NEODESHA, Kan., Oct. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Premium luxury day boat manufacturer Cobalt Boats continued its regular series of World Class Dealer Meetings with a three-day event held September 9, 10 and 11 at the Abbey Resort in Fontana, WI. As in the past, the annual event recognized last year’s accomplishments and built camaraderie among its 250 attendees. This year’s theme was “Navigating the Storm: Grit and Perseverance in a Challenging Market,” with a program designed to help deal with common industry challenges. On arrival day, the group enjoyed heavy hors d’oeuvres at Gordy’s Lakefront Marine leading up to the exciting introduction of three new Cobalt models, the R31, R31 Surf and R35 Surf.
Dealer Activities
On Day 2, the dealer activities started in earnest. A Fun Run/Walk started the day, followed by a group breakfast and the Opening Ceremony for the Business Meeting. Topics included the state of the industry (challenging), state of the company (strong), a market-share update and a thorough overview of upcoming new products. The morning ended with Cobalt management hosting a ‘Fireside Chat’ to address dealer questions. After a group lunch, the afternoon featured test drives of the new boats, along with breakout sessions that included training on the new features and accessories, the introduction of a new line of Cobalt Trailers and visits to the Vendor Mall to see the latest offerings. The evening was reserved for the dealer Awards Banquet, where attendees were encouraged to dress in their favorite sports team attire. In this festive atmosphere, the following dealers were recognized for achieving the highest rankings in sales and customer satisfaction:
| Top Sales– | ||
| Village Marina, Eldon, MO | Arrowhead Boat Sales, Ketchum, OK | |
| Slalom Shop, Lewisville, TX | Gordy’s Lakefront Marine, Fontana, WI | |
| The Harbor, Branson, MO | River Valley Power & Sport, Inc., Red Wing, MN | |
| Marine Sales Group, Inc., Counce, TN | Futrell Marine, Nashville, TN | |
| Singleton Marine, Buford, GA | Premier Marine, LLC, Middleton, NH | |
| Action Water Sports, Hudsonville, MI | Causeway Marine, Manahawkin, NJ | |
| Boats By George, Inc., Lake George, NY | Seattle Boat Company, Seattle, WA | |
| Parks Marina, Okoboji, IA | Walker’s Point Marina, Gravenhurst, ON, Canada | |
| Hagadone Marine Group, Coeur D’Alene, ID | West Coast Boat Center, Rocklin, CA | |
| Rookie of the Year– | ||
| Sportsman’s Choice Marine, Inc., Longs, SC | ||
| World’s Largest Dealer– | ||
| Singleton Marine Group, Buford, GA | ||
| World’s Largest Single-Market Dealer– | ||
| Village Marina, Eldon, MO | ||
| Customer Satisfaction Awards– | ||
| Central Region: | Rinker’s Boat World, Conroe, TX | |
| Eastern Region: | O’Hara Marine, Brookfield, CT | |
| Western Region: | Great Lakes Marine, Littleton, CO | |
| Worldwide: | The Harbor, Branson, MO | |
The meeting wrapped up on Day 3 with the departure of most attendees, though a National Ride and Drive Event at Gordy’s Lakefront Marine was offered to dealers and their customers who wished to test drive the new Cobalt R31, R31 Surf and R35 Surf boats. Watch for details on these exciting new models in 2025!
About Cobalt: Headquartered in Neodesha, KS, Cobalt Boats LLC is a publicly owned, industry-leading manufacturer of luxury family day boats. Combining uncompromising product quality with customer-inspired innovation and value, Cobalt, a division of Malibu Boats, has earned an international reputation for unmatched customer satisfaction through its World Class Dealer Network. Learn more at www.cobaltboats.com
Contact: Kelle Pierce
1715 N. 8th St., Neodesha, KS 66757
800-835-0256
www.cobaltboats.com
