ARKANSAS MARINE
Boat dealer celebrates 25 years on the water
For a quarter century, Arkansas Marine in Bryant has helped the Saline County community fill the summer with fun boating trips. Michele Hudson, who owns the business with her husband, Ron, said an emphasis on customer service has enabled the company’s success.
“Service is the driving force that started our business,” she said. “We have been service-oriented from the very beginning.”
The company began in 1992 when Ron, who has worked on motors his whole life, began repairing boat motors after purchasing his own boat. Eventually, he began selling motors and boats, and Arkansas Marine was born. Five years ago, the business moved to its current location on Interstate 30 to provide more-spacious facilities and a better customer experience.
The dealership carries a wide range of bass, pontoon, hunting and fishing boats. The shop has carried Yamaha outboards for more than 20 years; Skeeter, G3 and SunCatcher boats for about 15 years; and began offering Veranda and SeaArk boats a few years ago. Arkansas Marine is the oldest Skeeter dealer in the state.
The dealership supports Arkansas’ economy by carrying local brands.
Veranda pontoons by Xpress are luxury pontoons with an all-aluminum deck. The company is family-owned, and the boats are made in central Arkansas.
SeaArk Boats are another Arkansasmade product, and SeaArk offers the widest range of aluminum boats on the market, everything from mud runners to search-and-rescue boats.
The dealership continues to add new products. Michele said she is excited about the company’s new wakeboardstyle pontoon boats, which offer enhanced recreational opportunities at an affordable price.
“If you want a boat that can do it all, the triple pontoon is the way to go,” she said. “Now that wakeboarding is available, it’s a great way to get families out on the water.”
Arkansas Marine also offers repairs for boat motors and other components, and customers who bought their boats at the business are given priority rush service when needed.
For the past 15 years, customers have shown their appreciation for Arkansas Marine by voting the dealership into the
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Best of the Best readers’ choice poll. Making lifelong friends is the best part of owning a local business, Michele said.
“We probably have a dozen friends who were customers first,” she added. “All our customers feel like family to us.”