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Powersports Business • January 2026 • 15

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas( MRAA) has announced the formation of a Dealership of the Future Task Force. The multistakeholder initiative is designed to confront the intensifying forces reshaping the marine retail business model and to provide dealers with a clear roadmap for long-term success.

The effort comes as dealers face challenges around consumer expectations, advancing technology, growing operational complexity, rising service demands and escalated product pricing. MRAA stated that the traditional retail model, which was built in an analog era, is struggling to meet the needs of the modern boating consumer.

“ Over the past couple years, I kept hearing the same signals from every direction,” says Matt Gruhn, president of MRAA.“ Dealers and manufacturers alike are challenged by rising customer expectations and have been identifying growing friction points across the ownership journey. It has become more evident that these pressures are not temporary. They are structural. And our industry, both the dealership leaders and their manufacturer and technology-focused partners, need a coordinated, thoughtful response.” Task force members created their vision for future retail:“ The Dealership of the Future is a trusted gateway to the boating lifestyle, serving as a technology enabled hub and delivering effortless, personalized experiences across every touchpoint— online, in-store and on the water. It blends innovation with human connection to make boating accessible, inspiring and sustainable for all. By fostering community, embracing transparency and collaborating across the industry, it redefines marine retail as a seamless journey that turns customers into lifelong boating ambassadors.”

MRAA Dealership of the Future Task Force( Photo: MRAA / Boating Industry)

MRAA shared that this vision shifts the industry from a transactional, negotiation-centered business model toward a relationship-driven, digitally integrated, customer experience focused approach.

DEALER MEMBERS

• Jeremy Anderson, president, Walstrom Marine

• Bob Bense, president and CEO, Superior Boat Repair & Sales

• Bryce Brown, principal, MasterCraft Colorado

• Jani Gyllenberg, innovation and business development manager, Marine Connection

• J Hurless, owner, Reeder-Trausch Marine

• Joe Lewis, general manager, Mount Dora Boating Center & Marina

• Joe Martin, president, BoatJunkie Sales & Service

• Eric Smith, general manager and co-owner, Colorado Boat Center

• Kim Sweers, managing partner, FB Marine Group

• Manufacturer and partner members

• Thomas Bates, chief revenue officer, Correct Craft

• Ellen Bradley, chief marketing officer, Discover Boating

• Jeff Haradine, president, Barletta Boat Co.

• Ryan Kloppe, associate director, Lightspeed

• Jason Nierman, chief revenue officer, Rollick

MRAA STAFF PARTICIPANTS

• Ridgeway Addison, senior director of education

• Stevie Cook, certification manager

• Matt Gruhn, president

• Jerrod Kelley, content manager

• Steven Netsch, director of research and strategic insights

• Liz Walz, director of learning vision and impact

Over the coming year, the Dealership of the Future Task Force will develop and release a structured series of insights, frameworks and recommendations for dealers and manufacturers.

This roadmap will be supported by MRAA research, educational programming and direct collaboration with the Task Force members, MRAA’ s Board of Directors, the MRAA Educational Foundation and MRAA’ s Strategic Partners.

“ As the marine industry’ s leading provider of adult training and education, it’ s not only our job to provide insights, guidance and solutions for the challenges and opportunities our industry faces, but it’ s also our duty to look out over the horizon and understand the forces that will impact the success of our industry and prepare our industry for them,” Gruhn says.“ MRAA’ s Dealership of the Future Task Force has been established to do exactly that by defining, designing and driving the transformation of the marine dealership business model to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving consumer, retail and technological landscape.”

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