The new kind of dealer show
I spent the earlier part of this week attending the Nautic Global Group dealer meeting. The event was great. There was plenty of time for viewing and testing product, for meeting with NGG team members, for networking with fellow dealers, for a valuable business meeting, a series of awards, great meals, great music and just an all-around good time. This list of events within the event are what you could consider typical for your traditional dealer meeting, but there was one major difference between this year’s event and past events. Read more >>
Denny Hecker is widely known in the Minneapolis/St. Paul-area. A long-time auto dealer based here in the Twin Cities, Hecker’s career changed abruptly this year when, under the pressure of the economy, his numerous area businesses collapsed dramatically. Over the course of the last few months, Hecker’s empire has come crashing down around him in unimaginable fashion. According to the 
When I was seven years old, I spent a lot of time fishing with my brother and our buddies. I would ride my bike about a mile from our house, rod and reel resting comfortably across the handlebars, to an old bridge that spanned a river in the local park. Catching fish seemed incredibly easy back then. We’d fill a hook with corn, straight out of the can, and it was rare when we wouldn’t wrestle with a day’s full of fish. We caught some big fish in those days – monsters for a kid my age – but we always dreamt of a better day when we could fish from a boat. As it turns out, there are about 8.5 million fishing enthusiasts who currently are not only dreaming of owning their own boat, but they are also actually considering boat ownership, as well. Do you have something to offer them? 
You should know, as you begin reading this, that I am an optimist at heart. Problems phase me for only a moment. I look for (and usually find) opportunity in every situation. And I believe that good things will happen to people and companies that make decisions that reflect the best interests of the people, industries and communities they serve. Those general philosophies on life and business make it difficult for me to believe the many catastrophic economic predictions that author Harry S. Dent, Jr. suggests lie in our immediate future. 
The nomination process built into the Top 100 Dealers Program is a critical component to the success of the ranking’s creation each year. We receive thousands of dealer nominations, and they help us find the dealers that are regarded as among the best by third-party companies. The nominations come in from boat builders, engine manufacturers, service providers — all sectors of the industry. And while we don’t require these nominations for our editorial team to consider a dealer that applies, they do help validate the character of the dealers we’re considering. Especially when they arrive as unsolicited testimonials from a particular dealer’s customer, as was the case with the e-mail I recently received from Kathy Kaufmann. 
It’s no secret that matters affecting inventory are highly sensitive subjects these days. Just this morning, as an example, we’ve had three e-mails cross our screens related to inventory issues. The first was a boating business service provider who said our recently released inventory management e-white paper didn’t drill down deeply enough. The second was an industry-leading dealer who suggested that the same publication was a great balance between the 50,000-foot and street-level views. And, finally, a powersports dealer who shouted: “Lord knows we can’t take any more hits at this time,” as he shared his trials and tribulations with an auction house that had scammed him out of some money. 
Our Memorial Day weekend plans were packed with activities. We took Friday off so that my wife and two girls and I could beat traffic heading north out of the Twin Cities and so we could spend some additional time together. My sister-in-law’s family had invited us to their cabin on a chain of lakes for the long weekend, and after our head start, they joined us on Friday night. Normally on these long weekends, I like to relax and avoid running from one activity to the next, but this time I got caught up in the flow. 
I love today. I love it because, for me, this is the first day of summer. It’s the Friday before Memorial Day. It’s the first of a number of more-than-two-day weekends I hope to enjoy this summer. It’s the first time I’ll be out on a boat this summer. And it’s a signal to me that it’s time to truly get excited about my top boating priority: muskie fishing. 
It was the worst of circumstances, at least for a business trip. Up since 4 … bumpy flight … forgot to book the rental car … and the hotel … and late for two of our three meetings (traffic was horrible). All I wanted — all I needed — was sleep. We Pricelined a hotel from a Starbucks. A four-star establishment, The W seemed the perfect fit to wind down a hectic day. Until we returned from dinner. 
Gerard Broshart is one of hundreds of dealers with a glum outlook this morning. He, according to 