What Sets Us Apart

50+ Years as Award Winning Family Business

D&R Founded by Dominic Barone in 1956

D & R Boats, New Jersey’s foremost boating center, was founded in Green Brook in 1956 by Dominic Barone. His dedication to superior service and attention to detail, the keys to D & R’s success, have been instilled in his two sons, Robert and Donald. And now with the third generation joining the succession, we have grown the business to what it is today - the state’s largest, multi-branch operation. Originally located in Green Brook, New Jersey where most of the state’s boating activity was centered at that time

Today, D&R Boatworld continues to be a strong leader in the Industry

• NMMA Certified
• Recognized in Top 5 for each of 3 New Boat Manufacturers
• Mercury/Mercruiser Yamaha Certified

For boaters, we represent three top-of-the-line new boat manufacturers – Crownline, Robalo, and Cruisers Yachts. And, for the past 10 years in a row, we have been recognized by each as one of their top 5 dealers worldwide in both sales and service. In addition, we offer the complete line of Mercury/Mercruiser, and Yamaha, inboard and outboard motors. To maintain the highest level of service and competence, all of our mechanics are required to attend seminars and training classes offered by both our engine and boat manufacturers.

After more than 50 years of service to New Jersey’s boating enthusiasts, we have gained a solid reputation for honesty, integrity, and professionalism. This is witnessed by the many awards and certificates bestowed upon us by the manufacturers we represent. Even more significant though is the overwhelming approval rating we have earned from our long-term customers who return year after year for service, a new boat, or just to say ‘hello’ and see what’s new.

2004 Dealer of the Year

By Boat And Motor Dealer Magazine

The following press release was generated by Boat & Motor Magazine naming D & R Boat World as Dealer of the Year.

This is a copy of the article that was generated by Boat & Motor Magazine in 2004 naming D & R Boat World as Dealer of the Year.

When Boat & Motor Dealer Magazine selected D&R Boatworld as the winner of its 2004 “Dealer of the Year” award, it wasn’t because of the proud history of the oldest boat dealer in New Jersey. No, it was because this dealership’s focus on customer service and attention to details has produced a profitable business and plenty of satisfied boaters. 2005 "TOP 100 DEALERS OF THE YEAR" RANKED BY BOATING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE. D&R RANKED 61 OUT OF 3300 DEALERS IN NORTH AMERICA!

History
D&R Boats began operations in 1956. At the time, Eisenhower was president, jet airplanes were still a work in progress, the idea of putting a man on the moon was a joke, and wireless phones belonged in Dick Tracy comic strips—not in the hands of most people in the world.

Donald Barone and Robert Barone are the current owners of D&R Boatworld, having taken over the dealership from their father, Dominic, who started the business in 1956. With little book knowledge, but enormous passion and enthusiasm for boating, Dominic Barone, a World War II veteran who served in the Coast Guard, started up his boat dealership in Green Brook, New Jersey. Barone lived barely a mile from his office, and spent each and every day trying to make his dealership better. He taught his two sons, Donald and Robert—who currently own and operate D&R Boatworld—everything he knew about superior service and attention to detail.

Dominic guided his dealership through boom times and recessions, energy crises and military stand-offs. He expanded by opening two other locations, but he succeeded by practicing honesty with customers, professionalism with manufacturers, and integrity with both parties.

The business was doing quite well until the early 1990s, when a worldwide recession hit, causing a falloff in boat sales, and prompting Dominic Barone to examine his business. A Sea Ray dealer for more than four decades, Barone asked whether he could afford the overhead associated with three stores within 40 miles of each other. He wondered if it was worthwhile to remain a Sea Ray dealer if the manufacturer was getting out of fishing boats, and its territories were being emasculated.

Eventually, Dominic Barone decided that he couldn’t afford the overhead from his two other stores, so he sold them. He broke up his marriage to Sea Ray to offer a “Boat Mall” of complimentary boat lines. He didn’t want to compete with in-state dealers, so he not only talked product with prospective manufacturers, he also negotiated territory.

Because D&R Boats had such an excellent reputation, boat and engine manufacturers were eager to talk with Barone. After much discussion, D&R Boats chose three new boat manufacturers—Robalo fishing boats, Crownline bowriders, cuddy cabins, and crusiers, and Cruiser Yachts. The dealer needed to be where the boaters were, so in addition to Green Brook, it leased sales facilities at Normandy Beach on the Jersey Shore in 1994 and Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey, on the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor, in 1998.

When Dominic Barone passed away five years ago, the dealership was in good hands as his sons had gradually taken on many responsibilities. Today, Donald and Robert Barone manage D&R Boatworld from the main dealership in Green Brook. If their father were alive today, he would probably say his sons have learned well what integrity, honesty, and professionalism mean to a boat dealership, and these are the main reasons why D&R Boatworld is our 2004 “Dealer of the Year.”

