Member Message Header 2012
A Note from the Executive Director

If you have attended one of our events over the years then you have likely heard me say that there is always so much to report on and share with you, our members.  That never seems to change so with that in mind, I wanted to update everyone on some recent happenings, news and meetings that have taken place. 

As we have been reporting, we have been working hard for passage of S2784 - the Sales Tax Bill.  Getting a bill through the legislature and signed into law is no easy task.  Those of you that have traveled with me to Trenton and participated in meetings and hearings can attest to this complex and often frustrating process.  However, thanks to the hard work of our lobbyist Rob Nixon, our legislative supporters Senator Van Drew and Assemblyman Andrzejczak as well as the active support of our members, the bill moved swiftly through both houses in June.  The Governor's conditional veto in August further improved this bill by expanding the tax savings to an even larger segment of boat sales that will benefit everyone in the boating industry in New Jersey. Under the Governor's conditional veto language, the sales tax would be reduced to 50% of the tax for every boat sold in NJ.  This effectively makes the sales tax 3.5% across the board regardless of the price of the boat and with a cap of $20,000.

The conditional veto was approved by the Senate at the end of September, 33 to 1, and the full bill was voted on again in the Senate last month, 35 to 1.  It now awaits a vote in the Assembly and we anticipate this happening in early December. Once the bill passes the Assembly, it goes to the Governor for signature.  I know that there are many questions about implementation and specifically what this will include and we will provide more information once the bill becomes law.  Our primary focus right now is getting this done as quickly as possible. We are almost there. 
  
In other news, we meet often with many state agencies and officials to address the issues impacting our industry and your businesses.  Last month, myself and MTA/NJ board members met with Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) Chief Raymond Martinez and his staff.   During our meeting we discussed boat registration data needs, engine titling, title fees for boats, and MVC online transactions for boat dealers.  It was a productive meeting and they were very receptive to our requests and the needs of our member businesses.  We will be working with the MVC on these items over the next few weeks and will continue to keep you updated on our progress. 

On the dredging and waterways front, I meet monthly with the NJDOT Office of Maritime Resources to obtain updates on their work and specifically the State Channel Dredging Program.  As you may recall, Genevieve Clifton attended our conference in March and provided a detailed update on the Program.  I am mentioning this because not only did she provide valuable information on the dredging and maintenance of our waterways but more importantly she updated attendees on all of the work that her and her team do to support our industry.  If you were unable to attend the event, click here to view her presentation.   
 
As for more recent news, a number of projects are moving forward and/or are going to bid.  The long awaited Shark River dredging project has been awarded and dredging is set to begin shortly.  Fortescue Creek dredging is also expected to begin this fall.  The Maintenance Dredging and Channel Improvements for Lower Manasquan River, Crabtown Creek, Kings Bridge Channel, Wills Hole Thorofare and Wills Hole West is out for Advertisement and a Re-Advertisement of Maintenance Dredging for Double Creek Mainland, Double Creek Inlet, High Bar Harbor and Barnegat Light Stake Channels will soon be on the street.  Click here to view the NJDOT's recent announcements.

For those of you south of Absecon Inlet, some good news was announced at the Dredging Forum recently held in Cape May by the Cape May Chamber of Commerce.  The National Marine Fisheries Service stated that they have found the current science sufficient to change their advice to consulting agencies regarding protection of Winter Flounder spawning habitat south of Absecon Inlet.  This means that local marinas and municipalities south of Absecon Inlet may be able to dredge over the winter.  The NMFS opinion will soon be followed by a designation change by the governing New England Fishery Management Council.  You can read more about this good news here.

I will be working on a more detailed update on dredging related news as well as a briefing letter to all of our legislators to continue to raise awareness of the importance of dredging and maintaining our waterways.  

As for our events, we wrapped up the Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo in September, held another great golf event in October which raised money for our Education Foundation and held our largest ever Marine Shoot Off event last Monday.  The Shoot off is a fundraising event for the MTA/NJ Political Action Committee (PAC).  A recap on that event is included in this email.  It is through your contributions to the MTA/NJ PAC that we have been able to contribute to a number of recent events to support the legislators that fight for our industry giving us a greater voice in Trenton. Thank you for YOUR support!

Next up is our Christmas Party which is planned for December 10th at Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune.  Invitations have gone out so please sign up as soon as you can. It is a great night and I hope you will be able to join us.   We are in full swing working on the New Jersey Boat Sale & Expo, February 18-21, 2016. Bulk space is sold out but there are a only few booths left so please contact us as soon as possible if you would like to participate in the show.  Please check our website, JerseyBoatExpo.com, for updates on both of our shows.

