JSW rides wave to top of world again
ARUNDEL marine business JSW Powersports has nabbed the title of world No.1 Sea Doo dealer for the fifth year running, selling more of the popular watercraft than any other city on the planet.
JSW sold more than 800 Sea Doos in the past 12 months.
The company only took on the Sea Doo brand in 2011 and within a year was the leading dealer for the mega company that has revenue of around $4 billion a year and sells its products in more than 100 countries through 4200 dealers.
JSW Powersports was founded 22 years ago by Jeff McNiven, who began with a dream and a mobile mechanic van full of tools.
“In 1995 I was managing a workshop and working on cars, jetskis and off-road vehicles,” owner Mr McNiven said.
By 1998 he had a rented a small workshop at the rear of a car yard on Brisbane Rd.
Jet Ski Warehouse was formed in 2002 as the business moved into a small commercial unit on Ereton Dve, a few hundred metres from where it is now, and turned its focus to purely jetskis.
In 2005 it moved to new premises on Brisbane Rd, taking two units beside Gold Coast Sea Doo.
As the business grew and expanded into nine units, the location became too small and a larger yard was needed.
In 2011 the current premises in Ereton Dr were acquired and the company was rebranded JSW Powersports to better reflect the wider range of recreational vehicles on offer, such as boats and off-road machines.
Shortly after, JSW Powersports became a Sea Doo dealer, taking over the franchise from Gold Coast Sea Doo.
Mr McNiven said the demand for jetskis on the Gold Coast was such that the dealership also offloaded hundreds of second-hand units and ancillary equipment like life vests, wetsuits and marine electronics.
The business also holds the Sea Fox fishing boat franchise and sells Malibu wakeboarding boats and Cam Am off-road products and has a customer base ranging from 16-year-olds to senior citizens.
“I was told we sold a ski to an 80-something-year-old a while back,” Mr McNiven said.
The broad customer base however has brought some dilemmas, particularly in advertising.
JSW’s biggest seller is the GTR, a supercharged machine for under $20,000 on trailer.
I WAS TOLD WE SOLD A SKI TO AN 80SOMETHING-YEAR-OLD A WHILE BACK JEFF MCNIVEN