As one year comes to a close and a new year begins, we are often asked “what is your outlook for the coming year for the marina industry” or “what are some of the trends you’re seeing and what can we expect to see more of.”
Although much of our comments are logged by editors and shared in their publications, I thought it worthwhile to share some of our comments directly with our readers…
Worldwide, from our perspective, things are starting to turn. Marinas are beginning to see the increase in boat sales trickle down into their occupancy rates, money is loosening up and governments in emerging markets seem to be taking a more active interest in their boating and marina industries. We remain optimistic that in 2014 and coming years the industry as a whole will continue to grow and prosper.

One of the most economical ways to create value in a pile anchored floating dock system is to balance the strength of the piling system with the strength of the dock system.
Marina construction projects are a costly endeavor, and at the end of the day all marina owners and developers want the same thing – they want to know they’ve received the best value for their money. They want a marina that isn’t riddled with unnecessary costs, and they want a dock system that meets or exceeds their expectations for quality and performance.
VALUE ENGINEERING
Value Engineering is a term used frequently in the construction industry. Unfortunately, it has come to mean different things to different people and is often misused. In the true sense of the word, value engineering is a systematic method used to improve the “value” of something by examining its function and analyzing its function to cost ratio. To be done effectively, it requires intimate knowledge and a high level of understanding of the processes and /or engineering that went into the original system or product in order to make the judgment calls required to effectively improve its value without compromising the function or characteristics deemed important by the user.