Blog Archive

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Aqualand, Atlanta Marine and Monterey are a Hit!

This weekend was a great success with a new Monterey Dealer, Atlanta Marine at their summer boat show event.

Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch GA. hosted a pre 4th of July customer appreciation party and Boat show. With temperatures reaching into the upper 90's customer enthusiasm was not hampered. With the current lake levels at Lake Lanier and gas prices hovering below $2.50 boaters and potential boaters were out in full force.
The day started slow on Saturday with temperatures rising quickly however, as the day progressed (and it got closer to party time) the crowd ensued! There were several boats contracted on
Saturday with the bulk sold later that day. On Sunday, the day started with two water test and and two more new customers of Atlanta Marine. Sunday ended with a bang and several more Monterey boats sold! Congratulations to Atlanta Marine and all the new Monterey boat owners!

Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch Ga. and is the worlds largest inland marina. Located on Lake Lanier provides 692 miles of winding shoreline and about 39,000 acres of water surface. Aqualand boast over 1700 wet slips and over 400 "dry slips".

Atlanta Marine in Buford Ga. on Holiday Rd. at Lake Lanier with locations at Lake Oconee and Aqualand Marina. Owned and Operated by Kurt and Lisa Backus since 1995. Monterey Boats woulds also like to welcome our newest partner and say congratulations on a job well done.


Kirk Lewellen

Regional Sales Manager

Monterey Boats

1918 Cliffview Ct.

Murfreesboro, TN 37128

Cell - 615.207.1108

Fax - 615-896-6635

http://www.montereyboats.com/

http://www.kirklewellen.com/

Monday, June 22, 2009

Atlanta Marine At Aqualand Marina Summer Boat Show Bash, June 27-28

Exclusive Boat Show And Party Featuring Monterey, Supra, Moomba And More…
(Buford, GA) Leading Georgia boat dealer, Atlanta Marine, with locations on Lake Lanier in Buford and at Aqualand Marina in Flowery Branch, as well as displaying boats on Lake Oconee, is joining the boat show and party hosted by Aqualand Marina on June 27-28. Details on the Monterey sport boats and cruisers available from Atlanta Marine can be found at http://www.montereyboats.com/

Atlanta Marine will have boats on display and available in the water for demos at Aqualand Marina. Beginning at 10AM on Saturday June 27, the Boat Show and demos will be available until 6:00PM and then again from Noon to 5PM on Sunday June 28.

An invitation only party begins at 6:00PM Saturday featuring beer and soft drinks, music by Audio Cage, and plenty of food available at Aqualand’s Dockside Grill. Guest invitations to this party are available from Atlanta Marine and Marine Max, and also to Aqualand customers.

The enthusiasm for the lake is back and families are ready to start enjoying the lake. The lake is at near full pool, fuel prices are down significantly and financing is beginning to stabilize again.

“Atlanta Marine is in a better position than ever,” says Kurt Backus, owner of Atlanta Marine. Atlanta Marine now has a great inventory of REPO/Bank owned boats we acquired at liquidation prices. This is the time to buy a boat and relax on the lake with family and friends. “We really appreciate the strong support offered by Aqualand Marina and their commitment to all boating on Lake Lanier. They are terrific partners and friends and this event is further proof of that,” he said.

Editors: Kurt Backus is available for comment and can be reached through the contact above or by email at kurt@atlantamarine.com .

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Monterey Boats and Social Networking, its not just for Kids anymore.

Monterey Boats is now embracing the latest media opportunities in social networking. If you are new to social networking DON’T BE ALARMED it is not as freighting as you may have been led to believe. If you can check your email, navigate to a web site and read English you will have no problems. Additionally, no one will sneak into your wallet or purse steal your identification and travel abroad on your credit cards because you signed to any one of these sites.

The great news is with the recent (exponential) growth in social networking Monterey has joined the ranks with such services as Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter and Flickr to name a few. This is just the beginning, let us take a look at social networking, where we are, where we are going, and what it all means.

Social Networking is one of the largest booms in internet media marketing reaching a greater targeted audience. Getting a mass of traffic to your web site is irrelevant if the consumer is not interested in your product. Social marketing attracts pertinent traffic, gives potential buyers the opportunity to interact with Monterey, our existing customers, and voice their preferences. More importantly, this allows buyers to interact with a related community, giving them the advantage of collective wisdom. Currently Facebook boasts over 150 million users around the world; almost half of them use Facebook every day! If Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth most populated in the world, just ahead of Japan, Russia and Nigeria.

With this latest medium we are able to build an interactive relationship with our customers and potential buyers. Friends of Monterey (as consumers) already have some interest in boating and Monterey as either a part of their boating experience or they have the interest to see what we are all about. A new Monterey customer for example can follow the latest news and information from Twitter our micro blogging site, watch videos on YouTube, or see the latest customers from some of Monterey’s Dealer Facebook pages. As an example, take a look at Chatlee Marines page on Facebook. Just like the "old days" when a dealer would make a customers picture and displayed them for all to see, Chatlee has taken that to a new level... Check it out!

