Today we’d like to introduce you to Randall Lyons.
Randall, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) and a Trustee with the Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust (MMTET). I started in my role as the Executive Director for the MMTA at the beginning of this year. Prior to starting my job with the Association I was on the Board of Directors for the previous five plus years. I have also worked in the Marine Industry for the past twenty plus years starting in a seasonal position at the Nantucket Boat Basin back in 1996 and most recently working for the Newburyport Marinas from 2006 to 2016. I am a passionate advocate for the boating industry and I love what I do…
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would say overall it has been a smooth road, but, sometimes we do face road blocks along the way. The boating industry can be faced with a false reputation that we only represent the wealthy upper class. This in fact is not the case. In Massachusetts 72% of boaters have a household income of $100,000 or less. Our industry hits all segments of the market, but the majority of boaters are in the middle class and just enjoy spending time on the water with their family and friends. In addition to this negative reputation a lot of people do not know much about our industry. I have been fortunate to work within the boating industry for quite a while. I always say that those in our industry are very fortunate to work where we do. I feel this way because typically our guests/clients are very happy. They are spending time on the water participating in a leisurely activity. Getting the word out about our industry is one of the key initiatives our Association is currently pursuing. We want to get the word out to kids about getting on the water and enjoying the boating lifestyle. In addition we are currently facing a workforce development issue where we have a shortage of trained staff members available for job openings within the industry. This is another initiative we are currently working to combat.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association / Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust story. Tell us more about the business.
The MMTA has been in operation since 1964. The main goal of the Association is to support boating industry businesses within Massachusetts. We recently came up with a tagline for the Association of Industry Growth Through Collaboration, Communication and Education. This tagline is our main priority in working to ensure our members receive the best value for their membership dues.
What sets us apart and what am I most proud of? We host a professional development conference each year in January where we bring together approximately 150 industry representatives from the area. This conference is one of largest boating industry educational events in New England and is well received by our members. It allows us the opportunity to train on topics that are relevant to our industry. Some of the topics we have hit in the past include Workforce Development, Marketing, Legislative affairs, Boat Show best management practices, Environmental compliance, Service and various other relevant industry topics.
In addition to our professional development conference the MMTET works on getting more trained employees into the industry and getting more kids involved in boating. We do this on a couple fronts including offering scholarships for Massachusetts students taking courses within the industry. We have also recently started offering grants to help support non-profit youth boating programs in Massachusetts that work to get more kids on the water in a safe and smart manner. I would say these initiatives are our top priorities currently and help make us an Association that our members are happy to support knowing that our focus is on industry growth.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am a firm believer that hard work, dedication and passion are key ingredients to success. In addition, having a very supportive Board of Directors and Association members makes it all come together. Our Board members are comprised of volunteer men and women who share the goal of industry growth and work very hard every day to ensure this goal is achieved. Our members are the industry businesses that bring it all together for Massachusetts residents to enjoy all that the boating lifestyle has to offer. I am a strong proponent of passion especially for those working in the industry or for the typical New England boater who truly is passionate about the time they spend on the water.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.boatma.com, www.staylocalboatma.com & www.masskidsboatingday.org
- Phone: 774-404-8005
- Email: info@boatma.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BOATMA2017/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/boatmass
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