Secrets to success
With three locations, D&R Boat-world sells a “complementary line of boats.” Its Robalo fishing boats cater to different customers based on price and equipment. “We wanted to offer our fishing customers a series of options to fit their price and equipment needs and wants,” Robert Barone said. “This is what the Angler and Robalo boat lines accomplished.”

The Crownline boats are primarily bowriders, cuddy cabins, and cruisers for the weekend boaters who enjoy waterskiing or just cruising the harbor. These are 18-ft. to 31-ft. boats that D&R sells at all three of its locations.

The biggest boats D&R Boatworld sells are Cruiser Yachts. “We sell 28-ft. to 54-ft. cruisers from the Liberty Landing Marina site, which includes a complete sales showroom for new and previously-owned boats,” Robert Barone said.

Buying a boat from D&R Boatworld is more than just signing paperwork, exchanging keys, and offering handshakes. The focus is on providing superior customer service.

D&R Boatworld has a fully staffed service department operating at its Green Brook location. Superior service begins when a person enters the dealership. The Barones develop a personal relationship with each new or existing customer. Care for the customer manifests itself in the dealer’s hands-on approach. “I personally call each and every customer after a boat sale to make sure everything went well, and they know we will take care of them if anything goes wrong,” Robert Barone said.

Boat delivery is more than just a part of doing business at D&R Boatworld. “We have three full-time employees whose sole jobs are to deliver boats to customers and take whatever time is needed to explain the boat’s operation,” Robert Barone said. He added that one of these three persons is a licensed captain who spends one to two days with the new owners of boats 37-ft or longer. The captain is a 25-year employee of D&R Boatworlds who got his captain’s license as part of D&R Boatworld’s education and training program, Barone added.

D&R Boatworld’s focus on the customer also results in exceptional customer service index (CSI) ratings. This year, Cruiser Yachts awarded the dealership its highest CSI rating and D&R Boatworld was among the top five dealers for CSI ratings with all its manufacturers.

But the dealership’s best customer service tool is it mobile repair shop. Robert Barone described this service as D&R Boatworld’s “biggest competitive advantage.” The genesis of this idea came from the Green Brook location, which is on a busy highway, has 1,500 feet of space to display new and used boats, and has a full service repair area. “What we don’t have is water for testing boats,” Barone said.

Recognizing this limitation, the dealer knew that it had to come up with a unique value-added concept to hold customers—it decided on a mobile repair team that would fix/repair customers’ boats at home or on the water. Customers didn’t need to place their boats on trailers and haul them down to the dealership. They didn’t need to take a day off to have their boats serviced. No, they simply call the Mobile Service.

In the 40-plus years since the service started, it is been a cornerstone of the dealer’s operation. Today, the mobile repair service has six trucks, each of which is staffed by a certified, factory-trained professional and stocked with an extensive inventory of the most needed parts, such as pumps, batteries, docklines, propellers, and so forth.

The accessories store at Green Brook stocks close to 2,000 items and has a loyal clientele that shops year-round.

Superior customer service begins when a customer calls the dealer and receives a cheerful greeting. "there’s a real benefit—customer satisfaction.” By treating customers fairly, offering customers the products they want and need, and “going that extra mile” to service customers’ boats, D&R Boatworld builds up loyalty.

When other dealers shy away from taking trade-ins, D&R embraces them. “Anytime we get a used boat, it means that we’ve made a trade-in on a new boat, so this is good, ” Robert Barone notes. The dealer reconditions each boat traded in, and sends it to the service department for tune-ups and repairs. “We treat each used boat customer the same way we treat a new one, so there is no difference in our service or attitude,” Barone said.

Although D&R Boatworld only has a fully staffed and operating service department at its Green Brook location, the mobile repair service and close proximity of Green Brook to the other two locations (only 90 minutes way) make repair services a real “star” in the dealership’s operations. “We have a fully-staffed service department whose motto is ‘We service what we sell,’ and this applies to both new and used boats,” Robert Barone noted.

The accessories store stocks close to 2,000 items, the store has a loyal clientele of its own.” Some of the more popular items the store sells are water skis, water toys, PFDs, electronics, and even trailer parts and fiberglass repair equipment.

D&R also has a parts department that is open six days a week and responds to phone and Internet orders. The parts store sells engines and parts for Mercury Outboards, OMC, Yamaha, Volvo Penta, Johnson, Evinrude, and other engines.

Industry involvement D&R Boatworld is the oldest family-owned boat dealership in New Jersey, it is very active in the local Rotary Club, is a member and strong supporter of the New Jersey Marine Manufacturers Association, and is a member of MRAA. As for current national industry issues, Barone is enthusiastic about the Grow Boating initiatives, perturbed about the Mercury engine dumping case, and iconoclastic in his dealer-manufacturer agreement views.

