TOP 100 BEST IN CLASS
TOP 100 BEST IN CLASS
BEST IN CLASS : BEST TRAINING
HOT SPRINGS , AR
Futrell Marine was founded all the way back in in 1948 by avid boat racer Dan Futrell . He began by selling Mercury outboards from a small store on Main Street in Nashville , Arkansas .
Dan passed his passion for boating down to his son , Woody , and after eventually assuming the role of managing partner in 1964 , Woody Futrell quickly became a respected name in the recreational boating industry .
Today , Futrell Marine is a third-generation family-ownedand-operated business helmed by Woody ’ s son-in-law , Ricky Kesterson , who joined the company in 1993 . He has been both innovative and aggressive in his corporate leadership , and has led the expansion of Futrell ’ s footprint to Hot Springs and Heber Springs , Arkansas including an extensive portfolio of retail offerings and services .
While Futrell Marine has certainly grown over the decades , one thing hasn ’ t changed , and that ’ s the “ family atmosphere .” They say in their Top 100 application they are proud to offer a professional – and personal – experience with many employees having more than 30 years in the boating industry . Even Woody himself is still very active in the business .
Futrell covers the entire state of Arkansas with the Heber Springs and Greers Ferry locations , serving customers in the north central / northeast lakes area , and the Hot Springs Diamond Lakes locations catering to boaters in central and south regions of the state .
And Futrell ’ s mobile service extends that reach even further to the most remote locations .
Training investment
To say Futrell Marine “ invested heavily ” on training in 2022 would be a huge understatement . The fact is they upped their training expenditures by an incredible 193 %! A portion of those dollars went to Spader Business Management training . Although they had long been a Spader client , Futrell exponentially increased their involvement – and investment .
Initially , Futrell sent select managers , along with high potential employees , to an in-person management training workshop in Sioux Falls . Managers in need of a Spader “ refresh ” were also included .
Senior management then visited Spader in Albuquerque for their Leadership Development Program , where among other things , they focused on how to work on the business , instead of just in the business . They also covered people management , strategy , and business structure , and came away with tools and takeaways for how to build a performance-based culture and a create a road map for staffing for growth .
With Spader ’ s help , they examined all aspects of their service operation , including work order management , work order control , billing and flat rates , warranty processes , work order flow management , receivables , and work order aging management . Among other changes , budgets are now kept for individual techs , which led to increasing service productivity 13.8 % versus budget .
Technicians are rewarded by increased base pay for additional training and certifications . For example , a Volvo certified technician earns $ 5 more per hour than a non-Volvo certified technician .
Service techs attend Cobalt Service School in Kansas and receive online training with Bennington , Volvo Penta and Ilmor .
Futrell says their technicians understand that added training and certification on increasingly sophisticated boats and technologies provides customers with the best possible service , while increasing their overall compensation at the same time .
Product training also received a heightened focus . On Tuesday mornings during the peak season , the sales staff conducts features and benefits training . During the offseason , the training is held multiple times per week .
Futrell says they have found this to be an excellent tool in cross-training sales staff on multiple lines and getting new sales staff rapidly up-to-speed . Sales managers monitor progress and results to assure accountability .
Futrell also participates in all brand sales training offered by manufacturers to improve selling behaviors , communication , and leadership skills .
In addition , the management team , along with the entire sales staff , attends national dealer meetings .
The result of all this training and a nearly 200 % increase in their training budget ? How about higher margins , increased commission-based compensation , increased service efficiency and billing and a 25 % increase in top line revenue . That ’ s truly best in class .
26 january 2024 www . boatingindustry . com