MRAA Releases Strategic Plan

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas finalized a three-year strategic plan that seeks to further strengthen how the association fuels the success of the marine industry. Through expanded dealer training and educational programs and a focus on higher levels of industry engagement, MRAA’s plan puts an overarching emphasis on helping the industry deliver a world-class customer experience. 

The 2023-25 MRAA strategic roadmap resulted from collaborative efforts and a two-day meeting among MRAA staff, its board of directors, members of its Young Leaders Advisory Council, and its Strategic Partners. The group of nearly 50 people sifted through multiple MRAA member and non-member surveys and more than 45 individual, one-on-one dealer conversations; to establish a trio of MRAA priorities: 

• Expand solutions that drive dealer success 
• Engage more dealers and manufacturers in MRAA’s programs 
• Promote marine retail strength through data, advocacy 

While much of the strategic roadmap provided insights into tactical work that MRAA will focus on, such as building new education and training programs, creating retail data dashboards, and efforts to reduce industrywide Repair Event Cycle Times, the group also put a major focus on driving engagement levels with MRAA’s programs. Those efforts include promoting the benefits of Dealership Certification, both throughout the industry and to consumers; sharing the immense value of MRAA’s work on behalf of dealers and the industry; and becoming an even stronger dealer development option for manufacturers and suppliers. 

To view the MRAA Strategic Plan, click here. MRAA_StrategicPlan2023_Summary-3.pdf 

The MRAA also announced their newly elected board of directors. Jeff Strong, president of Strong’s Marine in New York has been named chair; Joe Lewis of Mount Dora Boating Center and Marina in Mount Dora, Florida is vice-chair; and Craig Brosenne, president of Hagadon Marine Group is the new secretary/treasurer. Strong, Lewis and Brosenne, along with Immediate past chair, Rob Soucy of Port Harbor Marine in Maine, make up the MRAA’s executive committee. 

New board members include Brandon Sharpe, sales manager at Arrowhead Yacht Club & Marina in Oklahoma, who is the Regional Director for MRAA’s Region 9 (AR, LA, OK, TX), and Susan Duquette, president at Lakeview Marine in Massachusetts, who is the new director at arge, representing MRAA’s Young Leaders Advisory Council. 

Returning MRAA Regional Directors include: 

• Region 1 (ME, MA, NH, VT) – Craig LeBlanc, Allen Harbor Marine Service 
• Region 2 (CT, NJ, NY, RI) – Bob Petzold, Petzold’s Marine Center 
• Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV) – Jason Murphy, Norfolk Marine 
• Region 4 (KY, NC, SC, TN) – Stacy Greenwood, Cleveland Boat Center 
• Region 5 (AL, FL, GA, MS) – Paul Berube, Boaters Exchange 
• Region 6 (IL, IN, MI, OH) – Chad Taylor, Taylor’s South Shore Marine 
• Region 7 (MN, SD, ND, WI) – Jason Shallcross, Reed’s Marine 
• Region 8 (CO, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, NM, WY) – Jeff Siems, Blue Springs Marine 
• Region 10 (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA): Bob Bense, Superior Boat Repair & Sales 
• Region 11 (Canada): Carly Poole, Buckeye Marine