Markets & Regions
ibinews.com International Boat Industry | JUNE–JULY 2019 33
BOATBUILDERS | USA
Stingray’s Bob vanVollenhoven. “We’ve been very
proactive in labour recruitment, working closely
in the community starting at the high school level
and with some of the technical colleges in our
area to let young people know there are very good
careers available to them. That has been a successful
program for us, and we definitely want to continue
that relationship.”
Outreach and training programs championed by
boatbuilders in other communities have also met
with similar success. The NMMA even went as far as
to identify labour as a strategic priority, launching
multiple initiatives to help build the profile of
boatbuilding as a career opportunity.CLOSED FOR BUSINESS
Where tariffs on the supply chain side and upward
pressure on wages represent significant profit threats
for all US boatbuilders, the opportunity for these
builders to sell their way out of a problem remains
hampered by a lingering EU tariff of 25% on US-
made boats. Coupled with a challenging currency
exchange rate against the US dollar and additional
import fees applied to foreign-made boats from
customs duties and VAT, Europe remains a tough
market – and particularly for boatbuilders in the
high value, luxury performance segment.
“The biggest foreign export market for us was
Europe. But a 25% duty there, combined with the
VAT and the exchange rate, make that a pretty
steep hill to climb these days,” says Formula Boats
president, Scott Porter. “Americans should be
concerned about that, because it really is hurtful
for jobs here and the longer that that situation
continues, the more that US manufacturers are
losing traction in the European marketplace. They
just don’t have any presence whatsoever right now.”
Long a champion of exporting, NMMA president
Thom Dammrich remains bullish on the benefits
of international trade – chief among them the ability
of export to cushion a business from the inevitable
domestic economic slumps that will occur over the
long haul. “Canada has historically been the largest
export market or American-made boats so getting
those tariffs removed was critically important,” he
says. “The second biggest market for US boatbuilders
is Europe, but that market is for all intents closed
for business indefinitely. China is probably going
to be off limits for a while too. But in spite of the
current situation we remind our members that
the benefits of cultivating export markets are
undeniable, so we’re encouraging people to look
at engaging other markets like Australia, South
America or the Middle East.”Smoker Craft leverages the agility of being a family-run
business to expand its global footprintAT ONE TIME a majority of North American boat manufacturers
were family-owned operations run by people who felt they
could build a better mousetrap. Today, more and more boat
manufacturers are corporate entities, answering to shareholders
with a keen eye on the bottom line. In our big-box, mass-
consumption world, the family-owned, US-based manufacturing
business has become a bit of an anachronism. And yet, it’s one
which can still enjoy enviable success.
Smoker Craft Inc – the New Paris, Indiana-based
manufacturer of aluminium fishing, pontoon and fibreglass
sport boats sold under the Starcraft, Smoker Craft, Sylvan,
SunChaser and Starweld brands – is a fifth-generation, family-owned company that has
managed to thrive by adhering to strategies and values established more than a century ago.
And, by constantly thinking outside the box.
That penchant for innovation has helped the company to develop a growing international
dealer network. “We have a number of boat models which were developed specifically with
export in mind,” says executive vice president of marketing and corporate development, Peter
Barrett. “That includes fishing boats, fibreglass sport boats and a full line of pontoons with
design elements requested by overseas buyers, including the ability to fit inside a standard
shipping container to minimise delivery costs and reduce the risk of damage in transit.”
Barrett confirms that a significant proportion of the company’s total production – as much
as 18% – is now sold through dealers outside of the US. The company has invested heavily in
growing its presence at international boat shows in recent years, including recent events in
Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and Russia.
“Being an independent boat manufacturer that’s not owned by an engine brand has really
benefitted us, and particularly in establishing overseas markets,” says Barrett. “Dealers are
looking for flexibility of choice in propulsion, and we work with Mercury, Yamaha, BRP, Suzuki,
Honda and Volvo Penta. Regardless of what engine brand a dealer sells, our product is a fit.”INNOVATING FOR GROWTH
Smoker Craft EVP,
Peter Barrett
Fishing boats like Starcraft's
Superfisherman 186 are steady sellers
Pontoon boats shipped
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