Eugene’s suffering boat biz shows that RVs aren’t the only vehicles taking an industry hit.
The power boat industry suffered a 24% sales drop in 2008 and anticipates another 30%-35% hit this year.
Eugene’s boat sector was cruising the waves five years ago, but like its RV counterparts, the business has had to make dramatic changes to survive the recession.
“The boat business has grown and grown and grown over the last 20 years, and we’ve carried more (boats) and more lines of boats and more and more stuff,” said Ray Austin, manager at Clemens Marina in Eugene. “Then all of a sudden, all at once — it’s like the RV industry — boom, it dropped down 20 or 30 percent.”
The contrast was startling for boat dealers, who are pinning their hopes on a circuit of boat shows that commence soon after New Year’s Day.
Read the full story at The Register-Guard.
{biztweet}Eugene Oregon boat industry{/biztweet}
