For Immediate Release

Marine Industry Recognizes Leaders in Customer Satisfaction

Boat, engine manufacturer CSI award recipients honored during IBEX

Chicago, IL

MIAMI BEACH – October 14, 2009 – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today recognized recipients of the 2009 Marine Industry CSI Awards. A total of 70 boat and engine manufacturers were recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction, as part of NMMA’s Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) program.

Award recipients were acknowledged during the 2009 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), held October 12-14 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The Marine Industry CSI Awards program honors participating manufacturers that actively measure customer satisfaction and pursue continuous improvement to better serve the customer. Award recipients achieved and maintained an independently-measured standard of excellence of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction over the past year, based on information provided by customers purchasing a new boat or engine during the period between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. Participating manufacturers must survey all new boat buyers during this period. For this reporting period, an impressive 60,000 customer responses were collected.

“As we continue to look to the future of our industry, customer satisfaction and retention are the cornerstones for growth,” says NMMA president Thom Dammrich. “These Marine Industry CSI Award recipients have made a commitment to improve the customer experience in order to ensure their customers' enjoyment of the boating lifestyle.”

The following companies were honored in 2009 for their efforts to increase customer satisfaction levels in the boating industry:

ALBEMARLE BOATS: Inboard Fishing Express Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
AQUA PATIO: Pontoon Boats
AVALON\TAHOE: Pontoon Boats
BAYLINER: Deck Boats; Sterndrive Bowrider Boats: Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
BENETEAU USA: Sailboats
BENNINGTON MARINE: Pontoon Boats
BOSTON WHALER: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
BRYANT BOATS: Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
CARVER YACHTS: Inboard Flybridge Sedan and Convertible Boats
CENTURY BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
CHAMPION BOATS: Fiberglass Bass Boats
CHAPARRAL BOATS: Deck Boats; Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
CHRIS CRAFT BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats; Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
COBALT BOATS: Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
CRESTLINER BOATS: Pontoon Boats; Aluminum Outboard Boats
CRUISERS YACHTS: Inboard Express Cruiser Boats
EBBTIDE BOAT: Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
EDGEWATER POWER BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
FOREST RIVER MARINE: Pontoon Boats
FORMULA BOATS: Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
FOUR WINNS: Deck Boats; Inboard Express Cruisers; Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
G3 BOATS: Aluminum Outboard Boats
GLASTRON: Deck Boats; Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
GRADY-WHITE BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
GRAND BANKS: Inboard Motor Yachts and Trawlers
HARRIS FLOTEBOTE: Pontoon Boats
HONDA MARINE: Outboard Engines
HURRICANE: Deckboats
HYDRA-SPORT: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
INDMAR PRODUCTS: Inboard Engines
LARSON BOATS: Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats
LEISURE PONTOONS: Pontoon Boats
LOWE BOATS: Pontoon Boats; Aluminum Outboard Boats
MALIBU BOATS: Inboard Watersports Boats
MANITOU BOATS: Pontoon Boats
MERIDIAN YACHTS: Inboard Motor Yachts and Trawlers
MONTEREY BOATS: Deck Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
MOOMBA: Inboard Watersports Boats
NAUTIQUE: Inboard Watersports Boats
PALM BEACH MARINECRAFT: Pontoon Boats
PARTI KRAFT: Pontoon Boats
POLAR KRAFT: Aluminum Outboard Boats
PREMIER MARINE: Pontoon Boats
PURSUIT BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
REGAL MARINE: Inboard Express Cruiser Boats; Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express
REGULATOR MARINE: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
ROBALO BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
SAILFISH BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
SCOUT BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
SEA RAY BOATS: Deck Boats; Inboard Express Cruisers; Inboard Fishing Express Boats; Inboard Flybridge Sedans and Convertible Boats; Inboard Motor Yachts and Trawlers; Fiberglass Outboard Boats; Sterndrive Bowrider Boats; Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats
SEASWIRL: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
SKEETER BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
SOUTHWIND: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
STARCRAFT MARINE: Aluminum Outboard Boats
STINGRAY BOATS: Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
STRATOS BOATS: Fiberglass Bass Boats
SUMERSET HOUSEBOATS: Sterndrive Houseboats
SUPRA: Inboard Watersports Boats
SUZUKI MOTOR CORP., AMERICAN: Outboard Engines
SWEETWATER: Pontoon Boats
SWEETWATER TUSCANY: Pontoon Boats
TIARA YACHTS: Inboard Express Cruiser Boats; Inboard Fishing Express Boats
TIGE BOATS: Inboard Watersports Boats
TRACKER BOATS: Aluminum Outboard Boats
TRIUMPH BOATS: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
TROPHY MARINE: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
VOLVO-PENTA: Sterndrive Engines
WELLCRAFT: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
WORLD CAT: Fiberglass Outboard Boats
YAMAHA OUTBOARDS: Outboard Engines

“A continued focus on the needs and satisfaction of the customer is vital to growing and strengthening not only individual businesses, but the overall marine industry,” notes Terry Leitz, NMMA director of CSI programs. “Congratulations to the 2009 Award recipients for their investment in the customer and dedication to creating a positives marine retail experience.”

NMMA launched its CSI program in 2001 to provide boat and engine manufacturers with an independently-measured, cost-effective means of improving customer satisfaction in the boating industry. Since the program’s inception, more than 600,000 surveys have been sent out to new boat and engine customers, allowing participating manufacturers to monitor customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis, and to benchmark themselves against the industry and their competitors. There were a total of 105 boat and engine brands that participated in the 2009 program.

About Marine Industry CSI: The Marine Industry CSI program meets the CSI requirements of the NMMA Boat/Yacht Certification program. For manufacturers that are full participants in the Marine Industry CSI process, the included reporting also fills the dealer level CSI requirements of the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program. For more information on CSI Award recipients, or to get involved with the CSI program, contact Leitz.

About NMMA: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy advocacy, market statistics and research, product quality assurance and promotion of the boating lifestyle. For more information, visit www.nmma.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly Kaylor (kkaylor@nmma.org; 312.946.6262)