For Immediate Release

Nine Products Honored For Innovation at 2009 IBEX

Six companies receive Innovation Awards; one Environmental Award also presented

Chicago, IL

MIAMI BEACH, October 14, 2009 – Nine products were honored this morning for innovative achievement by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) in Miami Beach. Winning companies received their 2009 IBEX Innovation Awards during the IBEX Industry Breakfast at the Miami Beach Convention Center. IBEX is jointly owned and produced by NMMA and Professional BoatBuilder magazine.

The Innovation Awards, organized by NMMA and judged by BWI, recognize those products that best meet the following criteria: Innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured; benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; practicality; cost-effectiveness; and availability to the consumer within 60 days of award receipt. A total of 43 new products were entered in this year’s IBEX Innovation Awards program.

“The winners recognized at IBEX today are a testament to the ongoing commitment to innovation and creativity by the recreational marine industry,” notes NMMA president Thom Dammrich. “Now more than ever, it’s encouraging to see companies focus their efforts on creative solutions to help their customers and further the industry.”

“Given the state of the marine economy, it is remarkable that we have more than 40 quality entrants in the Innovation Awards this year,” says Roger Marshall, IBEX Innovation Awards chair and past president of BWI. “I think that when the market comes back there will be some truly innovative boats out on the water using many of the products we see here today.”

Additional BWI members serving on the IBEX Innovation Awards judging panel this year include: Jim Barron, senior technical editor, Trailer Boats; Glen Justice, editor, Mad Mariner; Frank Kehr, port technical services, technical writer, Soundings; Marilyn Mower, editor, Southern Boating and Marine Business Journal; Bill Pike, senior editor, Power & Motoryacht; and, Alan Wendt, editor, Marine CEO.

IBEX Innovation Awards were presented to the following companies in these categories:

BOATBUILDING METHODS & MATERIALS
Winner: Structural Composites/Compsys, Inc. - Prisma “TA” System
Prisma “TA” are structural building blocks for boat repair, restoration and new construction with a wide footprint for easy installation, hull stress reduction, and fiberglass cap for easy infusion.

Mower says, “The Prisma ‘TA’ structural composite system allows a time-saving consistency and easier work environment for infusion molding builders.”

Honorable Mention: Maretron, LLP - N2K Builder™
With the combination of graphical editing, integrated management of NMEA2000® workflow artifacts, and extensive design rule checking, Maretron’s N2KBuilder™ software toolset is ahead of its time.

Justice notes, “It’s a public-spirited product and the price is right.”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Winner: Mastervolt, Inc. - Lithium Ion Battery
The Mastervolt Lithium Ion battery is the first high-capacity battery designed for marine applications with three times the lifespan of a conventional battery.

“The wave of the future,” notes Pike, while Kehr adds, “The self diagnostics built into the battery allow the cells to be independently equalized.”

Honorable Mention: Blue Sea Systems - Safety Hub250
The innovative SafetyHub250 increases the safety and reliability of the boat’s electrical system while saving money and reducing needed space.

“The price is affordable and it simplifies the OEM installation and wiring system,” explains Mower.

HARDWARE FITTINGS
Winner: Taco Metals - The Intelli-Hinge
Intelli-Hinge offers manufacturers unprecedented design flexibility with an integrated ball-and-socket pivot point permitting pivoting on concave, convex and multiple plane surfaces, allowing it to hinge from any two sides.

“This is a problem-solving hinge of innovative design,” says Justice.

Honorable Mention: Armstrong Nautical Products - RIB Ladder
The RIB Ladder maintains an outward angle when loaded to ensure no falling backward off  the ladder, mounting “rigidly” to a RIB tube and is easily removable for stowage.

“On a typical RIB you have to board over the transom, which puts swimmers in a dangerous area near the engine. This system allows the swimmer to board in safety,” notes Marshall.

INBOARD ENGINES
Winner: Volvo Penta - OceanX™
OceanX™ is a new sterndrive with a revolutionary titanium-ceramic coating that greatly improves corrosion resistance and sensor technology, never before incorporated on a sterndrive package.

Barron says, “Sensors located in the bellows area and in the sterndrive tell the boaters instantly when drive oil is low or contaminated with water.”

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
Winner: Groco (Gross Mechanical Labs, Inc.) - SSA Series Raw Water Systems Monitor
Groco "SSA" provides visual and audible alarms within seven seconds of a dangerous raw water flow reduction to as many as seven engines, generators, air conditioners or pumps (before damage occurs) faster than gauges and traditional sensors.

“This is a further trend toward advanced system monitoring that can tell you if your filter is clogged before any damage can occur on the engine,” notes Justice. “This is an easily retro-fitted product,” adds Kehr.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
Winner: Morbern, Inc. - Boreal
Boreal is free of heavy metals and utilizes Repreve® recycled polyester yarn, agri-based plasticizers, and a unique water based topcoat system for a proven vinyl performance for marine environments while reducing our environmental impact.

Wendt explains, “This product continues to trend toward social responsibility and the judging panel would like to see more companies headed in this direction.”

For more information on IBEX or the Innovation Awards program, visit ibexshow.com.

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)