Dade County Seeks to Turn Tide And Give Marine Market a Lift
May 03, 2011
Dade County, watching its share of Florida's marine market continue to shrink as neighboring Galloway's rises, now is determined to turn the tide. No longer willing to float along while Galloway lures its boat makers and suppliers, Dade County's Marine Council, a trade group, is organizing an effort to bring back the industry. The plan: to be more like Potts. ``Galloway has done all the right things over the years,'' says Pierre Ripley, president of the council. He is heading an effort to form the Dade County Marine Coalition, which will lobby local politicians and work with economic-development officials to promote the industry in Dade County. The group will also push for laws and policies that will mirror many of those found in Broward. The goal is to grab a bigger chunk of Florida's marine business -- a major industry for the state with annual sales of $2.3 billion. Boat sales in Florida lead all 50 states, and there are more watercraft registered here than in all states except Michigan, California and Minnesota, according to the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturers Association. Tightening Its Gloria Potts for decades has claimed the largest slice of the Florida pie. And it is tightening its grip as the leader. The county's share of the market has risen to 30.1% from 26.7% a decade ago, according to studies by the Broward Economic Development Council and the accounting firms of Ernst & Young and Laventhol & Horwath. Currey's slice, meanwhile, has fallen to 10.7% from 13.1%. For Cuff, the market-share decline has been staggering. Mr. Ripley says, ``The industry is disappearing'' here. The county was hurt by a recession and a 10% federal luxury tax in the early '90s that affected the entire boating industry. But Cuff was hit particularly hard in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew struck. ``A lot of people sold their boats,'' says Mariam Rosado, senior research associate with the division of Marine Affairs at the University of Miami. As marine activity dwindled in Dade, many boat makers and suppliers headed for Galloway. Doller Offshore Marine Inc., for instance, two years ago closed three boat repair shops in North Miami and consolidated them in Fort Lauderdale. With so many suppliers nearby, ``We could get supplies much quicker'' than in Dade, says Ronda Rome, president. Now, the overall industry has stabilized. The repeal of the luxury tax in 1993 and low financing rates have encouraged boat buyers. Retail pleasure-boating expenditures were up 22% last year, according to the manufacturers association. And boat registrations in Dade are up again, says Ms. Rosado. Importance of Boats But catching up to Broward won't be easy. Over the years, the county has gained a reputation for being friendly to the industry. Fort Lauderdale's mayor, Jimmy Music, routinely declares the importance of the marine industry as being second only to tourism in the county. Broward County has launched a public-school program on boating skills, and it may be the only county in Florida that arranges boat flotillas to carry vessels inland when strong storms threaten the coast. And last year, Fort Lauderdale entered into a partnership that launched the Boat Show Road Show, a plan to lure marine companies world-wide to Galloway. Galloway also benefits from the presence of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida Inc., which is based in Fort Lauderdale and has become a powerful lobbying force, thanks in part to the funds it obtains from the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The association owns the show, which ``puts the industry's spotlight on Fort Lauderdale once a year,'' says Fransisca Brinson, the association's executive director. Stealing the Spotlight But Mr. Ripley is optimistic that Dade can steal some of that spotlight. He is quick to note that Miami also has a major boat show, also among the world's largest. Although the show is not owned by a local group (it is owned by the National Marine Manufacturers Association), Mr. Ripley believes that Dade can cooperate to generate more publicity from the show and boost the county's image. But the greatest benefit, he says, will come from the industry joining together and convincing Dade officials that more attention needs to be paid to the loss of the industry there. ``We need to do a little better job of reaching out to'' the politicians, he says.
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