Max Boating
1/30/2007 10:34:09 AM by Sandy Lindsey
William H. McGill, Chairman and CEO of MarineMax, has helped change the way the industry thinks about boating and the recreational boater.
The MarineMax goal is to not just simply sell boats, but to sell the entire boating experience, a mantra chairman and CEO William H. McGill has accomplished through second-to-none sales and service, which makes owning and maintaining a boat nearly as simple as purchasing it.
Another driving force behind McGill’s vision are the MarineMax owner events which are organized trips that make planning virtually effortless for the boat owners, allowing them to meet and socialize, fish and participate in a bevy of other water-related activities with fellow enthusiasts.
“After 32 years in the business and nine years as a public company, I think I can say that I truly understand the needs of our customers,” says McGill. “We focus on the lifestyle of boating. The sport is a great stress reliever. Casting off the lines is a perfect family bonding experience. The only other sport that I can think of that bonds families together as well is family snow skiing.
“Our Bahamas event had 150 boats,” he reports. “We made the arrangements for the marina and fuel. There was a fishing tournament, beach party, cocktails and more. The two best days of boating should not be the day you buy it and the day you sell it, but the days you use it.”
And the man knows what he’s talking about. He was a tournament waterskier, actively ski jumped and slalomed, and still waterskis barefoot at 63. He’s currently between ski boats, but with the MarineMax fleet of top-quality brands at his disposal, he’s never short of a ride.
His most unique experience on the water came about when his youngest daughter, Janine, was just five years old. “I made her a pair of trick waterskis, and went along in the waterski boat as the observer,” he recalls. “Normally tow speeds are between 15 and 18 miles per hour. But Janine was at the edge of the beach, just a little girl, so I told the driver to just put the boat in gear. It took forever to get around the course, and then it took two passes. She did, however, take first place trophy in her category.”
McGill never misses a chance to be out on the water. “I’ll take the family along as I deliver a boat from say Fort Lauderdale to Clearwater,” he says. “I’m doing a service and using the boat at the same time.”
When he’s not out on the water enjoying life with his wife, kids and eight grandchildren, he’s in the boardroom crunching numbers. “The company did $1.2 billion in sales last year. I hope to have that number at $3 billion and beyond in the next five years.” That shouldn’t be a problem as long as he continues to share his love of boating with quality sales and service, MarineMax educational seminars and the social events the brand has become known for.