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MARINE TECHNICIAN TODAY | SUMMER 2013
W
elcome to
the
new
A M T E C H
Marine Technician Today
quarterly publication.
We are excited to bring this informative service
publication to the industry and we hope you
receive a great deal of valuable information
from each issue for years to come.
As we all know, economic changes have forced the
boating industry to reinvent itself and we are seeing
exciting things beginning to happen within our
industry. The importance of service has been proven
and I believe this shift in thinking will help keep more
people in boating. The result of which is causing
our industry to focus on service now more than
ever. Delivering excellent customer service during a
service visit has become the most important aspect
of marine businesses. Because of this shift, the next
generation of marine dealerships and businesses
will realize how critical a role service plays in their
survival, and will have this philosophy engrained in
how they do business on a daily basis. Businesses
that don’t embrace this philosophy will have trouble
surviving. This change is very healthy and it will go a
long way to help grow our industry. Superior service
is becoming the key to keeping people in boating.
Smaller numbers
The pool of recreational dollars spent by the public
has shrunk and we now have to be more efficient
in our operations in order to compete. The need
to service the customer will continue to become
more critical and the boating industry needs to
understand that as an industry we must all stand
together. Competition is no longer between marine
businesses, but collectively the marine industry is in
competition with other recreational industries, each
fighting for fewer available recreational dollars. If
you are going to lose a sale, hope to lose the sale to
someone else in the boating business. If you do, at
least that customer stayed in boating and you might
have another shot at that customer for a future sale.
Create a career for service professionals
With service now being so critical to our industry’s
future, we have to stress the importance of
establishing a career path for all marine technicians.
With the constant evolution of technology in marine
systems, they are becoming more and more
complicated and difficult to service. Therefore we
need to establish an opportunity that will help us
recruit more service personnel into our industry. In
the past the industry basically let this segment of
industry work itself out. However, this is no longer
effective if we want to meet the needs of the next
generation of boaters. The marine technician of today
needs to be computer-literate and knowledgeable
of advanced electrical systems. This makes it more
difficult to lure new technicians to the industry, as
we find ourselves in competition with other high
tech industries. Marine businesses now have to
learn how to improve employee satisfaction, offer
additional advanced training, and offer competitive
compensation, not just within the industry, but within
all competing industries. If the marine industry
doesn’t change the way it recruits people for service
positions, these qualified candidates will be hired
by competing industries before they ever make it to
the interview.
OJT no longer adequate
Statistics tell us that more than 80%of our workforce
gains its fundamental core skills through “On the Job
Training.” In the past this may have been effective,
however, it just won’t work anymore because of the
complex, continuously evolving technology. We need
to equip our workforce with the necessary skills to be
successful. This is where AMTECH’s training courses
can help. As the leaders in marine systems training
for incumbent workers, AMTECH training fits the bill.
With continued cooperation from industry leaders
who understand that quality service is the backbone
of the industry, we can make a difference. AMTECH
training programs offer advanced training for the
experienced technician, and also offers basic training
that is the perfect prerequisite for technicians who
go on to manufacturer product-specific training.
I hope you will join us and help AMTECH bring your
technical staff to the next level.
Sincerely,
Joseph J. De Marco
President/Executive Director
David Eastwood
Vice President
Carteret Community College
Todd Larson
MCTINA Education Committee Chairman
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
John Beriner
North Atlantic Marine Services
Matt Gruhn
Marine Retailers
Association of the Americas
Robert Hoard
Retired marine instructor Oakland Tech
and former Mercury Marine instructor
Robert Kachanis
New England Institute of Technology
Conrad Kreuter
Moriches Boat & Motor
Steve Marable
Island Outboards
John Mosetti
Boats Unlimited Performance
Larry Porche
Brunswick Boat Group
Darren Ragsdale
Jasper Engine and Transmission
Richard Schneider
API Marine
Jarrett Young
Yamaha Motor Corp.
AMTECH is a nondiscriminatory
association open to all regardless of
race, religion, or national origin.
BOARDOF
DIRECTORS
,
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Welcome!
