Report Shows Marine CEO Sentiment Improving

The National Marine Manufacturers Association’s (NMMA) Q2 2020 Marine CEO Sentiment Report, a quarterly survey to assess the state and needs of U.S. recreational boat, engine and marine accessory manufacturing businesses, is now available. The Q2 survey was fielded in July, and data shows marine CEO sentiment has improved considerably since the onset of the pandemic.

“Marine CEO sentiment was much more optimistic in Q2, returning to levels pre-pandemic, bolstered by record new boat sales this summer,” said Vicky Yu, director of business intelligence for NMMA. “Production has been steadily ratcheting back up since the lockdown restrictions were lifted, and manufacturers are actively hiring or bringing back furloughed employees, working through order backlogs as operations return to normal.”

Key findings from the Q2 2020 Marine CEO Sentiment Report include:

• 49% of CEOs reported current business conditions were stable, another 39% reported business was expanding, and 11% reported business was declining, on par with sentiment levels prior to the pandemic.
• 51% of marine manufacturers reported sales were up or on par with Q2 2019, and 15% of them reporting substantial growth in sales.
• 47% of marine manufacturers reported new orders were up compared to a year ago, primarily reflecting gains in orders of new boats.
• Hiring improved as manufacturing lockdown restrictions were lifted, with 37% of manufacturers actively hiring in the last quarter, 44% sustaining their normal staffing levels, and 19% reporting job cuts.
• Access complete findings around data including Prices, Raw Material Costs, Capital Expenditures, Supply Chain, and more here.

NMMA members get free access to these reports; to become a member, visit https://www.nmma.org/membership.