FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
President of Indmar Marine Engines and NMMA Meet with Speaker of the House ****of U.S. Representatives to Discuss the Potential Impact of a Fiscal Cliff on ****Small Businesses, the Boating Industry, Consumer Confidence and Economy.
Millington, Tenn. (December 6, 2012) ~ Today, Chuck Rowe, President of Indmar Marine Engines, Jim Currie, Legislative Director for NMMA and John McKnight, Vice President of NMMA’s government relations office, participated in a meeting with Speaker of the House of U.S. Representatives John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA-7) and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to discuss the potential impact of the fiscal cliff on small businesses across the United States. The “fiscal cliff” is a year-end series of tax hikes and spending cuts that would take $500 billion out of the economy next year and Congress is currently entrenched in budget negotiations.
During the meeting, the Speaker and others listened as Chuck Rowe, President of Indmar Marine Engines expressed concern that the individuals negotiating the fiscal cliff were not paying enough attention to small businesses. He suggested that press accounts indicated great attention to the needs of large corporations and that the needs of small businesses must be addressed. Rowe further explained, “Find a way to solve the Fiscal Cliff without most of the increase falling on small businesses and individuals. Find a way to not hit America’s number one job creators the hardest.” Speaker Boehner and other members of the Republican leadership team seemed interested in Mr. Rowe’s point of view and said that his remarks reflected one of the reasons why they had invited him to be a part of today’s activities.
Rowe shared examples of how consumer confidence is already down in the face of a fiscal cliff. “Just this week we had a customer who visited our plant for a tour and they are sitting on the fence about purchasing the boat they have already picked out because they do not know what the state of our economy will be after the first of the year,” explained Rowe.
Indmar Marine Engines is a family owned and operated business who manufacturer’s gasoline powered inboard marine engines. Indmar supplies engines to boat manufacturers and supports over 1,200 small business dealerships. It’s small businesses like Indmar that have fought to keep American dollars and jobs in the US and now it’s time for those negotiating the fiscal cliff to fight for the small businesses who contribute so much to our economy.
This meeting is just one in a series of conversations that NMMA’s federal lobbyists have had with both Republicans and Democrats alike, sharing concerns about how marine businesses will be impacted by the fiscal cliff and potential balanced solutions. Last month, NMMA was also represented at a White House briefing on the fiscal cliff focused on how budget changes will affect businesses, providing a forum for discourse on the need for a balanced plan. The briefing was part of a White House initiative to directly connect with the business community. As part of these discussions, Business Forward generated a side-by-side comparison of the Simpson-Bowles budget, the President’s budget and the Ryan Republican Budget, which can be found here.
Indmar and the NMMA is committed to a bipartisan, balanced solution to the fiscal cliff and urges Congress to take steps that will protect small business interests, particularly those of the recreational boating industry.
For questions or to schedule an interview with Chuck Rowe, please contact Natalie Carrera at ncarrera@indmar.com or call 865-441-6121.
About NMMA
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy advocacy, market statistics and research, product quality assurance and promotion of the boating lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.nmma.org.
**ABOUT **INDMAR MARINE ENGINE****
Indmar is the world’s largest privately held manufacturer of gasoline powered inboard marine engines. Indmar has a pedigree going back over 40 years in the inboard marine industry and a proud tradition of pointing the way forward. Indmar was the first inboard manufacturer to deliver fuel injection, custom calibrated engines and the first to produce an inboard engine with a catalyzed exhaust; which is now the industry standard. Today, this legendary brand delivers an inimitable mix of unrivaled performance, meticulous craftsmanship and ground breaking innovations – charting a course for others to follow, yet leaving the competition behind. Indmar operates advanced manufacturing facilities in the U.S. with distributing centers in Millington, TN and Corona, CA. For more information, please visit www.indmar.com.
