March  2003 NC Marine TradeWinds Newsletter

Editor 

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• Marina and Waterfront Business Assistance? Call Beaufort Office

• Florida Shows Good to North Carolina Marine Businesses

• National Dredging Initiative

• Keep Spiraling Health Care Costs in Check

• NC Boat Builders and Other Marine Industry Representatives Head to DC

• Upcoming Marine Trades Training, Conferences, Trade Shows

• Losing Business to Sales Diesel Fuel Tax

• Charter Boat – Fishing Guide – Dive Boat Operator Workshop.  For Hire Permit Coming?

• Fishing Tournament Information Requested For Coastal Boating Guide

Marina and Waterfront Business Assistance?  Call the Beaufort Office.

For those waterfront businesses used to having their questions answered by calling or e-mailing Wendy Larimer at our Wilmington office – I have bad news for all of us. She set sail. Actually, it was a small boat and she landed in downtown Wilmington as the city’s Program Specialist  - Downtown Services. Happily, Wendy will be actively involved in the 2003 NC MarineExpo held in Wilmington November 10^th -11^th.  After five productive year with MTS, we are sad to see her go, but wish her the best in her new position.

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Florida Shows Good to North Carolina Marine Businesses

·          Eddie Smith, Jr. – chairman and CEO of Grady-White Boats – is inducted as newest member of the NMMA Hall of Fame at the 2003 Miami International Boat Show. A great interview providing history on Grady-White and Eddie’s role in forming NMMA can be in the current edition of Inter/Port and reading the RhumbLine Special starting on page 10.

·          Bayshore Boats’ Sportsman 20 was chosen as one of the five boats honored with the Innovation Award by Boat Writers International and NMMA – at the Miami International Boat Show. To see this award winner and more, go to http://www.bayshoreboats.com/.

·          There were several million dollars worth of North Carolina Boats sold at the Miami International Boat Show. Numbers aren’t available for publication, but talks with many of the dozen plus NC builders at the show were very positive. Dozens of boats in the 21-36 foot range were sold and a number of 55 foot and over sportfishing and pleasure yachts were sold through the show.

·          IBEX 2003 – (International Boatbuilders Exhibition - Fort Lauderdale) offered over 25 NC marine product and product representatives significant sales opportunities.  To view photos of these businesses and their booths, Click Here. 

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National Dredging Initiative

One of the most economically critical and pressing issues for boaters, boat builders, marinas and coastal tourism is the degradation of our waterways due to the lack of maintenance and channel dredging for recreational ports and harbors. The solution is dredging, but the funding and complexities associated with assigning dredging funds for recreation purposes literally take acts of Congress to fix. NMMA, MOAA, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association, BoatU/S, the MRAA, and dozens of state groups (including our NC Marine Trades Services) are trying to develop working solutions.  A meeting held in Miami in February offered both hope and setbacks. It is a fix that requires legislative understanding and commitment. To provide a voice on this issue, contact MOAA at (202) 861-1180 ext 1607, email MOAA@nmma.org To view the MOAA white paper, see Dredging.

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Keep Spiraling Health Care Costs in Check - From the National Association of Manufacturers

Small and medium-sized U.S. manufacturers faced double-digit health care inflation in 2002, averaging increases of more than 13 percent.  Escalating health care costs may force some companies to eliminate health care benefits, according to a report by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).  The NAM report, Health Care at the Crossroads: Manufacturers' Agenda for Lower Costs and Higher Quality, calls for cooperation between government and business in establishing a program that improves information about the quality of health care coverage and medical providers, and says employers should put a stronger emphasis on health care quality and better employee health management.  For more advice on curbing health care costs, access the two-part NAM report by clicking here for part one, and here for part two.  Article referenced from NMMA’s March 11 Currents e-newsletter.

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NC Boat Builders and Other Marine Industry Representatives Head to DC

You can (and should) don your suit and tie and join a number of NC business owners experienced in the “art” of informing our state’s federal legislators of the importance of our marine industry. Once known as LegCon, the annual American Boating Congress is a comprehensive two-day legislative conference allowing recreational boating representatives to assemble and set the industry's public policy agenda – and then takes those priorities to Capitol Hill for meetings with a number of our legislators.  The events start Sunday, May 4^th and end Tuesday May 6^th after a reception held on the “Hill” for the legislators. For registration information, got to Register. If you plan to attend, please let me know. (Mike Bradley @ Mike.Bradley@NCwaterways.com). 

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Upcoming Marine Trades Training, Conferences, Trade Shows

·          September 23 & 24 in Greenville – IBEX-U will be having its first North Carolina event in the state. This is a set of seminars and workshops for the boating industry offered by the folks at Professional BoatBuilder. For additional information, click here: IBEX-U.

·          October 27 – 29 in Miami – BoatBuilding 2003 Trade Show will offer boat building product and material providers exposure and buying opportunities to the boat building industry.  For additional information, click here: BoatBuilding 2003.

·          November 11 & 12 in Wilmington­ – the NC MarineExpo with trade show, seminar tracks for boat builders, marina operators, and other marine businesses and a factory tour of the Rampage, Shamrock, and Cruisers building facility in nearby Navassa. Full information in next month’s TW.

·          Anytime - EmarineTraining.com is a collaborative effort between IBEX and Professional Boat Builder magazine. They offer 6-week courses to enhance the skills of those in the boat building profession. Their first two courses are Computer Aided Design (CAD) for the Marine Industry and Gelcoat Applications. Visit www.emarinetraining.com.

·          Anytime - MarinaTraining.com is the new venture for IMI’s (International Marina Institute) retired President, Paul Dodson. These courses focus on compliance with regulations, industry standards and best management practices for those in the marina management field. The first two courses offered here are Fire Safety and Marina Fuel Attendant. Visit www.marinatraining.com.

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Losing Business to Sales Diesel Fuel Tax

Marinas in North Carolina are facing a challenge each time they have to charge their customers sales tax on diesel fuel. Virginia and South Carolina do not have this tax and save the customer 7% on each purchase of diesel. While this may seem trivial to some, it adds up to lost revenue to many of our marinas near the borders. The hardest hit marinas are the ones who handle mostly transient boaters. As boats continue to get bigger and faster, captains have the option of by-passing North Carolina completely and saving themselves a couple of bucks. See Sounding Trade Only Today’s Florida article: Click Here

Boats can be exempt from the sales tax, and complete reimbursement forms for the tax they pay if, according to NC General Statute 105.164.13(24), they are “ocean going vessels which ply the high seas in interstate or foreign commerce in the transport of freight and/or passengers for hire exclusively”.  This exclusion works, but it takes time and effort to save receipts, find and complete forms – if you qualify.

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Charter Boat – Fishing Guide – Dive Boat Operator Workshop.  For Hire Permit Coming?

Should you be required to have a charter boat license to take people fishing for hire in North Carolina's coastal and ocean waters? Do you know what regulations affect your business and what type of insurance you should carry? Have you considered alternatives to fishing from your charter boat? Come hear answers to these questions at NC Sea Grant’s charter boat workshop being held April 8 at the Sheraton in New Bern. Registration is free and a lunch will be provided. If you want to attend contact Jim Bahen at bahenj@uncw.edu or (910) 962-2492. To see the tentative agenda, click here: Agenda.

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Fishing Tournament Information Requested For Coastal Boating Guide

The SBTDC is a business development service of The University of North Carolina operated in partnership with the US Small Business Administration. This website and newsletters are a product of the Marine Trades Services of the Small Business and Technology Development Center and are in part funded by the SBA. For additional information, contact Mike Bradley (252) 728-2144 or MBradley@SBTDC.org.