SkipperBud’s Join MATES...  Top 100 Dealership becomes newest member for 2008

 CHICAGO, February 7, 2008 - - The Marine Association for Technology Exchange Standards (MATES) recently welcomed Skipper Marine Group and SkipperBud’s to its membership ranks.

            “SkipperBud’s brings us the experience of a Top 100 Dealer and will help represent the grassroots voice of many dealers,” says John Warnik , MATES executive director. “We’re trying to improve the dealership to manufacturer/supplier experience by eliminating the number of portals and interfaces these companies work with and support on a daily basis.”

            “There’s too much duplication of effort required to communicate with all the manufacturers we represent,” added Glenn Pollock, IT director for SkipperBud’s. “More and more manufacturers require visits to their websites or extranets to conduct business.  If a single standard were used, communication for items such as parts and boat orders, warranty claims and registration could be handled more uniformly. This single point of entry and tracking directly through the dealerships DMS reduces the propensity for error as well as costs of doing business.”

MATES’ goal is to develop a set of data communication exchange standards by which the marine industry at large can operate, effectively reducing IT burdens, eliminating system incompatibility and making it easier for companies to transact business with one another. As a group, MATES is looking to streamline warranty product registration and claims submission as its primary project for 2008.

For more information on MATES or the specific benefits of membership, visit firstmates.org or contact executive director John Warnik at (312) 946-6295; jwarnik@nmma.org .

National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters in the United States . The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications.