Marine Manufacturers News

Commercial engine distributor Laborde Products announced it has appointed Michael Murzi, Jr. as its new marine sales manager. Murzi brings with him over 10 years of experience in the marine industry and over 30 years of experience in sales, customer service and business development.Murzi has held various senior sales roles throughout his career and has a proven track record of developing successful sales strategies, managing key accounts, and aggressively driving revenue growth.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), MTI Co., Ltd. (MTI) and Elomatic have completed the development of a concept design for an ammonia-fuel ready LNG-fueled vessel (ARLFV) for the transition to a future marine fuel.As the maritime world digests a raft of new legislation leading toward decarbonization, a main concern is the ability to leverage the full value of ships built today in a fast evolving environment. In short, flexibility in design, particularly when it comes to fuel flexibility…

Hexcel has announced the Type Approval Certification of its HexPly M79 prepreg materials by DNV GL. This important third party verification allows HexPly M79 materials to be used in all DNV GL classed vessels and provides ship and boat builders with additional independent assurance of the product’s quality, performance and consistency.Hexcel has supplied advanced composite materials to the marine industry since the 1970s and supplies a comprehensive range of products including woven reinforcements…

Legislation would close a loophole to strengthen Buy America standards that will support Wisconsin businesses, manufacturers and workers.U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Buy America for Small Shipyard Grants Act to strengthen Buy America requirements for federal Small Shipyard Grant funding to support American businesses, manufacturers and workers. The bill is cosponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA).While Buy American requirements already apply to the Small Shipyard Grant Program…

A naming ceremony was held Monday at Japan Marine United Corporation’s (JMU) Kure shipyard for the first newly built containership painted in Ocean Network Express' (ONE) corporate color.The new magenta box ship, named ONE Stork, is the 10th of 15 new 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) vessels ordered by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK). It will be chartered by Singapore-based ONE, which began operations on April 1 by integrating the container businesses of Japanese ocean carriers Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Mitsui O.S.K.

As Volvo Penta continues its strategic penetration of the commercial maritime sector, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News checks in with Ron Huibers, President, Volvo Penta of the Americas. When we first met with you a few years ago, Volvo Penta was in the early stages of a strategic move into the commercial maritime sector in North America. Please update your progress. Historically, we have been strong in the marine commercial markets outside of North America. Five years ago…

MasterCraft Boat Company continues its leadership accolades in the towboat category with a prestigious innovation award for its most advanced towboat to date, the 2018 XStar, said a press release from the company. Just announced at the Miami International Boat Show, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International honored MasterCraft with this award as one of 17 winners out of 62 total evaluated products. “With the new XStar, validation came when ranks of pro wakeboarders outside of the MasterCraft team were raving about its versatility and what it will allow them to do off the wake. It’s truly the first wakeboard boat in the world that is so versatile that it enables progression for anyone from family riders to the world’s best…

FUSION announced today that its STEREOACTIVE purpose-builtportable marine stereo has won the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in the Watersport Equipmentcategory at the 2017 Miami International Boat Show. “We are very proud of the passion and dedication our design and engineering team has put into STEREOACTIVE and are deeply honored to be recognized by the NMMA,” said Chris Baird, managing director of FUSION Entertainment. “After 10 years in the industry, we really wanted to push the boundaries and enable smaller boats to easily and cost effectively add quality, purpose-built entertainment to their vessel.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) today presented Volvo Penta with a 2017 Innovation Award for the Volvo Penta Joystick for Inboard. It is the first and only joystick for twin inboard shaft installations that includes both docking and driving modes and integrates all five steering components: thruster, rudders, gear shift, slip and throttle. “The Joystick for Inboard propulsion delivers substantial benefits to boat builders, dealers and customers, allowing us to offer a complete helm-to-prop solution for inboard applications that makes docking and driving a shaft boat effortless and intuitive,” said Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has presented the 14th consecutive annual Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) award to Volvo Penta for its gasoline sterndrive engines. The CSI awards, presented at the Miami International Boat Show Feb. 17, recognize boat and engine manufacturers for excellence in customer satisfaction. Volvo Penta was the only company to win a CSI award in the sterndrive category this year. The marine industry CSI award signifies that Volvo Penta achieved and maintained a standard of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction, based on surveys of customers who purchased a new boat or engine during the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2016.

Simrad StructureScan 3D sonar imaging has won the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in the Consumer Electronics category at the 2016 Miami International Boat Show. Following the success of the Simrad NSO evo2 multifunction display in 2014, and Simrad ForwardScan sonar in 2015, this is the third consecutive NMMA innovation win at the Miami show for the brand. Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar also won the NMMA Innovation Award in September at the 2015 International Boat Builders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX). The Innovation Awards program, organized by the NMMA and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI)…

BRP’s Rotax Intelligent Shift and Throttle (iST) system was recognized by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) with an Innovation Award in the Jet Boat category at the 2016 Miami International Boat Show. The game-changing iST option for Rotax jet propulsion systems brings electronic control to formerly mechanical functions. Now available on nearly all Scarab jet boat models and Chaparral Vortex models, iST allows boaters to optimize low-speed maneuverability in a variety of environmental conditions. Whether cruising, pulling, fishing or docking, the iST system gives boaters the confidence of being in full control so they can enjoy their time on the water.

Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar, the world’s first high-performance recreational solid-state, open-array radar system with pulse compression technology, has won the prestigious 2015 Design Award METS (DAME) in the Marine Electronics category at the Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Simrad’s HALO Radar combines the advantages of Broadband Radar and traditional pulse radar systems–providing navigational visibility and awareness as close as 20 feet (6 meters) within the pulse radar’s short-range “blind spot,” where once only Broadband Radar could operate–all while offering exceptional long-range performance up to 72 nautical miles. With Beam Sharpening for enhanced target separation control, HALO Radar provides unmatched target resolution.

Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar has been awarded the Technology Award at the 2015 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Conference and Expo in Baltimore, Md. The NMEA 2015 Technology Award is judged by an independent panel of experts recognizing exceptionally innovative consumer marine products. Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar is the world’s first high-performance, solid-state, open-array radar system with pulse-compression technology, suitable for recreational and light marine markets. Combining the advantages of Broadband Radar and traditional pulse radar systems, HALO Pulse Compression Radar provides navigational visibility and awareness…

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) this week presented the 12th consecutive Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) award to Volvo Penta recognizing excellence in customer satisfaction in marine sterndrive engines. The CSI award is based on an independent survey of over 50,000 consumers purchasing a new boat or engine during the period from April 2014 through March 2015. The CSI award signifies that Volvo Penta achieved and maintained an independently measured standard of excellence of 90 percent or higher. The CSI program was implemented by the NMMA to support industry efforts to improve the consumer boating experience and recognize those companies that achieve the highest standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

Simrad Yachting announced today that Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar has been awarded the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in the OEM Electronics category at the 2015 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX). Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar range is the world’s first high-performance solid-state, open-array radar system with pulse compression technology, suitable for recreational and light marine markets. Combining the advantages of Broadband Radar™ and traditional pulse radar systems, HALO provides navigational visibility and awareness, as close as 20-feet, within the pulse radar’s short-range “blind spot,” where once only Broadband Radar could operate — all while offering exceptional long-range performance.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) presented an Innovation Award to Volvo Penta for its new Forward Drive (FWD) propulsion system in the Alternate Drive Technology category at the 2015 Miami International Boat Show today. The winners were selected by an independent panel of boating journalists, and the awards were presented at this morning’s Industry Breakfast at the Miami Beach Convention Center. “Winning this prestigious NMMA Innovation Award is a great testimony to the passion for innovation that drives our Volvo Penta team,” said Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas. Volvo Penta’s patented FWD system introduces a revolutionary new concept in marine propulsion…

Nearly 89 million Americans went boating last year, one of the largest boating participation figures on record. And the boat sales last year increased to $37 billion, a 3 percent increase from the year before. These figures are released by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, according to a report from Kansas City Star. After several down years in the midst of a struggling economy, boaters are taking to the water like seldom before. This augurs well for the boating industry. Becca Doyle, show director of Kansas City Boat and Sportshow says that there was some pent-up demand when the economy was down. Now that things are getting better, boat sales are improving and more people are getting on the water. There are more than 12 million registered boats in the United States.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) said it is disappointed with the U.S. Court of Appeals decision released on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 for the D.C. Circuit to dismiss the recreational boating industry’s challenge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule regarding misfueling mitigation plans surrounding the sale of E15. The case specifically challenged the EPA’s plans to prevent misfueling including the use of what NMMA believes is a highly inadequate pump warning label amongst other insufficient means. The court held that those bringing the case, including the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Engine Products Group (EPG) which includes NMMA…

Marine product providers turn to high tech tools to enhance service, information and – yes – their bottom lines. There’s an APP for that. You’ve heard it before and in many contexts. Increasingly, the global waterfront is getting into the act, too. Typically available for iPhones and/or any kind of smart phones, these Apps are perfect for the busy executive. Putting information at your fingertips, when you want it and no matter where you might be; is at the heart of it all. Like New Wave Media, MarineNews magazine’s parent, many companies are harnessing the utility of a well-designed App to deliver clear, concise data. Where Maritime Global News brings the latest news, updated regularly, marine vendors of all kinds are using Apps to deliver the good news about their products.

On 18 September 2013, Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association and Robert Marx, President of European Boating Industry, signed a joint declaration stating the intention of both organizations to work together in order to reduce and looking ahead, eliminate, unnecessary regulatory costs and unjustified regulatory differences between the EU and the US in the boating industry. This common declaration is occurring during the wider EU-US trade negotiations which were launched in July 2013 under the name of Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP). President Robert Marx from European Boating Industry explained that “the US and the EU are natural trade partners and have a long tradition of exchanges in the boating industry…

For a tenth consecutive year, Boston Whaler was recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) as a recipient of the 2013 Customer Satisfaction (CSI) Award. As announced by the NMMA at the 2013 International BoatBuilders Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), Boston Whaler earned its award in the Fiberglass Outboard Boats category. The CSI Awards measure customer satisfaction, only recognizing boat and engine manufacturers that receive the highest marks.

Weather services company Baron Services, Inc. announced the immediate availability of the Velocity Weather API, designed for use by marine industry manufacturers and software developers who want to integrate a weather stream into their final product, including smart phone and tablet apps, websites, MFDs and chart plotters. According to the developer, Velocity Weather API delivers powerful, reliable, location-based and meteorologically accurate weather and atmospheric data via the Internet.