor, interest rates continue to be low, the Canadian economy continues to do well, unemployment rates are low and in the United States, there is talk about hitting a GDP level between 3% and 4% in the coming year - an amazing rate of growth and prosperity for such a huge economy.
It seems like everyone I speak to is looking for new employees. The boatbuilders are going full tilt and can't seem to catch up with the demand.
At the Cruisers Yachts dealer meeting last week, I learned that they had had an exceptional year for sales last year and current demand was so great for their boats that they had to borrow boats back from dealers to have a complete line up for the dealer meeting. Apparently, there is literally nothing left in the factory.
What does all this add up to?
To me, it looks like the "the herd" is doing well and that tariffs and politically motivated problems like Canada's new spat with Saudi Arabia will not slow down the economy, or kill the boat business. But, I keep hearing that dealers are reluctant to place orders for boats and I'm hearing that there are almost no used boats on the market.
In a conversation yesterday with Brock Elliott at Campion Boats, Brock said, "You can't sell from an empty shelf." No uncertainty there.
Andy Adams, Editor
aadams@kerrwil.com
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Feature
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STUDY FINDS OCEANS INDUSTRY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES UNDER THE RADAR AMONG NEW BRUNSWICK YOUTH
A study released July 31st, highlights the need to increase awareness among New Brunswick youth about career opportunities in the oceans industry, including aquaculture, shipbuilding, boatbuilding, tidal energy, and ocean technologies.
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Feature
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BRP TO ACQUIRE MANITOU PONTOON MANUFACTURER, STRENGTHENING THE COMPANY'S NEW MARINE GROUP
BRP has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Triton Industries, Inc., manufacturer of the Manitou pontoon brand.
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Changing Scene
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MERCURY MARINE WINS BUSINESS FRIEND OF THE ENVIRONMENT AWARD FOR THE SECOND TIME IN FOUR YEARS
Mercury Marine was presented a Wisconsin Business 'Friend of the Environment' Award on Wednesday, August 1st in Madison, WI.This is the second time in four years that Mercury has won the award, also winning the honors in 2014.
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BENETEAU CELEBRATES 2018 AWARD WINNERS
On July 16th, Beneteau, one of the leading global boat manufacturers, celebrated the top dealers of the year at its Annual Dealer Meeting. Over 35 dealerships from North and South America gathered for the awards gala…
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TWIN DISC UNVEILS HERITAGE GALLERY IN HONOR OF 100TH ANNIVERSARY
Twin Disc, Inc., a global leader in power transmission technology for marine and land-based applications, unveiled the Twin Disc Heritage Gallery on Aug. 2, at the company's Racine, Wisconsin headquarters, in celebration of its 100th anniversary.
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EVINRUDE WINS WISCONSIN 'BUSINESS FRIEND OF THE ENVIRONMENT' AWARD
Evinrude, a global manufacturer of marine engines headquartered in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, received the 'Business Friend of the Environment' award presented by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's chamber of commerce and largest business trade association.
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PRECISION BOAT WORKS IS MOVING
Since 1978, brothers Bill & Richard Porter founded, owned & operated Precision Boat Works, Inc. During this time period, they have built nearly 5,000 Precision sailboats consisting of 15 different models from 13 ft. to 28 ft.
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"WHERE'S THE WHEEL?" SCHAEFER YACHTS SHOWS NEW PLEASURE YACHT WITH VOLVO PENTA JOYSTICK-ONLY STEERING
The new Schaefer 580 motoryacht has no steering wheel at the helm station - only a Volvo Penta joystick.
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Events
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TEN REASONS WHY THE NMEA / RTCM CONFERENCE IS A MUST ATTEND
This is the last week to register at the Early Bird rates. Consider these Ten reasons why the NMEA / RTCM Conference is a must attend this September!
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Research
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PLEASURE CRAFT LICENSING FOR 2018
Transport Canada has released the Pleasurecraft Licensing statistics for July 2018.
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New Products
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MERCURY MARINE UNVEILS NEW LINE OF DIESEL ENGINES THAT IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IN THE MID-RANGE
Mercury Marine, the world leader in marine propulsion and technology, has introduced at the Sydney Boat Show, a new line of 3.0-liter diesel engines for sterndrive, inboard and water-jet applications, available in 150hp, 230hp and 270hp.
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VERSATILE DRINK HOLDER PREVENTS SPILLS OF ALL SIZES
Constantly spilling beverages while onboard a boat can be frustrating and messy. Accon Marine's Adjustable Drink Holder eliminates this headache by keeping boaters' drinks steady, regardless of what they might be.
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Boating Stock Market
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Calendar
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Port Credit In-Water Boat Show
August 24 - 26, 2018
Port Credit, ON
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Victoria Classic Boat Festival
August 31 - September 2, 2018
Victoria, BC
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Rekord Marine Trade Show
October 11 - 12, 2018
Richmond, BC
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... View All Events
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Daily Updates
For daily updates and more interesting news follow
Boating Industry Canada on LinkedIn.
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