The Sailboat Shop of Upstate NY Member of Award-Winning Boating Industries Group

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has named the Boating Industries Association of Upstate New York/BIA as the 2014 Bill Ferguson Award winner for outstanding service by a marine trades association to its members and to the boating industry. BIA Executive Director Barb Caster received the award on behalf of the 80-plus member association at the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL, in November.

Tige dealer The Sailboat Shop in Skaneateles is an active member of the BIA. The BIA serves members located throughout New York State, primarily in the Central NY, 1000 Islands, Finger Lakes and Oneida Lake regions.

‘The Boating Industries Association of Upstate New York is tremendous in terms of the service it provides to its members. The group is active in state-level politics, puts on an impressive boat show each year, works tirelessly to promote and advocate for safe boating, and goes above and beyond to support member education,’ said Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Vice President Liz Walz.

The BIA, headquartered in Cicero, NY, works with diverse federal, state, industry and public partners to encourage boating throughout the upstate region of New York and to keep the public current on safety issues, marine laws and regulations, and sound boating practices for all ages.

The association organizes an annual February event that is one of the largest boat shows in the state. The Central New York Boat Show fills more than 250,000 square feet with boats, information exhibits and boating safety and educational activities at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

Among those accepting the Bill Ferguson Award honoring the Boating Industries Association of Upstate New York were, left to right, Stephen and Sandra Habecker and Amber Hicks, Krenzer Marine, Sodus Point; Pete Carolin, Brinson Marine, Syracuse; Fran D’Agata, Fremac Marine, Chittenango; Michael Golas, Brinson Marine, Syracuse; BIA Executive Director Barb Caster, Morgan Recreational Supply, Farmington; Jeff Kennedy, Morgan Marine, Penn Yan; and John Jablonski and Chris Beardsley, The Sailboat Shop, Skaneateles.