These days , bigger and better is the go-to motto of the outboard motor segment .
// MARKET TRENDS to get back out on the water . “ Spring is here , and we are naturally seeing a lot of activity and delivery of new products and spring service ,” Speciale says . “ Participation in boating will continue to be very strong this year . This trend of higher engagement is exciting as customers want to be outdoors boating and fishing with their family and friends . The increased demand to be on the water sparks interest among our customer base to purchase new and sometimes larger products . We are working hard to meet this demand on all levels .”
“ We try to always give the customer what they want ,” says Blakely . “ For example , we ’ ve been targeting the bass market , giving them more options like digital shift and throttle . We continue to offer performance , reliability , dependability , fuel economy – the things that we really built our company on .”
Sustainability is also a factor that influences consumer decisions these days , and Suzuki is bringing their marketing efforts to the forefront when it comes to eco-consciousness . “ We ’ ve invested a lot in our clean ocean project . We promote it around the globe , at boat shows like Fort Lauderdale and Miami , and also locally .” Suzuki recently partnered with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a beach clean-up effort that saw a lot of media success . In the future , they plan on expanding
Outboard engines are more integrated than ever , providing a seamless boating experience . these clean-up efforts and continuing this unique partnership . “ Even in our packaging , we ’ re working on reducing use of plastics ,” Blakely continues . “ For those of us that use the water , we ’ re all concerned with how much plastic is out there .”
Pivoting to another vital part of manufacturing in the boating industry , OEM partnerships remain strong for many of the largest outboard motor producers . “ After the last few years , the most exciting trend is stability in the supply channel and consistency in production again ,” says Speciale . “ From a product point of view , the new integrated steering F150 and F200 will roll-out this year as well as the new F450 XTO Offshore platform . Helm Master EX is becoming more of a standard feature on boats as consumers grow more familiar with the operational benefits . Finally , Siren Marine will also migrate to a standard feature as a growing number of boat builders plan to incorporate Siren in their 2024 models . We are fortunate to have such great business partners for our brand and products .”
“ For our part , Suzuki has done a great job of expanding , but not expanding to the point of costing our dealers or our existing OEMs ,” Blakely says . “ We made sure they had product , especially during the shortages from Covid . We did a lot of work during that time to add production . Now , with that being said , come July or August you may see some new OEMs out there .”
As Suzuki looks towards the future to expand OEM partnerships , the industry itself looks years down the line in anticipation of what ’ s to come . “ I see the industry becoming more stable with supply and moving to more normalized seasonal cycles ,” Speciale says . “ There were a lot of firsttime buyers during the Covid cycle . At Yamaha , our research says over 25 % of the first-time buyers will upgrade with us in three years . We are starting to see that trend develop now . During the next five years , our research indicates that more than 50 % will upgrade . From a product standpoint , there will be more integration of different systems as well as expansion of some classes of motors . We will also see Siren Marine technology and additional software changes that will continue to expand value for our customers .”
“ You ’ re going to continue to see outboards grow ,” concludes Blakely . “ Just like with automobiles , you ’ re going to see more integration with connectivity features , more electrification and more renewable fuels . There ’ s a lot of exciting things coming .”
www . boatingindustry . com may 2023
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