Irwin Marine expands as demand soars

Jason Marceau, service manager at Irwin Marine, showcases a Premier pontoon boat that was displayed at the New England Boat Show in Boston. The boat is considered versatile and an alternative to fiberglass boats, he said. (David Carkhuff/Laconia Daily Sun)

By DAVID CARKHUFF/THE LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — Irwin Marine has expanded onto Blaisdell Avenue in an effort to ease pressure on the booming boat service and storage business.

Irwin Marine recently completed a 54,000-square-foot work shop at Blaisdell Avenue to relieve some of the workload from the main yard on Union Avenue, reported Jason Marceau, service manager.

The addition to Irwin Marine is strictly a work facility, where boats are kept in a heated storage building, worked on and filtered down to the Union Avenue yard to go into the water for delivery or customer pickup, Marceau said.

"What happens here in the summertime, so many boats come through this year, it gets bottlenecked," he said from the Union Avenue office and yard.

The new work shop will improve flow of boats going back into the water, Marceau said.

Irwin Marine presently maintains 10 storage locations throughout the Laconia area for the Union Avenue facility, and with customer and new stock units, the company is storing more than 1,000 boats in Laconia alone, Marceau said.

"All our storage locations are full to the doors. Unfortunately we have had to turn new storage customers away. We are now in the process of expanding our storage capabilities," Marceau reported.

The boat business is on an upward trajectory, "and there does not seem to be any change in the near future," Marceau reported. "The stock market is climbing, and the economy is improving daily. With people working hard every day to enjoy life a boat is a great way to spend your time off with family and friends. It's all about making memories that last a lifetime. Boating is the thing to do if you're in the Lakes Region during the summer."

Irwin Marine operates at Mountain View Yacht Club in Gilford; South Down Boat Club, a private marina in South Down Shores development on Paugus Bay; Irwin Marine at 396 Main St. at the tip of the bay and at 723 East Side Drive, Route 28A, both at Alton Bay; and a land marina at Hudson near the border of Massachusetts.

"We're processing 50 to 75 work orders a day, it's very busy," Marceau said from the Union Avenue office.

Irwin Marine sent staff to the New England Boat Show in Boston, Feb. 11-19, and they reported back that the atmosphere was upbeat.

According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, new powerboat registrations were up 6.3 percent in 2016, and nearly all segments were up last year. NMMA's New Powerboat Registrations Report noted that the tow boat, pontoon, saltwater fishing boat and personal watercraft segments experienced the highest rates of growth during 2016, up 11.8 percent, 9.2 percent, 7.9 percent and 7.4 percent for the year, respectively. Outboards boats were up 6.2 percent on a rolling 12-month basis, and inboard boats were up 11.8 percent, the association reported. Larger boats 27 feet and greater were up 10.7 percent through December, the report noted.

This year has started with a strong push at Irwin Marine, according to Marceau.

"Once you get beyond the holidays, we turn the corner," Marceau said.

"Customers are coming in. It's very busy. Phones are ringing. People are interested in scheduling service work for the upcoming season," he said.

Jason Marceau, service manager at Irwin Marine, showcases a Premier pontoon boat as a busy season gets underway. (David Carkhuff/The Laconia Daily Sun)