EDITOR ’ S CHOICE : BOATING INDUSTRY ELEVATE SUMMIT DIRECTOR , DAVID GEE
“ I ’ m Doyle Bryan of Bryan ’ s Marine in Vidalia , Louisiana .” That introduction , outside a breakout session at the Boating Industry ELEVATE SUMMIT in Dallas , was quickly followed by another . “ And I ’ m Joey Bryan , also of Bryan ’ s Marine .”
I love talking to boat dealers about how they got into the business , and this father-son duo proved so exceedingly polite , cordial , and humble as it turned out , I knew the conversation would be an easy – and enjoyable – one .
I also like to use this space to shine a spotlight on dealers who don ’ t actively seek it , and these two were just so plain nice , I thought Bryan ’ s Marine , founded in 1986 , would be perfect for my editor ’ s choice .
“ All my life it seems like this is all I ’ ve ever done ,” said Doyle when I asked if he grew up boating . “ I like tinkering on boats . My dad got me started on that . We had an old boat that that we spent more time wrenching on than running , but I guess that ’ s what started it for me .”
Doyle seems to have passed that down to his son , Joey , as both are licensed mechanics at their 18,000 square-foot , three-and-a-half acre facility , located within 100 miles of Jackson , Baton Rouge , Lafayette , Alexandria , Monroe and Shreveport .
The operation features a large outdoor showroom , in addition to their standard indoor showroom for boats , tackle , parts and accessories , a technician shop , a new boat rigging shop , and a loose engine storage building .
It ’ s all conveniently located on a main highway just five miles from the Mississippi River , and a 30-minute drive from 13 different bodies of water .
There is certainly lots of boating activity in the area , and Doyle began his lifelong career in the recreational boating industry as a mechanic , working at two other dealerships in the area for a dozen years or so .
Then he eventually decided to go out on his own , first opening a serviceonly business , before launching his full-service store selling pontoons , bass boats , duck boats , and runabouts .
Family partners
“ It ’ s not just a job ,” Doyle told me at the conference in Dallas when we first met , “ it ’ s a true family partnership .”
He said he had a dream and his wife and kids have shared in the development of that dream and have been a part of Bryan ’ s Marine since its establishment .
“ My wife can take apart motors and work on them right alongside me and Joey and the other certified mechanics ,” he said rather proudly .
Son Joey proudly submitted their Boating Industry Top 100 application , and like everyone else , detailed how they navigated the murky post-Covid waters .
“ It was easy to see that production was still an issue with a quick turnaround being doubtful ,” read their Top 100 summary . “ We had some products on order for as much as a year , with some models being dropped entirely . We had to increase margins across the board to offset the lack of inventory . We also learned there was no need to spend excessive amounts of marketing dollars when we
were still struggling with inventory . So we continued to build our social media platforms and continued our focus on strong customer relationships .”
As a result , Bryan ’ s Marine went from a 6 % decrease in revenue in 2021 to an 8 % increase for 2022 .
They aggressively went after pre-owned boats , and worked with vendors to know when inventory would arrive and presold from that .
Lowering overall floorplans and reducing marketing expenses also helped the bottom line .
Doyle and Joey also invested in employee acquisition and retention .
Looking ahead
When it comes to goals for the future , they keep it consistent – and simple .
“ Our most important long-term goal is – and always has been – to treat every customer like a member of our family . To treat them with respect and treat them as we ourselves would want to be treated . Customer relations is always our top goal .”
Doyle and Joey are optimistic the supply chain will return to normal , and they want to invest more in digital marketing . They also plan to develop a new website where customers can not only find boats , apparel , parts , accessories , and financing options easier , but also interact more directly with the service department .
Anyone in the recreational boating business knows that change is a constant . And that adapting to those changes is critical to success – and staying in business .
Doyle and Joey Bryan know they can ’ t do business the same way they did when Bryan ’ s Marine began nearly four decades ago .
But they both say one thing will never change . And that is staying true to their core values . Joey summed it up on their Top 100 application .
“ Values and our respect for our customers and employees is what has set our family owned-and-operated business apart for all these years . We have been able to change and update our business practices to evolve and thrive in the midst of change . But we have been able to make those changes without losing who we are as a whole . And we think that ’ s something to be proud of .”
We agree . And congratulations to Bryan ’ s Marine for once again achieving the Boating Industry Top 100 designation .
www . boatingindustry . com january 2024
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