The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today announced recipients of the annual 2008 Marine Industry CSI Awards. A total of 73 boat and engine manufacturers were recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction, as part of NMMA’s Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) program.
Award recipients will be formally acknowledged during the annual Industry Awards Breakfast at the 2008 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), taking place October 6-8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.The Marine Industry CSI Awards program honors participating companies actively measuring customer satisfaction to pursue continuous improvement. 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 consumers purchasing a new boat or engine during the period between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008. Participating manufacturers must survey all new boat buyers during this period. For this reporting period, more than 66,000 consumer responses were collected.
“It is a pleasure to recognize the recipients of this years Marine Industry CSI Awards,” says NMMA president Thom Dammrich. “These seventy-three companies have made a solid, long-term commitment to continuously improve quality and customer satisfactionsteps that are sure to pay dividends not only for award recipients, but for our entire industry.”
The following companies were honored this past year for their efforts to increase customer satisfaction levels in the boating industry:
| ALBEMARLE BOATS | Inboard Fishing Express Boats |
| AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP. | Outboard Engines |
| AQUA PATIO | Pontoon Boats |
| AVALON & TAHOE MANUFACTURING INC. | Pontoon Boats |
| BAYLINER | Deck Boats Sterndrive Bowrider Boats |
| BENETEAU USA | Sailboats |
| BENNINGTON MARINE | Pontoon Boats |
| BOSTON WHALER | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| BRYANT BOATS | Sterndrive Bowrider Boats |
| CABO YACHTS | Inboard Fishing Express Boats |
| CARVER YACHTS | Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats |
| CENTURY BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| CHAMPION BOATS | Fiberglass Bass Boats |
| CHAPARRAL BOATS INC. | Deck Boats Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| CHRIS-CRAFT | Fiberglass Outboard Boats Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| COBALT BOATS | Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| COBIA | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| CORRECT CRAFT | Inboard Watersport Boats |
| CRESTLINER BOATS | Aluminum Outboard Boats Pontoon Boats |
| CRUISERS YACHTS | Inboard Express Cruiser Boats Inboard Motoryachts & Trawlers Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| EBBTIDE BOATS | Sterndrive Bowrider Boats |
| EDGEWATER BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| FORMULA BOATS | Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| FOUR WINNS | Deck Boats Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| G3 BOATS | Aluminum Outboard Boats |
| GLASTRON | Deck Boats Sterndrive Bowrider Boats |
| GRADY-WHITE BOATS INC. | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| HARRIS FLOTEBOTE | Pontoon Boats |
| HEWES BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| HONDA MARINE | Outboard Engines |
| HYDRA-SPORT | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| INDMAR PRODUCTS | Inboard Engines |
| ISLAND PACKET YACHTS | Sailboats |
| KAYOT | Deck Boats |
| LARSON | Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| LOWE BOATS | Aluminum Outboard Boats Deck Boats Pontoon Boats |
| LUND BOATS | Aluminum Outboard Boats |
| MALIBU BOATS | Inboard Watersport Boats |
| MANITOU PONTOON BOATS | Pontoon Boats |
| MASTERCRAFT | Inboard Watersport Boats |
| MAVERICK BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| MERIDIAN YACHTS | Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats |
| MONTEREY BOATS | Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| MOOMBA BOATS | Inboard Watersport Boats |
| PALM BEACH MARINECRAFT | Pontoon Boats |
| PARTI KRAFT | Pontoon Boats |
| PATHFINDER | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| PROCRAFT | Fiberglass Bass Boats |
| PRO-LINE BOATS INC. | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| PURSUIT BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| REGAL MARINE | Deck Boats Inboard Express Cruiser Boats Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| 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 Fiberglass Outboard Boats Inboard Express Cruiser Boats Inboard Fishing Express Boats Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats Inboard Motoryachts & Trawlers Sterndrive Bowrider Boats Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats |
| SEASWIRL BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| SEDONA MARINE | Pontoon Boats |
| SILVERTON MARINE | Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats |
| SKEETER PRODUCTS INC. | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| STRATOS BOATS | Fiberglass Bass Boats |
| SUMERSET HOUSEBOATS | Sterndrive Houseboats |
| SUPRA BOATS | Inboard Watersport Boats |
| SWEETWATER | Pontoon Boats |
| SWEETWATER TUSCANY | Pontoon Boats |
| TIARA YACHTS | Inboard Express Cruiser Boats Inboard Fishing Express Boats |
| TIGE BOATS | Inboard Watersport Boats |
| TRIUMPH BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| TROPHY BOATS | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| VOLVO-PENTA OF THE AMERICAS | Sterndrive Engines |
| WELLCRAFT MARINE | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| WORLD CAT | Fiberglass Outboard Boats |
| YAMAHA MOTOR CORPORATION USA | Outboard Engines |
“As manufacturers focus more and more on the key components that drive consumer satisfaction, retention, sales, and market share, access to robust consumer data is paramount,” says Terry Leitz, NMMA director of CSI Programs. “I congratulate the 2008 award recipients on their efforts to truly drive our industry forward.”NMMA launched its CSI program in 2001 to provide boat and engine manufacturers with an independently-measured, cost-effective tool to help improve customer satisfaction in the boating industry. Since the program’s inception, more than 500,000 surveys have been sent out to new boat and engine customers, allowing participating manufacturer companies to monitor customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis, and to benchmark themselves against the industry and their competitors. The program currently has 110 boat and engine brands participating.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 at (312) 946-6212; [email protected].
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters in the United States. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications.By: Lindsey Savin Johnson
