Inside Chaparral with Rob Orlaske

Rob Orlaske of Pier 33 has just returned from Advanced sales Training at the headquarters of 

Chaparral Boats in Nashville, GA. Here are some notes from Rob about his very interesting trip:

Excitement, Thrilling, Innovation and Success is what I saw while in Nashville GA at the Chaparral manufacturing plant.

Chaparral is getting ready to celebrate its 49th year as a boat manufacturer. The Excitement of the employees, their dealers, and customers is what inspires Chaparral. Winning 43 awards for product excellence and 13 Boat of the Year awards is what brings out the excitement when talking to the employees at Chaparral.  It is not uncommon to talk to an employee and find out that they have worked there for 30+ years. I was very impressed the way the company has a family atmosphere throughout. In fact, I was able to get a lot of one on one time with the founder of Chaparral, Buck Pegg and President Jim Lane, a team since 1977 who still run the business together today.

Chaparral Dealers Get First Look at Vortex

Buck and Jim get excited when talking about the all the new line of boat products like the H2O line getting a 21’ sport boat and 21’ fish & ski or the new 307 SSX. It didn’t matter which boat it was, they knew every aspect of the boat which is why Chaparral has been able to successfully introduce 32 different boats in the last six years.

Being a part of the unveiling of the new Vortex line of Jet boats was more than thrilling to say the least. 

Chaparral teamed up with BRP, the company who manufactures the Rotax Engine. The Rotax engine is a supercharged, closed cooled engine that puts out up to 250 horsepower  --- which is more than you’ll find on any other Jet boat.

I was lucky to be one of the first people that got to test drive and experience the thrilling ride of this jet boat. Fast, sleek, great handling and all the quality you will find in any Chaparral boat. The experience was beyond my expectations. Again, lucky me, I got two days to test drive this boat putting it through some rigorous testing.  You had better brace yourself for the Vortex because it is one of the most Innovative boats to come on the boating market since jet boats hit the market in 1958.

Success shows throughout the one million plus square feet of Chaparral that is why Chaparral was the number one selling boat in 2013 for the 1st and 2nd quarters in the 18’-42’ stern drive boats. Success is Chaparral’s confidence in their product offering a Limited lifetime hull warranty on every boat. Success is why I sell Chaparral Boats.

See the complete photo album of my Chaparral tour and the Vortex introduction on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/pier33marina.

We're Now A Dealer For Robalo Boats!

In case you missed the big news, Pier 33 is now a Robalo Boats dealer. We will provide Robalo sales and service throughout West Michigan and Northern Indiana.

Manufactured in Nashville, Georgia, Robalo is a premium quality line of outboard powered center console and walk-around cabin style sport fishing boats. Robalo currently builds thirteen models ranging in size from 18 to 30 feet, including six models featuring "No-Haggle Reel Deal" nationally advertised pricing.

Want to know more about the company behind the Robalo Boats brand?

Think about it: your boat builder partnership is key.

Let's face it; the rules for selling boats have changed. Dramatically. In years gone by styling, fishability, performance, features and price got the job done. The name on the hull side is important, but now more than ever, the company behind the name is what it's all about. Robalo has become a leader in the marine industry because of our history, diverse product line, profit-minded business practices and solid management. Cutting edge technology and a time tested history create excitement and a sense of confidence. Value-oriented pricing sells.

Simply stated, you can't find a better boat building partner than Robalo. Fishing boats are our only business. That's all we do. Just fishing boats. Our numbers tell a convincing story. Robalo, and it's sister company Chaparral, have one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry. At a time when most boat companies are forced to slash budgets, Robalo continues to invest in new product development, offering aggressive factory rebates to move dealer inventory and bolster our already high customer service scores. Robalo's financial strength makes it all possible and strategically positions us for the future. At Robalo, we've always said, "The boats are the stars." That still holds true today, but it's equally important that boat buyers and dealers alike want to know the strength of the company and the people behind the name.

"Robalo has proven itself to be a brand highly respected for quality, design and performance and the models most recently introduced are real winners," according to Pier 33 General Manager Tighe Curran. "Plus, Robalo has had great success offering boaters outstanding values thru Reel Deal pricing. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity and we’re looking forward to our first boats arriving in time for the New Year."

Which Robalo Boats model interests you?