CHICAGO, June 3, 2008 - - When Crow’s Nest Yacht Sales of Newport Beach, Calif., received official

certified status last week, the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program achieved another major milestone—

certification of its 400th dealership. The program was launched just three years ago (in November 2005), and to date

more than 600 dealerships are enrolled—400 of which have completed the process and earned the official “Marine

Industry Certified” designation.

“This is an impressive accomplishment just a few short years into the Dealership Certification program,” says

Phil Keeter, vice president of Marine Certification Inc. and president of the Marine Retailers Association of America

(MRAA). “To have 400 dealerships all across the country having earned Marine Industry Certification clearly

demonstrates the industry’s commitment to excellence and its drive toward continuous improvement. We applaud

Crow’s Nest Yacht Sales for its recent certification, as well as the other 399 Marine Industry Certified dealerships than

came before it. Earning official ‘Certified’ status is truly a feat to be proud of.”

Marine Industry Certified dealerships demonstrate their commitment to lead the marine industry and provide

customers with the best sales and service experience possible. A full list of Marine Industry Certified dealerships is

available on both GrowBoating.org and DiscoverBoating.com. DiscoverBoating.com has been visited by as many as

XX,000 individual consumers in one day and has generated more than XX,000 prospects. Marine Industry Certified

dealerships also have direct access to the Discover Boating Lead System.

Dealership Certification actively addresses one of the key factors essential to fostering growth in the marine

industry: Customer service. An effective dealership certification program that provides both consumer and dealer

benefits is fundamental to the industry’s Grow Boating Initiative. The new Marine Industry Dealership Certification

program was developed by dealers, for dealers and focuses on the areas that affect dealership quality—operations,

facilities, professional sales/service processes, customer satisfaction and employee training/satisfaction.

To date, a total of 617 dealerships have enrolled in the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program, 402

of which have completed the process and earned the official “Marine Industry Certified” designation.

Marine Industry Dealership Certification is part of the industry’s Grow Boating Initiative, an integrated effort

among organizations with an interest in the recreational marine industry to promote the boating lifestyle and improve

the boating experience. A strategic set of programs focusing on all areas of boating including water access, dealer and

product certification, marketing, and research is designed to increase participation in boating and improve sales of

marine products and services. For more information, visit

For more information about the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program, contact dealership

certification program manager John Warnik at (312) 946-6500; jwarnik@DealerCertification.org or visit