So, what’s next for Monterey and the wide world of social networking? Keep your eyes peeled! Look for us now and in the future in some of these arenas…

Digg
LinkedIn
Wikipedia
Flickr
YouTube
Twitter
Facebook

and until then, will you be my friend?

Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager
Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Phone - 615-207-1108
Fax -615-896-6635
http://www.montereyboats.com/
http://www.kirklewellen.com/

Friday, February 6, 2009

Monterey Boats, Bills Marine and the 56th Annual Mid Atlantic Boat Show


The 56th Annual Mid Atlantic Boat Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia kicked off this February 5th and continues through Sunday, February the 8th at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. This years show unlike others has the full complement of dealers and boat lines in attendance. In addition to a great boat sale there are fun things for the family to enjoy at the show.Bill's Marine, Bill and Judy Noel with their tenacious staff have brought Monterey to Virginia Beach in style. With an excellent show set up and great communications to the retail buyer. Bill's Marine and Monterey Boats are poised for a great weekend.

Bill's Marine Sales manager Steve Joyner said "we are prepared, organized, set up and ready to go". With unbelievable boat show pricing and a great family feel, Bills Marine is a strong service oriented dealership with outstanding customer service and great product lines like Monterey, Hydra Sports, Pioneer and Stingray Boats. This year Monterey Boats awarded Bill's Marine with a Top CSI award for 2008 and they certainly have a consumer following that supports what the industry numbers have reported. The newest customers at Bills are treated as well as the repeat customers that come back to Bill's time and time again. One of their newest additions is warranty mobile service to continue to support their consumers. At Bill's if your new boat is under warranty they will come to you for your service needs with an even greater flexibility to get your new boat back on the water. In addition, Volvo has extended warranties and Monterey Money is on hand as added consumer incentives.

The traffic at this years event has not appeared to exceed some however, the people I spoke with all seem interested, educated and trying to make a smart decision based on their needs. I feel confident the end result of this years show will be a great one! Good luck to all the folks at Bills Marine

This years Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show is owned by the Norfolk chapter of the the Izaak Walton League. The Izaak Walton League was formed in 1922 to save outdoor America for future Generations. Active in over 300 communities, chapters work hard to restore watersheds, reduce air pollution, fight litter, protect wildlife habitat and open spaces, and instill conservation ethics in all who enjoy the outdoors. Our commitment to communities has allowed us to endure for more than eight decades. Our optimism, spirit and vision for a better outdoor America guide our work. For more information visit us at http://www.iwla.org/.















The display....
















Working on it!!!









The handsome Travis! Now... Go sell something!









The New Virginia Beach Convention Center











Inside the Convention hall - a great facility









Bill's Marine entry to a great display.














The "World Famous" Pioneer Henry! (in his normal vegetative state)
Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager
Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
615-207-1108

Friday, January 30, 2009

Birmingham Boat Show Story - Showing a Monterey 214FS

The Birmingham, AL Boat Show started Thursday January 29th 2009 at the Jefferson Civic Center and Buck's Island Marine with two separate areas has Monterey Boats proudly displayed. The traffic today although slow was quite entertaining!


Today there was a couple checking out the Monterey 214 FS on the display floor. I approached the gentleman to add a few tid-bits of information about Monterey Boats and the model he was interested in. While engaged in conversation he asked many intelligent questions regarding the features and operation of his potential new vessel. One question stood out above all. He inquired about the amount of water the boat would "draw" (how deep it sits in the water at rest). During the explanation he asked where the waterline would be on the hull. I showed him an approximate location of the water line. His next question floored me... Get this... "How much deeper will it sit when the water levels come up?"

???? HUH????

I thought I had heard it all!

Archimedes ran through the streets naked screaming eureka when he discovered displacement... I guess he had never been to the Birmingham Boat Show!

Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager
Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
615-207-1108
615-896-6635 - Fax
http://www.montereyboats.com/
http://www.kirklewellen.com/

Saturday, January 24, 2009

17th Annual Raleigh Convention Center Boat Show


The 17th annual Raleigh Convention Center Boat Show has delivered on its promise to be the biggest and most exciting edition yet of this fantastic annual event! The show features all boat models and types with all the amenities at incredible price points! Monterey Boats and Chatlee Marine are certainly one if the premier featured craft in the show. On display this year Chatlee is showing a Monterey 194FS and the 214 FS. With the many lines represented and limited space Monterey is please to be represented. As Monterey and Chatlee grow together I hope to see more models represented and a broader representation of the Monterey line up.

