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Enhanced Performance: How A Brokerage Company Shot To The Center Of Lake Of The Ozarks Powerboating
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photo by Donny Larsen Studios
Article by Nathan Bechtold
Top-tier products and service, dedication, business savvy, a skilled team, and owners with an ambitious vision. There’s the short explanation for a Lake of the Ozarks boat company whose growth has outpaced even its fastest v-bottoms. But Performance Boat Center’s history isn’t so easily summed up.
Top-tier products and service, dedication, business savvy, a skilled team, and owners with an ambitious vision. There’s the short explanation for a Lake of the Ozarks boat company whose growth has outpaced even its fastest v-bottoms. But Performance Boat Center’s history isn’t so easily summed up.
Six years ago, Performance Boat Brokerage was just another brokerage company, selling boats at the Lake and servicing a few boats. Today, Performance Boat Center is among the premier boat dealers and service centers in the nation. And with a stunning showroom, pristine waterfront property, new docks and a newly-opened companion restaurant, “Redhead Lakeside Grill,” Performance Boat Center is just a great place to hang out.
Performance co-owner Brett Manire points out many people come by just to cruise through the sprawling showroom. “They want to come look around and see what’s new,” he said.
And these days, there’s always something new.
In the past year, Performance Boat Center has grown at an astonishing pace. Moving into a state-of-the-art facility in Osage Beach was a major change, but Manire and his crew have also taken on five, new high-end boat lines, to sell brand-new, dealer-owned models.
Outerlimits first came to the Lake with Performance Boat Center several years ago. But in recent months, Cigarette, Princess Yachts, Statement Marine, Skater, and Sunsation have all come aboard too.
The ability to purchase and retail such expensive watercraft comes in part from the company’s growing success. Manire noted, “Every dollar we’ve put into the place has been backed up with great support from customers.”
But in this industry, one barrier to entry can be the incredible cost of the inventory. That’s where Performance co-owner Mark Waddington came in. “Mark’s a savvy businessman,” Manire said. He says Waddington brought Performance financial support, foresight, and the ability to think outside the box. In many ways, Waddington’s business acumen has helped guide the company into making a major splash. His approach has been more aggressive, and less risk-averse.
The new boat lines are inarguably alluring, but Manire says they’re actually not the biggest direct revenue-driver for Performance. The brand-new Outerlimits that sells for $1 million makes for a prestigious sale, but the company had to hand over a huge chunk of cash just to get it to the showroom—without a guaranteed buyer. More steady and profitable are PBC’s ongoing brokerage sales and service department. Performance has also made large financial investments stocking a full line of exhaust products from CMI (Custom Marine INC) as well as creating the Lake’s largest inventory of parts from Mercury Racing.
But the dealer-owned models “separate the men from the boys,” Manire mused. That suits the powerboating culture well, which he points out is typically pretty flashy, and doesn’t shy from success. Powerboaters love their water toys—and semi-truck—and they love to find a service center that makes their machine run smoothly. Manire says because of that, word-of-mouth generates a large portion of Performance Boat Center’s business.
Waddington and Manire don’t just spend money on high-end boats; all those positive referrals they receive are the result of a major investment in their service center and a well-trained service crew. “Having a state-of-the-art facility, being certified, going to classes and staying on top of the newest technologies and procedures, having a vast inventory of parts and having the best guys to work on your boat, that’s everything for us,” he said.
“Relationships and friendships get built out of these things,” Manire added. “[Boaters] are in and out of the property in the early mornings, winter or when there is foul weather. There is always a group here checking out the fast boat.”
Facilitating that “hang out” is another unique element of Performance’s recipe for success. From being the title sponsor for Lake Race and the Shootout, to hosting fun runs, parties and other on-water events, Manire says the company helps foster community among boaters. Performance Boat Center, Redhead Yacht Club, and Redhead’s Lakeside Grill are places boaters love to be, and that bodes well for the company’s longevity and continued growth.
In a huge leap forward, Performance Boat Center bought Nauti Marine, owned by David Scott, in December 2014. The purchase brought a fresh set of boaters with high expectations to Performance Boat Center, but it also brought an elite service team geared toward perfection. And the name recognition—Nauti Marine and Scott are powerboating icons—certainly didn’t hurt either.
“I think combining Nauti Marine's proven performance abilities with the existing facilities and staff at Performance Boat Center will give the nation one central location for the best possible service for all serious performance boaters,” Scott remarked after the merger.
With so much growth in such a short time, Manire reflects aloud about the company’s ascent. “It’s been strong growth… from what started as a small business with four or five employees now has 25 employees.” As any successful business-owner knows, success requires long hours and dogged persistence. That’s been the case for Manire. He is the face of the company… and he’s pretty much always around: “I work Monday through Saturday, and I’m on call on Sundays, and I’ve yet to find a Sunday that I’m not here.”
With all the right ingredients, Performance Boat Center is the picture of success—which means there’s never a dull moment, even when many local businesses slow down in the cold, winter months. “Everybody calls [winter] the slow season, but it’s wild around here,” Manire said, “and I love it.”
Entire Article and Photos: http://lakeexpo.com/boating/lake_rac...1409f510f.html
