SŌLACE Boats
of suppliers either move to this area because they rep in the area or they ’ re relocating business here ,” said Sarah Dougherty , who shared that their own business has tripled in the last six months .
“ COVID did something for the boat industry that no amount of marketing could have ever done .”
“ It put people on boats because they couldn ’ t go on vacation . They wanted to be outside , and they went and bought boats . During COVID , we put kids in boats , and that was a generation we were missing because they sat in front of computers . Now , that generation is going to end up being a boater as they grow up ,” she said . businesses and colleges for the ‘ FAME ’ – Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education program .
“ There are seven major boat manufacturers , custom boat builders and small companies providing welding [ and ] upholstery services to
Boston Whaler , Flagler
Training the Future As the maritime industry grows , so does the need for a skilled workforce . Nationally , recreational boating generates $ 43B in annual sales and service , with $ 23B of that in the state of Florida . According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association , 3,624 jobs and 198 businesses are supported locally by the recreational boating industry , generating $ 893M of economic impact in Volusia County each year .
To meet the need , the Volusia Manufacturers Association has joined forces with the region ’ s
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