2021 was another wild year for PartsVu, the marine industry, and the world. While there have been plenty of challenges, 2021 was eventful for PartsVu, and there has been a lot of progress. To reflect, share some updates, look ahead to the new year, and most importantly to thank the PartsVu community, PartsVu founders Philip Osborne and Mike Newton shared some thoughts with PartsVu Xchange Talks Boating host, Tonia Becker.
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This was an important year with many changes for PartsVu, and there was a big announcement on September 1st. What was the news, and what will it mean for the PartsVu community?
Philip: Yes, some very exciting news. As of September 1st, we were acquired by OneWater Marine, a large and rapidly expanding publicly traded firm that operates over 70 dealership locations in the US. They wanted to get more heavily into the parts and accessories business as well as ecommerce to augment their stake in boat dealerships.
The significant benefit for the PartsVu community is resources. We now have a much more extensive portfolio of products because OneWater dealerships represent approximately 30 boat brands and multiple engine manufacturers.
Mike: Before the acquisition, we moved into a new warehouse space. The move allowed us to increase our efficiency and our output. The new warehouse also gave us the room to grow and develop our staff. We’ve nearly doubled our warehouse and customer service staff.
Now that we are owned and backed by OneWater Marine, the sky is the limit. We have a really exciting vision for the growth of the PartsVu brand.
As Philip said, adding new engine brands to the PartsVu catalog will be significant. We recently rolled out a select Suzuki outboards catalog that will expand, and there’s undoubtedly much more to come.
Everyone knows that the pandemic has created havoc within the global product supply chain and labor markets. As you talk to the leading boat and marine product manufacturers, what are you hearing?
Philip: The response we've seen from our vendor partners has been outstanding. Certainly, there are challenges and shortages. However, major engine manufacturers like Yamaha, Mercury, and Suzuki are digging deep within their sourcing portfolio and allocating products from wherever they can get them.
Mercury, for example, sources from over 80 countries globally, so the disruptions have certainly impacted their complex supply chain. But, on the whole, hats off to our vendor partners for a job well done navigating a very difficult situation.
We've done everything to minimize delays, but I am grateful for the many PartsVu customers who have been tremendous and quite patient. We are all in this together.
Mike: Demand in the marine industry has been very strong throughout the pandemic, and other factors have contributed to disruption. For example, the winter freeze in Texas contributed to shortages, mainly in obtaining resins and other petroleum products that are heavily used in the marine industry.
It's been a challenge on multiple fronts. But, given all that, I think we're weathering the storm and trying to provide our customers with the best service possible.
Being part of OneWater Marine and having that buying power behind us has certainly helped. However, disruptions and tight supply are likely to continue a bit longer. Many boat manufacturers report that their 2022 production slots are already sold out. So PartsVu’s ability to support our customers who might have planned to buy a new boat next year will be critical. We're certainly here to help our customers continue to maintain what they have.
What are some of the leading trends and cool new product introductions we've seen in the marine industry this past year?
Mike: I think about all of the exciting technology, and the idea of connected boats is becoming more and more real. A lot of the common automotive technologies are rolling over into the marine industry.
For example, the idea of the autonomous boat is getting closer to reality. Again, that technology is coming from the automotive industry. There is so much about your boat and engine that you can now monitor and control from your smartphone in the palm of your hand.
The release of the MyYamahaOutboards app is just one of many examples. Owners can keep a complete maintenance history at their fingertips through the app. Records of any service performed at the dealership are recorded in the app, and any maintenance or repairs owners do themselves can also be recorded in the app.
Innovations like these are contributing to a much easier and positive ownership experience. Also, when it comes time to sell your boat, the ability to quickly provide thorough maintenance records is a big plus.
Philip: Where we are in South Florida, we’re spoiled. The marine industry has long heralded the Miami Boat Show as the best opportunity of the year to show off new technologies. Many of those products end up in this area quickly, so we get to see them firsthand.
But, the incredible increase in outboard horsepower is probably the most significant shift we've been seeing for the last 10 years or so. In February 2021, Mercury launched its V12 600 hp outboard—that's truly incredible.
Many people think about 600 hp in the context of a car, but don't think about how different a marine application is. You typically only reach peak horsepower in your car, taking off from a light or something. But marine engines operate at high RPM for hundreds or thousands of hours. It's like the outboard is trying to push something with the weight of a building around; it's analogous to your car constantly climbing up a mountain every day at wide-open throttle. To get 600 horsepower to live in a marine environment, ingesting saltwater, and doing all that work every day is a true testament to the research and development work going into these products.
As you look to 2022, what’s on deck for PartsVu?
Mike: A big part of PartsVu’s core mission is to make the parts and product selection experience as straightforward as possible. This ease makes owning and caring for your boat and engine that much easier. We started fulfilling this mission by creating maintenance kits and engine-specific maintenance charts.
We started with Yamaha outboard maintenance charts and Mercury outboard maintenance charts. This year we introduced Mercruiser maintenance charts, and we have begun building resources for Suzuki outboards like our Suzuki outboard oil capacity chart and Suzuki outboard gear lube capacity chart. Rather than trudge through a cumbersome schematic, you can simply select your engine model, and you're immediately served information for all the parts, accessories, and products needed for common maintenance.
In 2022 we’ll roll out more maintenance kits, including Yamaha two-stroke outboard maintenance kits. We’ll also be releasing 300-hour maintenance kits for Yamaha outboards and 500-hour kits for Yamaha and Mercury outboards.
We’ll also continue to build cleaning kits for ease of regular cleaning and upkeep. So if you're a fan of Meguiar's, 3M, Star Brite, or other brands, we'll have a convenient kit for you.
Let’s close out our discussion by talking about your favorite places to boat.
Philip: It is hard to narrow down, but I'd say that I relish my annual trip to the Florida Keys. It's a long-time family tradition. I also had the luxury this year of being able to take a road trip with my family, and we took my boat with us. I think families often overlook the opportunity to make trips like this. We hit a couple of lakes in Western North Carolina and South Carolina. It was gorgeous and totally different than anything we had done before.
Mike: I've been lucky to do a lot of boating in some incredible places. Before PartsVu, I worked in the yachting world. I had the opportunity to boat to all kinds of different places—throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and many other places.
But I agree with what Philip said. You don’t have to boat in exotic locations to have a wonderful time. It's really all about time on the water with family and friends.
I grew up in North Carolina, and when I was a kid, we had a house around Charleston, South Carolina. We did a lot of fishing and shrimping in Bulls Bay, boating through Charleston Harbor, the South Carolina low country, and up and down the South Carolina coast. For me, it doesn’t get much better than that.
