Exciting innovations and products are everywhere at IBEX, which wraps up at the Tampa Convention Center today. The mood has been upbeat in the large crowds viewing the exhibits that pack all three exhibit floors, lobbies, balconies and the docks. But there is now growing concern about potential supply-chain impacts of the longshoreman strike at 36 ports.
IBEX is a marine showcase like no other. New products abound from manufacturers around the world and here at home, and many can positively impact a boat sale at the dealership.
Just one example is Connecticut-based Boat Fix, a telemetric service for boat owners that is currently the only remote monitoring company in the industry with 24/7 live customer support.
Boat Fix provides real-time remote vessel monitoring, GPS tracking, geofencing, weather advisories, wave height data, advanced NOAA chart navigation, mechanical monitoring and more. It’s expected to be a selling tool for dealers. Bentley pontoons, for example, is now providing customers added value with a complimentary three-year Boat Fix mechanical program. Other builders are expected to follow.
Apart from the IBEX buzz, retailers and suppliers are beginning to consider the ramifications of the strike that started Tuesday by the International Longshoremen’s Association against the U.S. Maritime Alliance. It covers all major East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, 36 in all.
“Many retailers have already taken some precautions, including earlier shipping and shifting cargos over to West Coast ports,” said National Retail Federation vice president Jonathan Gold.
The strike comes on top of other shipping disruptions, such as the attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, which have forced course diversions. That, in turn, has led to increased shipping times and costs, as well as equipment shortages and delays. And if products must be land-shipped from the West Coast to Eastern markets, more costs will be incurred.
While negotiations have broken down, the NRF has continued to urge the parties to return to the bargaining table. The goal has been getting the parties to agree to a new six-year contract. To complicate matters, in addition to wage increases, the ILA is standing against expanded automation in ports. And the West Coast dockworkers (a different union) recently achieved a new contract with pay increases.
Just how many boatbuilding components arrive on ships is not known, but there’s no doubt it’s substantial. Walking the floor at IBEX revealed many suppliers from Asia, Europe, Scandinavia and more touting everything from the Swedish-made “Drainman” to hand-crafted Japanese propellers. Indeed, boatbuilding is an international undertaking.
For dealers, now may be the time to take a serious look at the parts and service materials currently in inventory against expected demand for a foreseeable time. While there are no predictions of how long the strike may last, staying ahead of the game by stocking up on key needs may be the best defense against potential supply problems.
As so many dealers and marina operators on Florida’s central and north Gulf Coast areas can tell you, after being ravaged by Hurricane Helene last week, you can never be too prepared.
