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The major suppliers to the inboard boat industry
were engine manufacturers Indmar, PCM, and MerCruiser.Indmar
supplied the lion’s share of inboard engines to the
makers of ski/wakeboard boats, including industry leaders
MasterCraft and Malibu.
Almost 85 percent of Indmar’s
business came from the sale of private-label engines, with
MasterCraft being its largest private-label customer. Under
its private-label agreement with MasterCraft, Indmar was the
first engine manufacturer to bring electronic fuel injection
(EFI) to the inboard market.
To counter the harsh marine
environment, the company worked closely with American automobile
manufacturers to develop an EFI system robust enough to withstand
the rugged, wet conditions. The main payoff from owning an
EFI engine was turnkey starting (prior generations of inboard
motors were notoriously difficult to start), smoother and
faster acceleration, increased fuel economy, and reduced emissions.
Indmar manufactured its own
subcomponents for its engines, choosing not to expose itself
to what it considered the hit-and-miss quality standards of
outside suppliers. Over the years, Indmar had achieved considerable
name recognition and brand awareness within the waterskiing
industry.
This was due mainly to its
sponsorship and support of numerous professional tournaments
as well as to being visible at grassroots waterskiing competitions
around the nation.
How
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Of The Competition Ski Boat Industry| Boat Shows|
Suppliers
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