Q&A: Duane Kuck on boats, family and faith — P. 10 3Q loss at Brunswick; West Marine sales dip — P. 25
December 2008
®
Consumer
Confidence Index
(last six months)
Note:October’snumberisthelowestonrecord.
Data used with permission of The Conference Board.
58.1
51.0
51. 9
61. 4
58. 5
38.0
WWW.TRADEONLYTODAY.COM $5.00
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Fence-sitters prevail at Lauderdale
With a few exceptions, business was slow, but turnout beat expectations
INSIDE
R.I. — Big on boats
By Melanie Winters / Associate Editor
m.winters@tradeonlytoday.com
Attendance was down and floor traffic light in some areas, but many exhibitors at this year’s Fort Lauderdale
International Boat Show were hopeful
of a market rebound.
A few exhibitors — from Zodiac of
North America to marine display and
night vision camera manufacturer VEI —
reported stellar sales. And while many
others saw a decrease in sales, they said
the leads and interest generated at the
show indicate a measure of pent-up demand in the marketplace.
The 49th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, held Oct. 30 through
Nov. 3, featured more than $3 billion
worth of boats, yachts, superyachts, electronics, engines and accessories. The
show encompasses more than 3 million
square feet of space on land and in the
See Lauderdale, Page 26
Our smallest state packs a whole lot
of boating into its 1,045 square
miles. In fact, say industry leaders,
Rhode Island’s compact size fosters
a spirit of cooperation that enables
boating to prosper. Page 16
BILLY BLACK
BRIGHT SPOT
Downturn doesn’t stop Grand Banks dealer
Waterfront in a walk
When they went to the polls Nov.
4, Florida voters made it clear they
prefer traditional working waterfronts to upscale condos. A pro-marina amendment won more than
70 percent of the vote. Page 30
Wealthy clients and brand reputation propel CYI to a banner first year
By David W. Shaw
To say Steve Fithian has the Midas touch isn’t much of an
exaggeration. Instead of hunkering down in these difficult
economic times, he’s hiring new sales staff. He added a third
office and will soon open a fourth, and he moved his company headquarters to fancier digs.
Fithian doesn’t have a secret recipe for success. His ability
to prosper in a tough economy stems from the nature of his
customers and the product he sells; both are somewhat
recession-proof.
Fithian is president of Classic Yachts International, a deal-
ership for Grand Banks Yachts based in Dania Beach, Fla.,
near Fort Lauderdale. The company was formed in October
2007 after Fort Lauderdale-based Hal Jones & Co., the previous dealer for Grand Banks on Florida’s east coast, closed its
doors when the owner retired. Fithian had worked there for
14 years, closing out his tenure as vice president of sales. In
2003, 2005 and 2006, he was the top Grand Banks sales producer worldwide.
“I was selling about 80 percent of the new Grand Banks
boats at Hal Jones,” Fithian says. “When Hal retired, Grand
Banks approached me to see if I wanted to take over.”
See CYI, Page 27
Bigger they are ...
The housing bubble in South Florida
was bigger than most, and when it
burst, it took much of the wind out
of the region’s marine market, which
also is bigger than most. Page 32
ADVERTISING SPECIAL
Marinas 2008
HEARD IT HERE FIRST
“This has happened many times before.
As long as people eat and work and
sleep, there will be a market
— Carlo Ferrari, the Italian trade co
Miami, on the depressed state of the b”for boats.
mmissioner in
oating market
Our annual Marinas, Docks and
Boatyards section is a 15-page
treasure trove of products and services for the modern marina.
You’ll find everything from dock
cleats to software to international
marinas. Pages 34-48
