Forecast 2015: Mike Livorsi — Livorsi Marine

When it comes to understanding what’s on the horizon for the performance boat industry, it’s tough to beat the point of view of Mike Livorsi, the founder of Livorsi Marine. You see, the Grayslake, Ill., company supplies much of the accessories found in many of today’s performance boats. Like many of the people who have already responded to our latest feature, Livorsi says the center console market is red hot.

Over the past several years, Livorsi Marine’s business has rapidly expanded into the center console market.

Here’s what he had to say when asked what he sees coming for the performance-boat market in the new year.

Outboard motors, or what I like to call “clamp-ons,” are a recent engineering marvel. With the engines reaching almost 400 hp, the market for center consoles continues to grow. I categorize the center consoles into four markets—performance, fishing, cruisers and runabouts from 20 to 50 feet. One to five clamp-ons can be offered, depending on desired speed or the size of boat. The more clamp-ons, the higher the speed. Additionally, outboard motors cost less, are more fuel-efficient, generally require less maintenance and offer longer warranties. They bring the amenities of large cruisers along with seating for as many as a dozen or more people comfortably. Best of all, they maintain their value even if exposed to saltwater environments.

The bad news is the performance boat market is declining. The good: many customers seek a day on the water of maintenance-free boating and are switching to the performance center console. A new market brings new products for center consoles. Ten years ago, the performance boating market occupied most of Livorsi’s business. However, continued expansion is necessary in such a competitive industry. Today, Livorsi caters to not only performance boats but also to center consoles, workboats, military/government boats, cruisers and ski boats. We invest resources into developing new products such as trim tabs, electronic throttles, LED position indicators and Can Bus gauges to benefit the end users and retail customers in the marketplace.

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