Massachusetts Governor Baker signed the 2023 state budget, which included $150,000 in funding for workforce development and career technical education initiatives within the recreational boating industry. This funding will continue the initiatives and progress that the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) has made over the last five-plus years to meet the workforce challenges within the industry.

Released: August 4, 2022

BOSTON — Along the Mystic River in Charlestown, in the shadow of the Tobin Bridge, you'll find one of the premier boat builders in all of the United States.

Released: March 7th,  2022

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) presented longtime industry leader and former owner of Russo Marine, Larry Russo Sr., the Frank Farrell Distinguished Service Award last week at the Business of Boating (BOB) Conference at the Lakeview Pavilion in Foxboro, Mass. After being acquired by MarineMax in 2016, Russo Sr. remained with the company as the Senior Vice President of MarineMax Northeast.

Released: January 25th,  2022

Last week State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) was named the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) Legislator of the Year.

Released: January 25th,  2022

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) will host the annual Business of Boating (BOB) conference on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at Lakeview Pavilion, in Foxboro. This will be the 16th year for this educational conference.

Released: November 1st,  2021

The Massachusetts state budget — approved and signed last week by Gov. Charlie Baker — included $150,000 in funding for workforce development and career technical education initiatives within the recreational boating industry. The funding will continue the progress made by Massachusetts Marine Trades Association to meet the workforce challenges in the industry, the MMTA said in a statement.

Released: July 26th,  2021

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association received a $20,000 recovery grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to help market its 2021 “Stay Local Boat MA” program.

Released: April 22nd,  2021

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) released two new videos highlighting the boating industry, with a focus on industry jobs within Massachusetts. Recognizing the importance of workforce development within the boating industry in Massachusetts, the MMTA & MMTET have made this issue a top priority. The videos lead the viewer to the Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust (MMTET) website.

Released: March 19th,  2021

Anxiety. Depression. Stress. Burnout. PTSD.

All of these and more encompass mental health considerations because they impact how a person thinks, feels, behaves, makes choices and relates to others.

In a candid look at today’s mental health issues, triggered by living one year in an unprecedented pandemic, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association are each taking a lead role in helping the boating industry recognize and adopt ways to deal with this often-unsung reality.

Released: March 11th,  2021

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) announced it will host a Business of Boating (BOB) webinar series from January to April of 2021.

Released: December 10th,  2020

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, along with trade association partners from across the marine industry, recently released a 58-page publication aimed at helping marine dealers operate safely in a new marketplace concerned with the COVID-19 health crisis.

Released: May 12th,  2020

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in partnership with the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) hosted the 3rd annual Career Day & Job Fair on February 14 at the 65th annual Progressive New England Boat Show.

Released: February 17th,  2020

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association was named the recipient of the 2019 Marine Trade Association Technical Scholarship, announced by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Foundation. The scholarship was presented to MMTA president Randall Lyons Dec. 10 as part of the Dealer Week awards luncheon in Tampa, Fla.

Released: December 17th,  2019

The conference features an educational lineup of sessions on the following topics: employment law; leadership at all levels; regulatory and government relations; sales and marketing strategies; workforce solutions; Massachusetts paid Family and Medical Leave Act; Train the Trainer; and planning and marketing for what's next within the industry, according to an MMTA statement.

Released: November 22nd,  2019

NMMA launched a workforce branding effort last weekend in Boston by exhibiting at an annual conference targeting school guidance counselors. With an audience of more than 3,600 attendees, the 'Explore Careers in the Boating Industry' booth touched more than 1,500 visitors over three days -- touting our industry as a career to be considered by middle and high school students.

Released: July 8th,  2019

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) announced that three technical high schools - Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School - are bringing the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) curriculum to their schools starting this fall. The MMTA provided the schools with financial assistance to help pay for the curriculum and some of the textbooks needed to start the programs. This funding was available through the workforce budget amendment the MMTA received last year from the Massachusetts state budget.

Released: April 29,  2019

Alyssa Linkamper had spent four years in the U.S. Air Force as a jet-engine mechanic when, in 2004, she found herself facing the reality of an escalating war in Iraq. She thrived in military culture and loved working with her hands, but as a single mother living in England with a 1-year-old and no family nearby, she worried.

Released: February 26,  2019

The first engine Abram Kelly-Cruz disassembled was a John Deere lawnmower engine.

"I had no organizational skills; oil was everywhere," Kelly-Cruz said. "I put it back together and noticed four pieces underneath. So I stayed after school and kept putting it back together and actually got it working. It didn't work when I took it apart."

Kelly-Cruz was one of 130 students attending the New England Boat Show's Career Day to learn about the various jobs and hear from industry members, many of whom took an unorthodox path to the positions they hold today.

