Over 100 Cannons Marina customers attended the annual spring customer appreciation party on Saturday, March 15 at the marina on Longboat Key, FL. Many customers brought their families to enjoy an old-fashioned BBQ prepared by The SMART Chefs, and to attend the fishing clinic offered by noted Captain Scott Moore.

The SMART Chefs are a group of local people who love to cook.  They cook for large and small public and private groups as a benefit to SMART, (Sarasota/Manatee Association for Riding Therapy).  SMART’s program is dedicated to enhancing the physical, emotional, and cognitive growth of individuals with special needs through a quality educational and recreational therapeutic horseback riding and carriage-driving program.

In addition to the food service, Cannons Marina donated $10 to SMART for each customer that attended the event. “Through the generosity of Cannons Marina and their customers, SMART will receive a great donation that will go a long way in providing programs and assistance for SMART riders,” said Nicholas Drizos, President, Board of Directors, SMART, and head chef.  “We are pleased to have such community involvement and we are glad they like our cooking.”

Fun and facts were the order of the evening as Captain Scott Moore, veteran fishing guide for over 25 years in the waters of Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande, gave a clinic on how to fish the local waters for snook, redfish, trout and the almighty silver king, tarpon. 
Cannons Marina Owners David and Lucile Miller acted as Masters of Ceremonies for the festivities and were helpful in distributing the Yamaha, Grady-White and Scout Boats door prizes to the attending customers.

For more information on Cannons Marina, visit Canons.com.  For more information on SMART, visit smartriders.org.
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Cannons Marina was named to the 2007 Top 100 Boat Dealers in North America by Boating Industry Magazine’s at a recent black-tie celebration in Las Vegas.  Cannons, a 53-year old Longboat Key full-service marina, ranked again among the magazine’s top five marinas throughout the state of Florida.

Boating Industry Magazine’s Top 100 is an elite annual ranking of dealerships who surpass established industry standards for business operations, customer service, marketing and professionalism.

Boating Industry reviewed more than 400 applications, culled over 3,000 nominations.  The applications asked both quantitative and qualitative questions regarding all aspects of marine dealership operations. The Top 100 dealers generated more than $2.88 billion in retail sales in North America, or nearly eight percent of the entire $37 billion North American marine market. 
 “We are ecstatic to be recognized three for three by the industry’s most authoritative and widely respected magazine serving the marine industry,” said David Miller, owner of Cannons Marina.

“ While most industry awards are given to those dealers that sell the most boats, our Top 100 program is much more qualitatively focused,” said Matt Gruhn, Editor-in-Chief of Boating Industry, “thereby leveling the playing field for all dealers and directing consumers to those dealers that can best deliver on the dream that boat ownership promises.”

Cannons Marina is located at 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, ICW marker 33, and specializes in new and used boat sales, boat and motor service and boat rentals.  Cannons features Grady-White Boats, Scout Boats and Yamaha outboard motors.

Marcel Kasten, a sales consultant with Cannons Marina on Longboat Key, Florida, has successfully completed and received certification at a recent Grady-White Boats sales training seminar held in New Bern and Greenville, North Carolina.  Kasten has been with Cannons Marina since 2005.

Grady-White’s sales training seminars assist sales representatives in achieving a high level of service and customer satisfaction through product knowledge, and to help Grady-White dealers and sales associates stay ahead in the highly competitive marine marketplace.  Cannons Marina has been a Grady-White Admiral Circle winner, for top honors in customer satisfaction for the last nine consecutive years.

The seminar consisted of boat operations training on open water near New Bern, North Carolina, and a thorough review of all systems aboard Grady-White’s boat models, including the company’s newly designed center console, the 33-foot Canyon 336.  Also available for hands-on training was Grady-White’s newly redesigned 33-foot express cabin Express 330 equipped with Yamaha’s new 350 HP four-stroke V8 engines.  These demonstrations were designed to help Cannons Marina sales consultants familiarize customers with product and performance details.

Cannons Marina is a family-owned and operated business since 1955 and is located at 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, ICW marker 33, and specializes in new and used boat sales, boat and motor service and boat rentals.  Cannons features Grady-White Boats, Scout Boats and Yamaha outboard motors.

Grady-White Boats was awarded a seventh trophy from J.D. Power and Associates when the company was ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Coastal Fishing Boats (17 to 30 Feet)”* for the seventh time in a row at the Miami International Boat Show, February 14, 2008.

