Welcome to the Wayzata Marine Blog

I have a New Years resolution…it is to do better with the Wayzata Marine blog! Since writing doesn’t come natural to me, it has been a challenge to be blogging as much as I know I should. My pledge is to do better this year! Happy New Year to all!! In Minneapolis, right after New Years, is “The Parade of Boats”. We go from a very slow time on the sales floor to a very busy time in just a few short days. The parade started on the 10th of January and will end on the 31st of January. Every day we have gotten a little busier, and today we have been overwhelmed with eager shoppers. The last few boats showed up late, but are now on display. Between our Minnetonka Marine and Wayzata Marine showrooms we have 68 boats inside on display, ranging from 18 feet to 37 feet. We have many new never before seen boats on display. Brand new for 2011 from Chaparral are the 246SSI sport boat, 310 Signature cruiser, and 330 Signature cruiser. We are also introducing Regal sport boats, cruisers and yachts to Lake Minnetonka. They are a great line of boats from 18 to 52 feet. After 35 years of not selling pontoons we finally found a line up worthy of our Lake Minnetonka customers…it is South Bay! They make outboard and sterndrive boats from 16 to 28 feet…careful, these aren’t your grandfather’s pontoon! Stop by the Minnetonka show room…there are 12 different styles to choose from. So…January brings the Parade of Boats with fantastic selection and pricing on all of our brands; Chaparral, Regal, Four Winns, South Bay, Chris Craft, Tige and Yamaha Jet Boats! AND…we back them up with award winning service. It sounds like this is truly a Happy New Year!

Dave

Well… the Parade of Boats was definitely a success for our company. I would like to thank everyone who stopped by to see us! I am very pleased to say we sold twice as many boats during the Parade this year compared to the MN boat show last year. It brought many boating enthusiasts into our two locations. They saw many more boats then were available to see at the boat show. Boat show incentives were available along with additional cash discounts. I heard from many people how nice it was to shop without the crowds of people distracting them. They also liked the large selection along with the free parking, admission and food. When the weather turned a little nasty no one felt pressured to drive out to see us, they knew the Parade was going on for 11 days and not one weekend like the boat show. The showrooms still have the parade displays intact so don’t hesitate to stop by to have a look, however, you will notice quite a few sold signs on the boats.

All eight locations are planning on being part of the 2011 Parade of Boats. Plus, we have been contacted by several other dealers who want to join going forward. Look for more joint sales events with the Metro Boat Dealers this summer. Rumor has it that we will be at Lord Fletchers, the State fair grounds, and a St. Croix River event!

Dave

WOW…has it gotten hot! It is a very beautiful week here at the marina. It is hard for me to sit at my desk when the customers start to show up to go boating. It is a lot more rewarding for me to wander around the marina talking to and helping our wonderful customers. People are using their boats like never before. I think that is a good sign! I am sorry it has been so long since my last entry, we have been very busy so I have let it slip a little. I will try not to let it happen again.

My last blog entry was about records; well we have had a few firsts since the last entry.

We now have no used boats…that is the first time that has happened, but we do have brokerage boats.
We sold our first Mercruiser joy stick controlled boat. WOW! What an impressive system to operate!
We are running so low on new inventory, we have had to mix the brands in the showrooms; something we have never done before.

One of my recent conversations while walking on the docks was about the GenMar bankruptcy filing, and what it means to our dealership and our customers. Well…good question. In our 42 plus years in business, we have had multiple manufactures that we have represented go through reorganization and a few through liquidation. The most recent example was the OMC bankruptcy which affected Chris Craft. When a manufacture fails, good dealers step in and solve the customer’s problems. If GenMar doesn’t take care of customers, we will take care of our customers. It is this philosophy that has kept us going through the good and bad times!

Dave

I don’t ever remember this happing before…but, we are down to one used boat. Yes…it is a record that may stand for a while… We have been setting a few records in this most unusual year. Most have been good records but some have been bad. Our service department has been more productive than ever before. Our slip rentals in the marinas are on a record pace. We winterized more boats than any other year and did it with half as many people. We stored and launched a record number of boats this year. Used boat sales are at a record pace. Our new and used inventory is as low as I can ever recall for this time of year. Last week a customer picked up the largest and most expensive boat we have ever sold, another good record for us!

Some of the not so good records have to do with new boat sales. Right now it seems new boats have less demand than used boats. However, it is an opportunity for our customers to get a tremendous value on a new boat with full warranty and record amounts of factory money. So, new boat prices are fantastic and we need great trades to replenish our used inventory. It seems like a match made in heaven for those who are looking for a different boat! Yes…that makes the value for the consumers a record.

Dave

It is no secret that boat sales are down the last few years. It is a difficult time to work at any boat dealership. The news is negative and financing can be difficult to arrange. Bailouts and swine flu are stealing the headlines. The old ways of doing business certainly are being attacked. Change is in the air and in the water.

We have changed our company to better compete in today’s environment. We have right sized our crew. Every remaining crew member has multiple new responsibilities. With 45% less staff than we had in the beginning of 2008 everyone has to cover responsibilities of people who are no longer part of our team. We are stream lining the models we offer. We have changed how we help customers with their service, winter storage, and marina needs.

We are aggressively working on our internet marketing. We have started to make video presentations of our used units. These videos are posted on youtube and linked to our web sites. We are making plans for redoing our newsletter. We are now posting as many actual photos of our new boats as possible; manufacturer’s stock photos are no longer acceptable. We are the first dealership in the country to use a text messaging service to send information to inquiring customers.

