The bad economy has affected just about all of us over the last few years. There have been some companies that did not make it through the tough times and there are some that were able to hang on and survive. The marine industry has felt the impact about as hard as anyone. When people fall on hard times they cut out the things that are not a necessity and focus on surviving. Boats and fishing tackle are not considered necessities unless you make your money fishing for a living. Working in the construction industry myself, we have kept a close eye on how things are trending and what we see coming in the near future. Thankfully 2010 was a little better than 2009 and 2011 was a little better than 2010. We are all a little more hopeful that 2012 will be just a little better still.
Sunday I took some time to go to the boat show and talk to many different vendors. As I walked around and talked to owners and employees alike, it was good to hear the positive outlook that everyone seemed to have. Many boat dealers said things were picking up and they felt like this year was going to be a better year. Everyone was cautiously optimistic and after what weve been through over the last few years, I would say being cautious is a natural reaction. Recent news shows that boat builders are again increasing production and that is a good sign for the entire boating industry.
Thankfully Charleston seems to be faring better than some other areas of the country, with the arrival of Boeing and some other promising industries locating here, the outlook for our area is promising. We continue to be hopeful that things will continue to improve and the boating and marine industry can begin to grow and hire more people. Maybe now we can start this year of with an early spring and some great fishing weather.
Andy Pickett
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