“We are incredibly pleased and proud to receive this award this year,” said Kris Carroll, Grady-White president. “We never take this recognition for granted, and will continue to focus on making our customers exceedingly happy.”

“Our team–not only our factory associates, but also our dealers and suppliers–has a great passion for and experiences a lot of joy in delivering something special in the lives of our boat owners that makes their families feel happily fulfilled,” Carroll continued.

“Grady-White is the only company in the Coastal Fishing Boats segment that has received highest J.D. Power and Associates ranking, each time that these studies have been conducted,” added Joey Weller, Grady-White vice president of sales and marketing. “Every third-party measure of customer satisfaction ever taken in our category to our knowledge has ranked Grady-White at the highest levels. This includes the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) CSI customer satisfaction awards which we have received for model years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007."

J.D. Power and Associates overall customer satisfaction scores are based on performance in eight categories: cabin, engine, ride and handling, helm and instrument panel, design and styling, sound system, water sports, and fishing.

J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information firm that represents the voice of the customer. The company is well known for customer satisfaction studies in the automotive industry. The NMMA is the largest boat builder association in the world and conducts boat shows, customer satisfaction studies and many other activities for the recreational marine industry.

*Grady-White received the highest numerical score among coastal fishing boats (17-30 feet) in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Boat Competitive Information StudySM. Study based on responses from 9,718 consumers measuring 13 coastal fishing boat brands and owner opinions of 2006 and 2007 model year boats registered June 2006-May 2007. Includes offshore coastal boats 17-30 feet with/without cabins, mostly outboard, some sterndrive power. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed September-October 2007. Your experiences may vary. jdpower.com

Cannon’s Marina of Longboat Key, Florida has been awarded membership in the Grady-White Boats Admiral's Circle for the model year 2007.  David Miller and Lucile Capo-Miller, marina owners; Benny Parrish, marina manager; and Kimberly Ross, marketing manager, received the award on behalf of the dealership at the 2007 Grady-White dealer conference held recently in Greenville, NC.  Grady-White CEO Eddie Smith and President Kris Carroll made the presentation.

Admiral's Circle membership is reserved for those top dealerships in the Grady-White network that have achieved at least $2 million in retail sales for the model year, plus customer satisfaction index scores of at least 9.5 on a 10-point scale as rated in at least 10 actual customer surveys.  Dealerships also must be Marine Industry Certified by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).  This is the ninth consecutive year that Cannons Marina has earned the honor.

"Cannons Marina knows how to attract customers and keep them happy," said Joey Weller, Grady-White’s director of sales and marketing.  "Cannons and their staff continue to meet and exceed the challenge of greatness presented by our company, and their product knowledge and service excellence contribute to the overall boating experience enjoyed by their customers."

Grady-White Boats builds 22 models of fiberglass sportfishing boats ranging from 18 to 36 feet at its manufacturing plant in Greenville, NC. Cannons Marina is located at 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, ICW marker 33, and specializes in boat sales, service and rentals.  Cannons features Grady-White boats, Scout Boats and Yamaha outboard motors.

Cannons Marina of Longboat Key, FL has been awarded “Best In Class” for 2007 by Yamaha Motor Corporation for their sales and service performance during the previous 12 months.

To be eligible for this prestigious award, dealerships must be top-ranked nationally or within their territory and must meet stringent requirements set by Yamaha for both sales and service.  David Miller and Lucile Capo Miller, co-owners of Cannons Marina, received the award on behalf of the dealership.

The “Best In Class” Award is part of the Yamaha Outboard Dealer Recognition Program.  Among Yamaha’s requirements for the award, dealers must have a certified, trained Yamaha mechanic on board.  Cannons Marina’s two service personnel exceed these requirements with Senior Technician Tom Tomeo being a trained Yamaha Technician, while Eric Snode is a Yamaha Master Technician.

Cannons Marina is a family-owned and operated business located at 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, ICW marker 33, and specializes in new and used boat sales, boat and motor service and boat rentals.  Cannons features Grady-White Boats, Scout Boats and Yamaha outboard motors.

The readers of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the daily newspaper serving Sarasota County, Florida, voted Cannons Marina the “2007 Best Place to Buy A Boat.”

This designation repeats Cannons’ 2005 and 2006 Readers Choice designation as the “Best Place to Buy A Boat.”

Annually, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune awards the Readers Choice Awards. Readers of the daily are asked to complete and submit their ballots to an independent, outside agency that tallies the results. 