We will be sending out the new 2016 Directories shortly along with additional updates and new resources that will be available on our website, mtanj.org.  We are also gearing up for the New Year and working hard to grow our membership and welcome more new members than ever.  You are our best recruiters as you know firsthand all that we do to support our members, your businesses and the boating industry.  Please spread the message and share what membership means to you along with some of our accomplishments. There is tremendous strength in numbers and the benefits of membership far outweigh the costs.

In closing, it is my hope and one of my goals for the New Year to get on the road more to visit with you, talk about what is important to you and what we, your trade association, can do to help you with your business.  If you are interested in a site visit, please drop me a note at [email protected].  I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you again for all of your support!

Sincerely,

Melissa Danko
Executive Director
 

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Annual Marine Shoot Off Highlights

The Eighth Annual Marine Shoot Off held on November 2, 2015 at Red Wing Sporting Clays was a big success with over 70 participants this year. The event was held as a fundraiser for the MTA/NJ Political Action Committee (PAC), which uses funds to support legislators that work to protect and promote the recreational boating industry. Experienced and novice shooters had a chance to show off their marksmanship at each of the stations throughout the facility.

Teams of four and five competed against each other shooting 100 clays per person. Many thanks goes to Walter Johnson, III of Johnson & Towers and his team for their help in preparing all of the food and assisting the MTA/NJ staff.


Members also competed in the Third Annual Chili Cook Off. Shoot Off participants tasted six different batches of chili and voted on their favorite recipe. 

Congratulations to the Top Shooters!

Highest Team Score:
Bill Heller, Bill Hall, Tom Lagocki, Frank Moser, Dave Deverter

Top Male Shooter: 
George Loder

Top Female Shooter:
Susan Wisneski of Lockwood Boat Works


Third Annual Cook Off
Brian Fischer of MESCO was named the Chili Cook Off Champion. 

For more Shoot Off photos, check out the Facebook album.
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Attend MTA/NJ Annual Christmas Party
December 10, 2015 at Jumping Brook Country Club, Neptune

Celebrate the Joy of the Season at the MTA/NJ's Annual Christmas Party on December 10, 2015 at Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune, NJ. Please join your fellow MTA/NJ Members, friends and family for a festive night of great company, good food, gifts for everyone, and whole lot of fun!

The MTA/NJ will be conducting a food drive to support our local food banks in need.  Please help support this effort by bringing non-perishable food items to the party. Please help us spread the joy to those in need this holiday season by supporting this effort.
 
Once again, Black Tie DJs will be providing a photo booth for all Members to capture their memories!
 
Become a Sponsor and Promote Your Business & Support the Association! Your generous donation is used to cover the additional costs of the event and purchase all of the gifts for everyone.  There are three levels of sponsorship available:


"Shining Gold Star" - $500
"Sparkling Silver Bell" - $300 
"Bright Red Ribbon" - $100

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Support & Participate in Industry Produced Boat Shows

Sign up now to be a part of the New Jersey Boat Sale & Expo on February 18-21, 2016 at the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center in Edison

All bulk space for the 2016 New Jersey Boat Sale & Expo is sold out. However, there are a limited number of booths still available. Please review the links below for the 2016 show contract and layout. 


Show Information: 
Click here for the 2016 Show Layout
Click here for the 2016 Exhibitor Application

If you have any questions at all please give us a call at 732-292-1051 or send an email to [email protected].

Progressive Insurance Atlantic City Boat Show
February 3-7, 2016
2011 Progressive AC Boat Show

The MTA/NJ Proudly Endorses and participates in The Progressive Atlantic City Boat Show, which is being held February 3-7, 2016 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. 

For more information about the AC Boat Show, please visit: ACBoatShow.com

For information on exhibiting in the show, click here.
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Winterization and Ethanol Blended Fuels
By BoatUS and American Motorcyclist Association

The coming of cooler weather means an end to the boating season for many. Chiefly important in preparing these vehicles for winter is managing the potential for engine damage from the federally-mandated ethanol blend in our nation's gasoline supply.

Ethanol in gasoline stored for long periods can damage marine and motorcycle engines: "phase separation" of the fuel can leave a corrosive water-soaked ethanol mixture at the bottom of the gas tank. Half of the respondents of a recent Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) survey reported that they have had to replace or repair their boat engine or fuel system parts due to suspected ethanol-related damage, costing an average $1,000 for repairs.

