Oct. 27, 2020

Vern Eide Motorcars is getting into the boat business.

The longtime auto dealer has started Vern Eide Marine, a division of Vern Eide Motoplex, which sells ATVs and motorcycles.

“We felt there were only a couple places in town you could go buy a boat. It’s kind of hard to find them, and you have to travel, so we thought let’s try something,” said Jason Hone, who will be one of the marine managers while also managing the Honda location.

“So we did a little research and thought maybe there’s a market. We thought it looked like an opportunity for us.”

Vern Eide plans to use extra space in the new location at 4501 E. Arrowhead Parkway, the former Shopko, to display the inventory.

That location also includes the new Mitsubishi location, a used-vehicle supercenter and a service facility.

“It’s not quite 100,000 square feet, and we didn’t need all the room and had 20,000 square feet left, and we really didn’t have room for the boats at Motoplex, so that’s how it ended up at Arrowhead Parkway,” Hone said. “You really just need a big, open space, which is what we have there. We’ll paint the floor, but the rest is pretty much ready once we get everything cleared out.”

Vern Eide Marine plans to carry a wide range of inventory, including Bennington pontoons, Crestliner aluminum boats, Skeeter glass fishing boats and Four Winns and Glastron boats.

“We’re ranging anywhere from the fishing world to the pleasure pontoon to the fishing pontoon to the pleasure surf boat, deck boats, so we’re trying to cover a wide range of boating enthusiasts,” Hone said.

“Having a good experience buying a boat is truly important. We pride ourselves in making sure that happens selling cars, and we want to make sure that continues into the boating world.”

The goal is to make the location a destination, he added.

“We want it to be large enough people can be inside ordering boats for spring. Having a huge showroom, we can have a bunch of boats to display, and people can be in a warm area, have a cup of coffee and a cookie.”

Because there has been such demand for outdoor recreation equipment this year because of the pandemic, inventory can be a challenge, he acknowledged.

“The manufacturers have been very upfront with us, and they’re really trying to (help) because we are new and there’s an opportunity in this market, so they’re trying to help us with what they can.”

The plan is to open Jan. 1, 2021, and the dealership is hiring. Apply at verneidemarine.com.