There are however a few things that haven’t changed at our company. We have a desire to help people find the right boat and help them enjoy their time on the water. We are determined to try to get better at what we do everyday. We are very particular about the brands and models of boats we offer. We have a passion for the boating lifestyle and for helping people with their boating needs.

With our philosophy intact and our ability to change with the market, we will do what we have always done. We have always emerged from adversity as a better company. I don’t know when business will increase, but I do know that when it does we will have learned how to be more efficient, offer more services and be an even better place to buy your next boat from.

Dave

The ice at Brown’s Bay on Easter Sunday.

Ok… entry # 3. The people of Minnesota seem to be ready for summer! The long winter and negative news reports have our customers ready for a great summer. On Easter I was watching the lake to make sure the ice didn’t damage the marina on Brown’s Bay. Three days later everyone was ready to launch their boats. Friday, Lord Fletcher’s one of the local on the water restaurants, was packed as though summer was in full swing. The maker buoys are already out on lower lake.

We have also been very busy in the showrooms. Used boats and new 2007-08’s seem to be very popular. The values on the new 2007’s and 2008’s are the best I have ever seen. People who buy now are beating the inevitable price increases that will come very soon. The manufacturers will not be able to increase production to meet the increased demand for at least two years. During that time, both new and used boats will have a great deal more demand than supply.

I am sleeping very well these days. A hard day’s work consisting of launching and transporting boats has me ready for bed early. I would recommend to anyone who is having trouble sleeping come over and help me for the day and you will sleep like a baby. The pay isn’t very good, but the sense of accomplishment is very gratifying.

Dave

Ok…the first entry was a challenge for me, I am a bit dyslectic. The second entry, well here goes…my wife, kids and I went to Hawaii for spring break this year. I thought about this decision long and hard. I didn’t want to send the wrong message to our customers, employees or anyone else, but in the end I determined that it was good for the economy, the business and me. It is important to get away once in a while to recharge your batteries and have quality time with your family. I think it might be our last spring break together as a family. I hope it is not, but my son is at the age where it is likely he will go on spring break with his fraternity…not his parents. My daughter also went to Ecuador with the school during the first week of break. It was the first time that both kids were away from us for a week.

I really have come to believe that life is short! When you have opportunities to spend time with the people who are important to you…do it!! In the fast pace of today’s world, the moments at the beach in Hawaii or on the lake with a loved one is a special opportunity. I love my kids and sometimes I wish they would just stay young a little longer. I wish I would have made more time on the lake with them, but it isn’t over…this summer brings knew opportunities for those special moments together.

I am leading the boat yard crew here at work this year. We have about 150 new, used, and storage boats to put into the water this spring. So I started working out to get into shape at my other business, Select Fitness, a personal training studio in Minnetonka. The work outs have been difficult but I am much less likely to have a heart attack while muscling a boat around in the yard. Once the boats start to splash, the mood around here changes. Summer is about to start and our customers are full of joy. We see mothers, fathers, and children all looking forward to going out on the water. Friends and relatives with excitement in their eyes, they are one of the lucky ones who were invited out for a pleasure cruise. Yes, summer in Minnesota is definitely the reward for the long cold winter…and summers are best spent on, or near, the lake!!!!

Dave

Well…here goes, my first blog entry! I just returned from a meeting in Dallas, TX; where I participated in a round-table discussion with a group of very successful boat dealers from all around the country, as well as Canada. We discussed the economy, the boat industry, etc.; but at the end of the day, everyone in the room shared in one common belief that really excited me. Although there is not as much business as we are accustomed to, boaters still want exactly what Wayzata Marine offers; quality, value, expertise, atmosphere, service, and stability. It confirmed for me the principles and faith that I have maintained over the years; focusing on customers and customer service is the key to the long term success of any dealership!

Ok, here is a little background on me. I grew up in the Wayzata area, graduating from Wayzata High school in the early eighties. I then left home and headed up Interstate 94 to St. Cloud State University. Graduating with a degree in management, I packed up my things and came back to the only employer I had ever known…at the age of 5, I had started sweeping floors for Wayzata Marine, a boat dealership which my father started when I was only two years old. My pay started out as a nickel, but when I was five, that was a lot! Then, finally, my big break came at the age of 13! I helped a customer look at a few boats when everyone else was with other customers. I remember Mr. Humphrey telling me that he thought this 18 foot open bow would be perfect for him and his family…and then he went on to say something I will never forget, “I think I will take this one”! Containing my excitement as best I could at the age of 13, I maintained my cool and I brought him in to the office where my mom filled out his paperwork. Thirty years later, I have worked in every department possible within a boat dealership, and have helped countless families onto the water.

I am blessed to be married and have two wonderful kids. My wife Dava and I have been married for 21 glorious years. She grew up in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities; we met while I was in college. My son Jason is a sophomore at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He is an economics and math double major, thankfully he was blessed with his mom’s intelligence. In the summer you will find him managing the dock crew here at Wayzata Marine. My daughter Taylor is a sophomore at The Blake School in Minneapolis. She has a passion for horses, especially the 3 horses she owns, two of which she shows competitively around the country. She also works here on the docks during the summer.

It is my intention in this blog to write about the boat business, the boating lifestyle, the boating community (especially Lake Minnetonka), customers and family. I hope to answer your questions and help people understand more about boating.

As the owner of Wayzata Marine, I thank you for putting your trust in our company over the last 42 years; we will continue to serve our customers with integrity, respect, courtesy, professionalism and honesty.

Dave