“We are thrilled with the 2007 designation from the readers and consumers of the Sarasota Herald –Tribune.  We attribute this award to our team and our focus on customer satisfaction, every day, ” said David Miller, owner of Cannons Marina.

Cannons Marina is located on Florida’s West Coast serving the Manatee and Sarasota County area, located at 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key.  Cannons features Grady-White Boats, Scout Boats and Yamaha outboard motors.

Angela Pluff of Cannons Marina, Inc. on Longboat Key, Florida, has been certified as a Five-Star Certified Service Writer Manager by Yamaha Motors.  The Five-Star rating represents the highest certification a Yamaha Service Writer Manager can attain.  Pluff has been with Cannons Marina for two years.

The announcement was made by David Miller, co-owner of Cannons Marina with his wife, Lucile Capo-Miller. “Our service department is the best in the marine business,” stated Miller. “Thanks to people like Angela Pluff, not only is Cannons Marina a great place for Yamaha customers to get more from their boating experience, but they will also get the highest level of service available. Angela is another reason why Cannons Marina has been a Yamaha Five-Star Certified Dealer for eight consecutive years,” said Miller.

Cannons Marina is located on Florida’s West Coast serving the Manatee and Sarasota County area, located at 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key.  Cannons features Grady-White Boats, Scout Boats and Yamaha outboard motors.

On a recent trip to Costa Rica, Cannons Marina owners, David Miller and Lucile Capo-Miller, again sponsored a child to attend the La Escuela Nueva Hoja School in Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

The first bi-lingual school in the Osa, La Escuela Nueva Hoja is non-profit private school for children pre-kindergarten through 6th grade.  The curriculum features English, science and mathematics taught in English while social studies, earth wellness and tropical ecology are taught in Spanish.  Accreditation is arranged through Calvert Home School.For the school year that began January 30, 2007, 30 students are currently enrolled.

The Millers repeated their sponsorship of fourth grader, Ana Patricia Nunez Centino.  “We annually visit the Osa Peninsula to take advantage of the fabulous fishing that is available,” said David Miller.  “After visiting there for the last 10 years, we’ve gotten to know many families and their children as a result of these trips.  Through a mutual friend, we heard that Ana was looking for sponsorship to attend this innovative school. Both my wife and I believe that to give a child both a learning and a life opportunity is an investment in the future.”

The school is committed to learning through adventure and that learning starts in the classroom and is expanded upon in the field via projects that bring it all together.“Although there was concern with young students being able to handle two languages simultaneously, the first through third graders are excelling and are reading and loving it, says Elizabeth Oden, La Escuela Neuve Hoja director. “80% of the school’s attendance is native Costa Rican or the colloquial name known as Ticos.”

For more information about the school and sponsorships, contact Elizabeth Oden, Directora Escuela Nueva Hoja, Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica, www.nuevahoja.com, 011-506-831-2170

Joe Mammina of Longboat Key, Florida based Cannons Marina successfully completed the Grady-White Boats 19th Annual Sales Training Seminar recently in New Bern and Greenville, NC. The goal of these seminars is to assist sales representatives achieve a higher level of service and customer satisfaction and to help Grady-White and Grady dealers stay ahead in the highly competitive marine marketplace.

“ It’s continuing education and training by Grady-White boats that enabled Cannons Marina to win the top customer service award by Boating Industry Magazine’s 2006 Top 100 Boat Dealers in North America,” said David Miller, owner of Cannons Marina.  “We are Grady-White’s oldest dealer in Florida, therefore, we have a long history of Grady-White training and education, “ Miller added.

Mammina has been a Cannons Marina team member for 10 years and is a Sarasota resident.
Cannons Marina is located at 6040 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key on Florida’s West Coast serving the Manatee and Sarasota County area.  Cannons features Grady-White Boats, Scout Boats and Yamaha outboard motors.

More About Grady-White:
Grady-White builds 21 boat models from 18-to 36-feet at its plant in Greenville, NC, and has been under private ownership since 1968. Grady-White Boats is ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Coastal Fishing Boats (17-28 feet) Five Times in a Row*” by J.D. Power and Associates.”

J.D. Power and Associates 2001-2003, 2005-2006 Boat Competitive Information StudiesSM.  2006 study based on responses from a total of 12,255 owners of 2004 and 2005 model year boats registered between June 1, 2004 and May 31, 2005.  Includes fiberglass center console, dual console and walkaround fishing boats from 17 to 28 feet, usually outboard powered. www.jdpower.com/cc