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A better year expected for boat builders
Boating Industry
(October 9, 2009) CHICAGO, Ill. – As the boating season has come to a close for many areas of the United States, boating industry executives planning for 2010 have been forecasting little to no improvement in retail sales. However, despite that outlook, National Marine Manufacturers Association President Thom Dammrich believes boat builders have something to look forward to in the year ahead.
“Conventional wisdom is that the boating industry will sell 135,000 units at retail in 2009, but only build 50,000 units,” Dammrich wrote in an e-mail interview. “In 2010, sales are expected to be between 135,000 and 150,000 units, which would be an 11 percent increase at the high end of that range. But production will likely be close to the retail units sold. Our production numbers could triple from 50K to 150K and that will feel like a big recovery for the manufacturers.”