Chatlee marine has a rich history in this region, sporting over forty years in the Sanford/Raleigh market bringing boaters and boats together and building memories. Jeff and Robbie Yow are the mind as well as the muscle behind Chatlee Marine today. Daily you will see Jeff and Robbie driving an excellent force of forty-five employees to make boating fun and enjoyable! Their facility located in Sanford, NC is a boat shoppers dream. Multiple indoor showrooms to store and display your new boat and the six acre test lake get consumers up and running safe and comfortably. The service facility with certified techs on staff as well as fiberglass repair Chatlee has it all!

This is the first year this show has had an opportunity to present in the all new Raleigh Convention center and everyone is glad to be there. Clearly this facility brings to Raleigh a much needed venue for just such an event. Earlier in the week this area was hit with an amazing 6"-8" of snow. I am sure there were some difficulties with the dealers moving into their display space but everyone made it and it all looks great! The snow melted just in time and the weather has been perfect, a great time for the whole family.

This year the crowds have been excellent. The show opened Friday with good attendance and Chatlee was able to connect a few Monterey boats and their new owners. Saturday in my opinion had to have broken record in attendance. The day didn't stop and the sales team did an outstanding job. Sunday poses to be as strong as Saturday and consumers are still coming out in droves. The consumer base in Raleigh, like Atlanta, seem to be educated and asking excellent questions bringing them closer to their buying decisions. We would love to see them all in a new Monterey boat!

Thanks to all the staff at Chatlee and Monterey boats for making it all possible and a special thanks to Jeff and Robbie Yow, Matthew Mabe, Robert Faulk, Andy Kraft, Charlton Richardson, Kipp "K Dog" Thompson, Marc Zimmerman Jeff Osborne, Matt Wicker, Chris Martin, Logan Griffith & Scott Knuth
...



The Chatlee display you can't miss!




Another view of the display...


THE World famous Johnny Craig
Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Cell - 615.207.1108
Fax - 615-896-6635

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

47th Annual Atlanta Boat Show


The 47th annual Atlanta Boat Show held at the Georgia World Congress Center is a NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) supported regional boat show. This year there are several dealer and manufacturers missing from the display floor. JOA Marine and Monterey Boats is not one of them.

Set up for this display space started last week and JOA has done an amazing job. Monterey Boats sent their corporate display and signage making for a great looking display. The team from Monterey to assist with the setup (John and Dave) did a great job and certainly went the extra mile. The long drive from Williston, Fl didn't slow the guys down, we worked until about 9:00pm on Monday! Thanks again!


Today (Wednesday/opening day) is typically a very slow day on the boat show scene. This year, it seems that everyone was expecting the worst and to our surprise the retail traffic was quite good. From the on set of my arrival I was able to stay busy discussing Monterey Boats and JOA Marine from the time I walked in the door to about thirty minuets before the show closed. There are several boat enthusiast and potential new boat owners in attendance.

On Day two the crowd seemingly was a bit lighter but the quality of the crowd was excellent. Customer are asking intelligent questions, I am enthused about the opening results this year. The weekend officially starts Friday and I feel confident that there will be larger crowds and Monterey along with JOA Marine will have a great show. Fridays show was a hit, the turn out was excellent and everyone that came through the Monterey display got an opportunity to view the Montery Flagship 400 Sport Yacht. The 400 is an incredible machine and we stand head and shoulder against anyone else in its class!

Saturdays crowd was INSANE, there were record numbers in attendance. The consumers on the Cruiser/Sport Yacht docks were all very patient with the long lines and actual wait times to get a glimpse of Monterey's amazing line up this year! With the three new sport curisers introduced this year the 260, 280 and 320 Monterey has allot to offer and the buzz is out. There were several customers that decided to take advantage of all the incentives that Montery, Volvo, JOA Marine and the Atlanta Boat Show had to offer. Congratulations to those consumers and JOA for an outstanding job.

This years show adds some interesting things to visitors to the World Congress Center this year including the Mrs. Geico team and race boat on display. Their display came rolling in on a color matched and logoed semi that is quite impressive. Another unusual display this year is what is called the Stinger, Hornet. It looks akin to the old Robert Q Riley Tri-Magnum with some modifications. The builder appears to have done a nice job but I guess the Detroit auto show was too much of a stretch for this manufacturer...

Here are a few other interesting pictures of Atlanta and the boat show....





The Monterey Cruiser display








The World Famous Darren Matthews








The Monterey Sport Boat display






The Atlanta Skyline at night










Another Atlanta skyline at night







And during the day








The life of a boat Rep during show season... Glamorous huh?






Kirk Lewellen
Regional Sales Manager Monterey Boats
1918 Cliffview Ct.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Cell - 615.207.1108
Fax - 615-896-6635
http://www.montereyboats.com/
http://www.kirklewellen.com/