To prevent ethanol problems over the winter, boats with built-in gas tanks should have fuel stabilizer added and the tank left nearly full. E10 fuel remaining in small portable gas tanks (and not pre-mixed with 2-stroke engine oil) should be poured into your car's gas tank and used quickly. Same goes for motorcycles - store full with stabilizer or drain completely.

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Download NMMA Grassroots Advocacy Tool Kit and Become a Better Advocate

As part of NMMA's on-going commitment to keep the recreational boating industry apprised of legislative work and engaged in advocacy activities, they have recently made available a new comprehensive Grassroots Tool-Kit. You can access and download it as a PDF here.

The tool-kit is intended to be a resource you can turn to to be a better advocate, to share our industry's story with key influencers and decision makers, as a guide to hosting Congressional visits and much more. NMMA hopes you will use this as reference material in your daily endeavors, as we strive to make industry advocacy a 365 day reality. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Lewan at [email protected]
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Attend International Marina & Boatyard Conference
IMBC is the best place to receive professional development, updates on current topics, issues and trends, and network with your peers. Highly informative seminars, exhibit hall with more than 145 booths, and networking opportunities to make important connections make the event priceless and invaluable. Click here for the reasons why IMBC is not to be missed.

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ABYC Marine Corrosion Certification Offered in Toms River, NJ
March 1-4, 2016, Register Today!

When: March 1-4, 2015, 8:30 AM Daily
Where: Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS)
1299 Old Freehold Road
Toms River, New Jersey 08753
 
Presenter: Kevin Ritz
Contact: Sandy Brown; [email protected]; 410-990-4460 X-101
 
This four day Corrosion Certification course hosted by Ocean County Vocational Technical School, with instructor Kevin Ritz is designed and intended for those with a minimum of 3-5 years practical experience in the marine field. It is highly recommended that certification candidates already have ABYC electrical certification before attempting the corrosion certification program. It is presumed by the course content that candidates have a reasonable understanding of basic concepts such as electrical grounding, electrical current flow, galvanic isolation and basic marine electrical terminology.
 
Special discount pricing is available for members of the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey both from ABYC and a matching discount that the MTA/NJ will be reimbursing members from the MTA/NJ Foundation for Boating Safety & Education. These discounts are not available on the Web Registration. You must call ABYC directly at 410-990-4460 X-101 to apply your MTA/NJ Member Discount.  
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In This Issue
Welcome New Members!

All Seasons Marina
551 Roosevelt Blvd.
Marmora, NJ 08223
609-390-1850
(f) 609-390-7831
Brian Tersaga
Full Service Marina

J.R. Patches
103 Irvington Rd.
Barnegat, NJ 08005
856-207-1140
Joseph Romano
Marine Canvas & Upholstery

Davidson, Eastman & Munoz, P.A.
100 Willow Brook Rd. Ste. 100
Freehold, NJ 07728
732-462-7170
(f) 732-462-8955
Edward C. Eastman, Jr.
Law Firm

Deep Creek Cove
381 Brielle Rd.
Manasquan, NJ 08736
732-233-0400
(f) 732-223-0411
Frank Sproviero
Sales, Slips & Service

Freedom Boat Club
799 Rt. 70
Brick, NJ 08723
848-240-3451
Jon Acosta
Membership Boat Club

Ocean County Powersports
2130 Route 37 East
Toms River, NJ 08753
732-914-9104
(f) 732-914-1966
Scott Barnikow
Retail Sales

Member News
Congratulations to two of our members on their recent awards:

South Jersey Marina in Cape May, NJ was voted Best Small Marina by Marinalife.  South Jersey Marina has been providing first-class accommodations and services to boaters for over 20 years.  

Silver Cloud Harbor Marina in Forked River, NJ was awarded a Boaters Choice Award from Marinas.com.  The marina was selected as one of the Best Marinas with Repair and Service Yards.

We want to hear your good news!  Email your news to [email protected]
for inclusion in this section.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS 

December 10, 2015: MTA/NJ Annual Christmas Party,  Jumping Brook Country Club, Neptune

Click here for Full 2015 Calendar of Events
MTA/NJ Website Highlight

The Career Center is a feature on the MTA/NJ website for members use to post job openings as well as look at prospective candidates for job openings. Job posting is always free for MTA/NJ Members. 
 
To post your job, click here.
MTA/NJ Member Messages Advertising

 

If you are interested in advertising your business on the Member Messages, please, click here to view our Advertising Order Form.  If you have any questions at all, please contact the office at 732-292-1051. 
"New Jersey's Voice on the Water"
2516 Highway 35, Suite 201
Manasquan, New Jersey 08736
P. 732-292-1051 | (f) 732-292-1041
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