BY THE NUMBERS
Aluminum
Fiberglass
State
TX
LA
GA
FL
MI
SC
TN
WA
NC
CA
MS
AR
OK
NY
OR
KY
AZ
MT
AK
NJ
ID
ND
Sept. 08
2008
3,415
419
369
274
229
191
186
176
163
152
151
151
128
121
115
114
107
62
62
56
48
42
36
Sept. 07
2007
4,051
485
414
277
285
196
195
202
169
192
341
163
130
126
107
159
88
124
62
72
54
107
17
Growth
This Month
- 15. 7
- 13. 6 %
- 10. 9
-1.1 %
- 19. 6
- 2. 6 %
- 4. 6
- 12. 9 %
- 3. 6
- 20. 8
- 55. 7 %
- 7. 4
-1.5 %
- 4.0
7. 5 %
- 28. 3
21. 6 %
- 50.0
0.0 %
- 22. 2
- 11.1
- 60. 7 %
111.8
12-Month
Rolling 2008
59,798
7,687
6,346
2,894
4,799
4,187
2,835
3,145
2,353
3,079
2,360
2,093
2,712
1,998
2,467
1,829
1,927
920
819
1,232
753
707
734
12-Month
Rolling 2007
72,028
7,775
6,412
4,293
6,459
5,096
3,790
4,016
2,956
4,052
3,495
2,452
3,227
1,972
2,737
2,511
1,999
1,536
960
1,460
909
1,023
696
Growth
12MR
- 17.0
-1.1 %
-1.0
- 32. 6 %
- 25. 7
- 17. 8 %
- 25. 2
- 21. 7 %
- 20. 4
- 24.0
- 32. 5 %
- 14. 6
- 16.0 %
1.3
- 9. 9 %
- 27. 2
- 3. 6 %
- 40.1
- 14. 7 %
- 15. 6
- 17. 2
- 30. 9 %
5. 5
State
FL
TX
CA
NC
GA
SC
LA
MI
TN
NY
WA
NJ
OK
MS
AZ
AR
CT
ID
OR
MT
KY
NH
Sept. 08
2008
4,085
778
593
370
313
269
211
180
147
142
141
133
124
120
95
71
64
54
50
49
49
44
25
Sept. 07
2007
6,668
1,323
858
1,168
464
378
339
260
160
169
169
206
170
144
125
129
99
80
94
87
38
85
51
Growth
This Month
- 38. 7
- 41. 2 %
- 30. 9
-68.3 %
- 32. 5
- 28. 8
- 37. 8 %
- 30. 8
- 8.1 %
- 16.0
- 16. 6 %
- 35. 4
- 27.1 %
- 16. 7
- 24.0
- 45.0 %
- 35. 4
- 32. 5 %
- 46. 8
- 43. 7 %
28. 9
- 48. 2 %
- 51.0
12-Month
Rolling 2008
72,365
14,185
11,441
5,210
5,485
2,682
3,442
3,447
2,690
2,446
3,840
2,425
2,280
1,861
1,266
1,320
1,325
1,223
649
982
678
1,200
809
12-Month
Rolling 2007
102,955
21,653
12,532
10,008
7,698
4,711
5,113
4,039
3,615
3,353
5,180
4,036
3,086
2,056
1,602
2,464
1,890
1,639
1,054
1,584
896
1,585
1,540
Growth
12MR
- 29. 7
- 34. 5 %
- 8. 7
- 47. 9 %
- 28. 7
- 43.1
- 32. 7 %
- 14. 7
- 25. 6 %
- 27.1
- 25. 9 %
- 39. 9
- 26.1 %
- 9. 5
- 21.0
- 46. 4 %
- 29. 9
- 25. 4 %
- 38. 4
- 38.0 %
- 24. 3
- 24. 3 %
- 47. 5
Aluminum stabilizes,
but market struggles
By Aarn D. Rosen
Early release data in September for
the entire aluminum market showed
signs of firming up for the second
consecutive month. Single-digit declines in higher-volume states helped
the aluminum segment outperform
fiberglass for the period.
These statistics include 26 early reporting states, which represent approximately 62 percent of the national market.
Fiberglass boats in the 14 to 30
foot segment were down 38. 7 percent for the month. On a 12-month
rolling basis, the market was down
29. 7 percent. Michigan and New
Mexico were the only states posting
single-digit declines. North Dakota
and Alaska posted double-digit increases on nominal volume. The remaining states continued to show
Aarn D. Rosen is national marine
sales manager for Statistical Surveys,
the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based firm
that tracks retail boat sales.
extremely soft results for the month.
Aluminum boat sales fell in
September by 15. 7 percent and were
down 17 percent for the last 12
months. Georgia, Michigan, South
Carolina, Washington, Mississippi,
Arkansas and Oklahoma all posted
single-digit declines. New York and
Kentucky showed positive gains in
the month.
PWC declined 40. 7 percent in the
month and were down 25. 5 percent during the last year. California,
Florida, Texas, and Michigan
dropped steeply. Last year, retail
volume was higher than normal, so
the percentage drop may be slightly
overstated.
Fiberglass and PWC sales continued
to decline at a higher rate. Final third-quarter results are going to be down
20 to 30 percent, depending upon
the market. With reliable historical
marine data only dating back to 1997,
we are unable to gain additional insight from similar events, like the
1994-95 economic slowdown. Segment volumes appear prematurely
low relative to prior years.
Consumer confidence dips to all-time low
The global financial upheaval has driven consumer confidence to the lowest
level ever recorded by the Conference Board.
After showing modest improvement in September, the board’s Consumer Confidence Index plunged more than 23 points in October. The index, which stood at
61.4 in September, hit an all-time low of 38 in October. The 23.4-point decline was
the third largest since the Conference Board began compiling the index in 1967.
“The impact of the financial crisis over the last several weeks has clearly taken a
toll,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board’s Consumer Research
Center, in a statement. “Looking ahead, consumers are extremely pessimistic, and
a significantly larger proportion than last month foresees business and labor market conditions worsening.”
