Nov 15, 2021

Walker Marine(Left) Thumbs Up for getting another happy customer out on the water!

Walker Marine Sales has been proudly serving the Southwestern Ontario region as a marine dealer and service provider since 2015. Walker Marine has steadily grown to meet the demand in their community for a better product and service. They are, therefore, a proud dealer of brands such as Jeanneau, Prestige, Rinker, Hurricane, Godfrey, Mercury, and Yamaha. To learn more about Walker Marine Sales, we spoke with Robert Walker, the company's founder.

What drew you to the boating industry?

Boating started as a hobby then turned into a side business. I bought my first boat in 2008. It was around $900 on Kijiji, it was a cheap old boat and I was stuck on the lake all the time with it. I fixed it up and sold it. I had several boats over the next five years, buying and selling boats all the time. Then I bought a few new boats – because I just enjoyed boating so much. From that experience, I felt that there was a lack of service in our area. Big dealerships sold new boats, but they sold so many new boats that there was a greater demand for service. That was when the idea came to me about getting started in the Marine business. In the beginning, I was dealing with used boats at the time. I have some friends on Pelee Island and I got introduced to Kim Slocum, the president of Rinker Boats. We became friends and he asked if I wanted to sell some new boats. So, that's how I got started working with new boats with the Rinker brand. We started in a shed with a dirt floor and built up everything from there. Rinker was perfect for us. We became the top dealer for Rinker boats in Canada, and we were pretty proud of that.

What is the team like at Walker Marine Sales?

I have a couple of close friends working with me; we started with two of us working at the shop, and now there are three full-time and three part-time, working within a relatively small shop – we sell maybe twenty-five to thirty boats a year, most of those are bigger boats. We pride ourselves on having the best service in our area. The people I work with are my friends as well, it's not always easy to get along, but we try pretty hard at that.

How has the pandemic affected your business?

We were sitting on a couple of million worth of inventory, and we were worried, but it turned out to be the opposite. We have never been as busy. At one point this year, we sold out of boats, which has never happened before.

How have you handled challenges such as product shortages?

That was tough. We had a couple of our big boats; two 35-foot boats that we ordered back last fall showed up in spring, but told us we would not get our engines until December in April. Luckily, we were able to find Mercury engines for it. Trying to get parts right now has been really tough. Things like stainless steel props have been almost impossible to get. We are trying to keep all our customers happy that have bought boats with us.

Could you tell me a bit about the lake you manufactured on your property?

Any money I have made from the business has gone back into our employee's wages and expanded the property here. We have done some upgrades around there. We put two new buildings up last year. Then I had the idea to put a pond in. Since we are on a farm, it is okay to do that. I thought it would be cool to build a dock and have a boat on display, it would look best on the water. We used to have to tow a boat to the water to test it, but now we can check for leaks and water tests right on the property.

Walker Marine (Left) Rob’s key to success is looking after the customer.

Is service the main focus of Walker Marine Sales?

We got our most considerable reputation based on our service. By keeping the number of boats, we sell limited, and we can offer premium service that our competitors cannot. We try to make service our main priority. It's always great to get more sales, but if you sell someone a boat and you do not offer excellent service, they will not come back in the future.

To learn more about Walker Marine Sales, visit: https://www.walkermarinesales.com

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Biofouling Management

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Killer shrimps, sea squirts and the spiny water flea are all examples of invasive alien species that have been introduced to new areas in various parts of the world by recreational craft such as boats, yachts and other small craft. 

Invasive alien species are known to be one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss, and their management especially in marine environments is incredibly challenging. Therefore, the most cost effective away of addressing their impacts is to prevent their spread to new areas.


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Changing Scene

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Boating Industry Canada News Week

 

Every Tuesday we publish a fresh Digest with informative articles pertaining to the Canadian boating and marine industry. Stay up to date with the latest products, research and industry developments.

Missed an Issue of Boating Industry Canada News Week? If you're looking for a specific issue, or simply want to catch up on previous issues, check out our Boating Industry Canada News Week Archives.

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Launchings

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“Recreational boating and fishing are enjoying increasing popularity with younger and more diverse consumers,” said Matt Atilano, Veer Director of Strategy. “We identified a gap in the marketplace and a need to create a more targeted and modern experience for these new boaters, which inspired the design and development of the Veer brand.”   

 

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Available with a 6”, 7” or 9” bright, sunlight-readable touchscreen display with keyed assist, anglers can easily control and operate the functions they depend on for a successful day on the water, including zooming in or out on the map or quickly toggling between different sonar views.

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