Category Archives: Articles

Dealer downsizes to survive

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Jim Tyler pretty much grew up in the boat and motor dealership that his father started 50 years ago when he took on some boat lines and became a Johnson dealer. Jim worked summers at the dealership while in high school and college and then

Tyler Boats, Rockport, IN
Tyler Boats, Rockport, IN

joined the company full time when he graduated. He successfully grew the business over the years and became highly respected by all of his suppliers and other dealers. But then the marine industry started tanking in 2008, and Tyler Boats, like thousands of other boat dealers, saw its boat sales almost screech to a halt. Continue reading Dealer downsizes to survive →

Recalling Thomas Paine’s lasting words: These are the times that try men’s souls

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In 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine wrote this famous line. And with today’s economy, one could again say, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

The economy has been in the tank for months, and recessions always seem to impact the recreational industries first and hardest. In the Midwest, matters have been made worse by the cold and wet spring we have endured. Continue reading Recalling Thomas Paine’s lasting words: These are the times that try men’s souls →

Let’s make it a two-way street on 2010 boat orders

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My May blog, “It’s a dealer’s market now, especially with 2010 dealer agreements,” generated several responses, mostly from dealers but a few from boat reps. I think it is also a “dealer’s market” when it comes to placing orders for 2010 boats. But it is equally important that we make sure the whole process is a “two-way street.” Continue reading Let’s make it a two-way street on 2010 boat orders →