2022 November December Marina World

DRYSTACK STORAGE
Works. The general contractor was TW
Clark Construction of Spokane.
The complex project took over four
years to plan and approve. As it is built
on an island, along with the rest of the
group’s flagship headquarters, soil and
water environmental considerations
were paramount and strict protocols
were followed every step of the way.
Location, location
Lake Coeur d’Alene is in a beautiful
natural location but how important is
boating in a landlocked state? And, if
the winter bites hard, how long is the
season?
According to a study undertaken by
Boise State University in 2016, 80,691
households spent a total of $335.3
million on boat related expenses in
Idaho in 2015. Boat ownership and
usage is concentrated in the most
populated of its 44 counties and those
that have water. Coeur d’Alene (in
Kootenai County) falls in the midst of
the top counties in terms of expenditure
but, compared to many other Top 100
boat dealers, HMG is in a relatively
remote location, in a small market
with a lower-than-average household
income. The dealership overcomes
this by having a higher market share
penetration and constantly finding new
and creative ways, like Quick Launch
Club, to market to customers.
The vast majority of HMG boat
owners have homes in North Idaho or
western Washington (residents of the
state of Washington comprise the third
largest group of boat owners registered
in the state). Customers also come from
Canada, Montana and central Idaho –
and all can enjoy the benefits not only
of HMG’s marinas but its wealth of
additional boat service and hospitality
offerings.
Offering good service is second
nature. Hagadone Corporation places
great emphasis on ‘Great Guest
Moments’, and this hospitality mindset
covers every boating customer
interaction. “Our people know the art
of truly serving,” says Brosenne, and
this art dates back to when the group
first started out as marina owners and
lake cruise operators. Purchasing a
Left & below: Quick Launch Dry Stack, and
its clubhouse facilities, were an immediate
hit with customers.
dealership in 2004 led to the official
formation of HMG as the team set
about transforming a mom-and-pop
operation selling a few dozen boats
a year into a greatly expanded boat
dealership, wooden boat building and
repair operation, and a substantial offsite
boat storage facility.
The dealership – family-owned and
overseen by Brad and Todd Hagadone,
the sons of Duane Hagadone, founder
in 1986 of the Coeur d’Alene Resort
luxury waterfront hotel – now owns and
operates the largest single-point service
centre for small boats in the USA and is
a model facility. Many dealerships have
multiple stores and chains in different
areas but HMG has everything in one
package: sales, service, detail, cruise
boats, marinas and an on-water bar.
The team believes this makes a major
difference in the customer experience,
from first impressions to a better buying
experience and faster service response.
The company continues to increase
outdoor storage facilities and can now
store 2,500 boats indoors. The 360-boat
capacity drystack also stores a further
85 vessels in its aisle space during the
winter.
HMG has also turned a major liability
– a short term boating season – into
a major strength. At a latitude of 48°,
Lake Coeur d’Alene has a maximum
boating season of 90 days and, during
the winter, temperatures can drop
well below freezing and remain there
for weeks at a time. To ensure yearround
success, the dealership has
emphasised and built infrastructure
for off-season storage and service,
and thoroughly marketed these
programmes. This was another driver
for the Quick Launch Club facility.
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www.marinaworld.com – November/December 2022