Released: February 18,  2019

The most important thing to employees is not what supervisors think, and that is part of the reason managers have a hard time attracting and training talent. That's according to Jim Million, one of many speakers at the Massachusetts Marine Trade Association conference on Thursday, who said that employees want to be appreciated for a job well done.

Released: January 18,  2019

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust (MMTET) is pleased to announce that their initiative KIDS in BOATING has distributed their 2018 grant awards. The KIDS in BOATING Initiative issued 16 grants this year totaling $13,100. The grants awarded ranged from $500 to $1,000.

Released: July 18, 2018

The goal of increasing the number of events and attendees at this year's Massachusetts KIDS Boating Day was successful. The 2018 event, held June 2 to 10, included eight registered events, three of which were new, and total attendance of more than 5,000 - doubling the 2017 numbers. Massachusetts KIDS Boating Day was created in 2017 by the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA). Its purpose is to support and promote youth boating events around the state to introduce younger people to recreational boating in Massachusetts.

Released: June 18, 2018

Massachusetts Kids Boating Day events will take place from June 2-10 this year.

This is the second year the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association has spearheaded the initiative, but the association will spread the events out over nine days this year rather than just hold events on one day.

The effort encourages and promotes youth boating and fishing events.
 

Released: March 23, 2018

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust has opened the grant application process for its Kids in Boating initiative for the second year.

Recognizing the need to get more kids on the water enjoying the boating lifestyle, the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association and the MMTET created the Kids in Boating initiative in 2017.

The focus is to help support nonprofit youth boating programs. In 2017, the Kids in Boating initiative awarded 11 grants ranging from $500 to $1,500 each and totaling approximately $11,000. Read More

Released: March 15, 2018

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association is looking for suggestions on marketing its website to the largest possible target audience. Read More

Released: March 13, 2018

BOSTON - "We need you - "That was the message 3A Marine founder Ed Lofgren gave to students who gathered at the New England International Boat Show to learn about potential careers in the marine industry. "We have a very successful boat dealership," Lofgren said. "I learned along the way it was all based on service. Even my sales were based on service." Lofgren had intended to blanket the South shore of Massachusetts with two additional dealerships, but has been unable to attain his dream, he told a group of about 90 students from Cape Cod, Boston and Maine. Read More

Released: February 13, 2018

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust (MMTET) is currently running an online fundraiser. The MMTET is auctioning a brand-new 2016 Robalo R160 boat package complete with a 70 HP Yamaha outboard engine and matching trailer. This is the second year the MMTET has held this fundraiser. The auction will run through the final day of the New England Boat Show, Sunday, February 18 with the highest bidder winning the boat package. Last year this fundraiser raised over $20,000 for the educational trust and the hope is that will be the case again this year. For more information on the NE boat show visit NewEnglandBoatShow.com. Read More

Released: January 29, 2018

A new website established by a statewide advocacy group aims to attract more people to the marine trades industry - a field that, like many, is seeing a shortage of workers coming into the fold. The Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust and the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association have launched massboatingcareers.com, a website that touts the marine trades field and the job opportunities it offers. The site features job listings, information on education and a one-minute video promoting the field and the employment opportunities. Read More

Released: January 29, 2018

BROCKTON, Mass. - The Frank Farrell Award was presented to Richard "Dick" Egan, president of Crosby Yacht Yard Inc., on Thursday during the Massachusetts Marine Trade Association's annual conference. "It was my life, really, other than my business and my family," Egan said Thursday of his work with the MMTA, which was the reason he received the award. "I feel very rewarded to have been nominated for this recognition. I really appreciate it very, very much. For all those out there who don't know me, I wish you did because this industry is my life." Read More

Released: January 23, 2018

Is a podcast for all boaters, from aspiring to experienced. Featuring in-depth conversations with boating experts and industry leaders, and packed full of tips, tricks, gear, and industry info, boaters of all levels will come away with new skills and knowledge each episode. Though many would agree that times are good in the marine industry right now, it is never too soon to address challenges that will affect the industry in the future. Two of these challenges that have been top of mind for everyone from manufacturers to dealers to marinas is the need for more workforce development, and the aging of our boating customer. The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association has been out in front of these issues and have developed some great initiatives to address them head on. Read More

Released: January 23, 2018

The Me Too movement - a national social media campaign using the #metoo hashtag to give personal accounts of sexual harassment - has reached the marine industry.Lawyer Jamy Buchanan Madeja, who addressed a Massachusetts Marine Trades Association conference on Thursday about regulatory and government relations, spent a significant chunk of time discussing sexual harassment in the workplace and the potential repercussions of such cases. Read More

