Omaha Marine Center

4 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 OMAHA MAR INE CENTER up back in Nebraska, he moved the family back there. He started with three other partners and then over time became the sole owner.” The last two years have marked a decided change in the retail boating industry National media attention has often focused on the shortage of automobiles since the effects of the pandemic first began shutting down the global supply chain. But the boating industry has been just as severely impacted by supply shortages. Omaha Marine Center could not keep boats in their showroom the last couple of years because of the high demand and low supply. Even kayaks and inflatables were difficult to keep in stock. “We receive two to three loads of boats each week, but the difference is that these boats are now all sold when they arrive,” Davis says. Market dynamics have forced customers to pre-buy boats, sight unseen. The lead time from a new purchase to delivery now ranges anywhere from 16 weeks to eight months and longer, up from six to eight weeks before COVID. Parts, including motors and propellers, are also in high demand and low supply. Many motors are backordered by 18 months or more. According