National Marine Manufacturers Association president Frank Hugelmeyer, who succeeds Thom Dammrich, addressed the recreational boating industry for the first time today during the Industry Breakfast prior to the opening of the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference. The show starts today and runs through Thursday at the Tampa Convention Center.
“We need to think far beyond when consumers are on the water,” Hugelmeyer said, addressing a sold-out crowd of more than 800. “The trends play to our strengths. We have the innovative products and technologies. We exhibit the empathy and social corporate responsibility they seek.”
Hugelmeyer grew up boating on New York’s Long Island and is a former president of the RV Industry Association. The vice chairman of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, he has been instrumental in bringing together the marine and RV industries.
Hugelmeyer said the marine industry has had 7 percent growth for the last seven years and that boating and fishing are a $170 billion ecosystem that represents 2.25 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. He acknowledged that some segments, such as small to midsize aluminum boats, have seen slight declines, but wake-sports boats and personal watercraft are up 5 percent.
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