The Skipper's Blog

Ox-Bo Marine from Juneau WI won the Aurora Marine Pontoon Dealer Starter Package, valued at over $1,600, at the annual Avalon-Tahoe Dealer Show. Dealers that placed their orders for the Starter Package at the show were automatically entered in the draw. Amanda drew the winning order at the end of the show.

The package consists everything that a Pontoon Dealer need to get started cleaning, restoring, protecting and anti-fouling their customers pontoons or selling the products to their customers so they can Do It Themselves. The package includes ALGEX; instant algae remover, ALUMABRITE; marine grade stain remover, ALUMABUFF; aluminum buffing compound so you can buff out stains, streaks and etching in under 60 minutes, ALUMETRON; protective clear coat for pontoons with a 5 year warranty, VS721; clear anti fouling for pontoons, plus MARINE POWER MITTS, a LINEAR BUFFER and ALUMABUFF PADS to get the job done quickly, easily and professionally.

The Starter Package was discounted by over $400, so all dealers that ordered at the show were winners. These dealers will now be able to provide first class service and products to their customers and increase their profits at the same time.

The show was a resounding success, with confidence levels at a record high. Looking at the new 2016 models it’s easy to see why dealers were so enthusiastic. Avalon and Tahoe have raised the bar on luxury and performance one more time, not only on design and convenience features, but also with technological advancements. This company is committed to making the best pontoon boats available.

SURVEY RESULTS
At the aurora booth, we showed a cross section of a pontoon with ½ protected with ALUMETRON, which comes with a 5 Year Warranty, and the bottom anti-fouled with clear VS721 foul release coating. The other ½ was stained and the bottom streaked and etched from acid cleaners. Dealers were then asked to complete a survey regarding the benefits and value of protecting the pontoons with ALUMETRON. The results were as follows:

70% wanted ALUMETRON applied as standard equipment at the factory, while the remainder wanted it available as an option. All agreed that receiving delivery of their new boats, ready to sell, without the typical streaks and stains from road transport, would be a huge benefit.

92% agreed that offering a 5 Year Warranty on the finish of the pontoons would add value to the boat, make it easier to sell, generate more referrals and give them a competitive advantage over other makes.

The biggest consumer complaints the dealers were facing were: Water stains 100%, Stains from transport 90%, Fouling from algae 85% and streaking and etching from chemical cleaning 54%.

Generally, dealers were enthusiastic about having ALUMETRON applied at the factory as it would be far more convenient to receive the boats ready to sell. It would be much less expensive if the coating was applied at the factory during construction rather than after the boat was delivered and had to be cleaned and protected. They all agreed that any added cost would be more than offset by the 5 Year Warranty, especially when the improved appearance and reduced maintenance is amortized over the 5 year period. Dealers liked the idea of selling and applying VS721 Bottom Coat anti-fouling, aftermarket, as it would give them an additional revenue stream and would be easy to do.
Avalon Pontoon Kit Aurora also packaged an Alumetron Maintenance Kit, private branded for Avalon and Tahoe that can be sold after sale, or built into the price of the boat and given to the customer as a thank you gift. It contains the necessary cleaners, buffing compound, special applicator, ALUMETRON and instructions for touching up any damage to the coating that may result from the inevitable bumping, scratching, scraping and grounding that may occur. Let’s face it; that’s just part of boating. It’s necessary to maintain the coating in good condition, in order to protect the 5 Year Warranty. All dealers thought that this was a great idea, with several commenting that it was refreshing to see that someone was thinking about the customer, beyond the initial sale. This is how you de velop customer loyalty.

Avalon and Tahoe Mfg. Inc. are now Authorized Distributors of Aurora Boat Care Products for Aluminum Pontoon Boats. Avalon and Tahoe Dealers will be able to order directly from the factory and will be entitled to special pricing and freight allowances.

Thank you to all who visited our booth at the show. It was wonderful meeting and chatting with you. I sincerely hope that our relationship will continue to grow.

Richard Kittar
President
Aurora Marine Industries Inc.