Released: January 23, 2018

Workforce was top of mind during a Massachusetts Marine Trades Association conference on Thursday that focused on the business of boating. Consultant Valerie Ziebron gave three presentations that focused heavily on attracting and retaining service technicians at dealerships. "Are you going to change young people to think the way you do? Or do we have to change us to think what they're thinking, and how we can make what we're offering attractive to them?" Ziebron asked during one session. Read More

Released: January 19, 2018

After six days of truly fabulous adventure our crew fondly kissed Maine and New Hampshire goodbye, leaving the moose warning signs, road construction and, to be fair, some pretty awesome riding behind. We had an incredible time exploring mountains and coastal communities. I'd love to come back and visit again, and that says a lot. Read More

Released: July 21, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) has launched its STAY LOCAL BOAT MA Transient Boater Referral Program for the ninth consecutive year. There are 15 participating marinas enrolled for 2017. The goal of STAY LOCAL BOAT MA is to encourage seasonal guests to visit participating destination marinas within Massachusetts in exchange for reduced transient dockage rates. Read More

Released: July 11, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association announced it has declared Saturday June 10 as "Massachusetts KIDS Boating Day." Currently, there are four KIDS boating events taking place in Massachusetts on Saturday, but more events may be added before Saturday. "Educating young children on the safety of boating and at the same time allowing them to enjoy all that boating has to offer prepares them for a lifetime of linking these experiences of safe boating on our waterways," said Chairman Bill Straus of the Massachusetts Legislature's Boating Caucus. Read More

Released: June 6, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust announced its initiative KIDS in BOATING has distributed its first round of grant awards. The KIDS in BOATING initiative issued seven grants totaling $6,600. The grants awarded ranged from $500 to $1,500. The KIDS in BOATING grant program is designed to financially support non-profit youth programs in the state of Massachusetts. The KIDS in BOATING committee felt that these seven groups shared a common goal of getting more kids on the water in a safe and smart manner and deserved to receive a grant to assist in achieving this goal. Read More

Released: May 22, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust announced that its initiative KIDS in BOATING has now opened up its grant application. Recognizing the need to get more kids on the water and enjoying the boating lifestyle the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association and the Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust have created the KIDS in BOATING Initiative. The focus of this initiative is to help support nonprofit youth boating programs already in place in Massachusetts. The goal will be to challenge these groups to get more new kids on the water in a safe and smart manner. Read More

Released: April 18, 2017

You don't get to see boats like this every day! See a wonderful variety of rare vintage motor yachts and sailboats. Meet skippers and crews and vote for your favorite boats. Children get to make their own wee boat, and all can board real ones. Boat rides, crafts market, artists, old-time band music, the Blessing of the Fleet and more! Boats don't have to be in show condition; they can be works-in-progress. The spirit of the Festival is to gather together the grand old craft and all who love them. Read More

Released: March 1, 2017

 The Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show wrapped up its nine day run with attendance at 46,461, down 8 percent from 50,706 in 2016 due to heavy snow the first four days; however the Show had record attendance on Saturday and Sunday to close out the Show. Read More

Released: February 27, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust is currently running a fundraiser boat auction. The MMTET is auctioning off a 2016 Robalo R160 boat package complete with a 70HP Yamaha outboard engine and a matching trailer. The auction will run through the final day of the New England Boat Show Sunday, Feb. 19 with the highest bidder winning the boat package. Read More

Released: February 9, 2017

Randall Lyons, executive director of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, has been selected by NOAA to join its Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) as Business Industry Alternate member. The 3-year term is effective January 17, 2017. Read More

Released: February 2, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association announced the selection of Foxboro resident Randall Lyons, CMM to the position of association executive director. He succeeds Nathalie Grady of Framingham who recently left the association for a new job. Read More

Released: February 1, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) recently recognized State Rep. Jim Cantwell, D-Marshfield, as the 2016 MMTA Legislator of the Year. Read More

Released: January 30, 2017 

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association gave longtime New England Boat Show president Joe O'Neal, who retired last year, the Frank Farrell Distinguished Service Award. Read More

Released: January 24, 2017

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, inspired by an association leader who has seen success with a similar initiative at the local level, recently announced its plan to attract youths to boating. Read More

Released: June 20, 2016

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) announced the recent formation of a Youth Boating Task Force. It is comprised of association members keenly aware of the aging population of the majority of boaters. The focus of the task force is to create opportunities statewide for youth to access boating experiences. Not only do early boating experiences lay the groundwork for the boating lifestyle to be embraced for generations to come, they may also inspire careers in the recreational marine trades. Read More

Released: June 14, 2016