Finally, D&R Boatworld appreciates receiving Boat & Motor Dealer’s “Dealer of the Year” award, and views it as an important stepping stone toward celebrating 50 years of service to boaters in 2006.

D&R Makes Top 100 Again

• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009

Boating Industry Magazine says:

For all your boating needs, visit the best of the best, your nearest Boating Magazine Top 100 dealer. These dealers represent the marine industries elite receiving the highest possible honor for their professionalism, overall business operations and, of course, customer service. For new or used boats, service repair, financing or storage, these dealers can be trusted. And as the official voice of the marine market for more than 80 years, Boating Industry magazine knows its dealers.
D&R Boatworld has consistently rated in the top 100 dealers in the nation, year after year after year.

Nice letter of accomplishment from Jim Lane, President of Robalo.

Benefits of Buying from a Marine Industry Certified Dealer

• A marine industry Consumer Bill of Rights
• Assurance of dealership's commitment to excellence
• Guaranteed opportunity for you to provide feedback and resolve issues

“I personally call each and every customer after a boat sale to make sure everything went well, and they know we will take care of them if anything goes wrong,"
Robert Barone, D&R President

Marine Industry Consumer Bill of Rights

Preamble

D&R Boatworld subscribes to the Marine Industry Dealer Certification standards established to insure that your boating experience is as enjoyable as possible. This includes adhering to a Consumer Bill of Rights. Should we fail to live up to any of these commitments, please let us know so that we can address the matter immediately. Our goal is to enhance your boating experience by providing trained, friendly employees, quality products, and reliable services.

D&R agrees you have the right to:

Sales:

• The assistance of a capable and knowledgeable sales consultant
• Advertising and representations that are truthful and factual
• A written disclosure of all details associated with a purchase
• An explanation of the proper usage and operation of products
• Products properly prepared, inspected and tested before delivery
• The delivery of new products as scheduled
• An explanation of all maintenance requirements and schedules established for your product
• An explanation and written copies of warranties on all products and major components

Service:

• The explanation of maintenance/repair plans including estimated repair time and cost
• An itemized list of all charges (both warranty and retail) with thorough explanation
• Prior approval of changes in repair costs or additional charges should they occur
• Maintenance/repair work done right the first time by knowledgeable trained technicians
• Maintenance/repair work completed when promised
• Timely notice of changes in service delivery time if delays are experienced in repair completion
• Inspect any replaced/damaged components upon presentation of the invoice/work order

Operations:

• Fair, open and honest treatment without discrimination
• Respectful, professional and accurate responses to all your
• product questions and requests
• Privacy and confidentiality of customer records
• Voice any concerns, directly with our management team, if we fail to fulfill our commitments or meet your expectations

FINANCING AT ITS BEST

For those who fall under the Alternative Minimum Tax, most deductions are unavailable as taxes are calculated differently. Boaters are urged to contact a tax preparer or financial adviser for more information.

For more details on the mortgage deduction, go to http://www.IRS.gov and download Publication 936 or the Fact Sheets. For state tax deduction information download Publication 600, which also includes state-by-state tax tables. (Please see your tax professional for advise in your personal circumstances.)

Sample Monthly Payments

Amount of Loan	Term	Monthly Payment
$15,000	12 years	$166
$25,000	15 years	$242
$50,000	20 years	$418
$150,000	20 years	$1,253
$200,000	30 years	$1,466

Understanding Your Credit Score

Your credit score summarizes your credit risk based on a snapshot of your credit standing at a particular point in time. It isn’t so much a grade, it’s more like a grade point average. Think of it as an overall assessment of your financial responsibility, one that influences the amount of credit available to you and the conditions you may have to agree to in order to get that credit.

One major misconception is that people often confuse credit report with credit score. A credit report is an objective history of who you’ve been as a borrower -- it passes no judgment. The credit score is a subjective evaluation of that history. Whether it’s a credit card, car loan, or mortgage, lenders want to know your level of risk, and how likely it is they’ll get paid on time.

Understanding the Language

The terms “credit score,” “credit rating,” and “FICO score” are often used interchangeably. This is basically correct. FICO simply refers to Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that originally developed a ‘score’ method of rating consumers’ credit histories.

Today, the three major reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) each report their own credit scores. There’s the Plus Score, calculated by Experian; the Empirica Score, offered through TransUnion; and Equifax’s Beacon Score. And though lenders use different factors to rate your overall credit worthiness it basically comes down to whether you pay -- and pay on time -- and whether creditors have reason to believe you might be overextending yourself. The more responsible you are with credit, the higher your score will be.

The Five Elements that make up your score

1. Payment History = 35 Percent

Are you paying your bills as agreed? The most recent six months have the greatest impact on your score. The highest weight is placed on the highest payment. Usually, this is your mortgage, next would be a car payment, followed by student loan or credit card payments. Bankruptcies, judgments, liens, and collections/charge-offs will negatively impact your score, as will late payments. The severity of the delinquency is determined by the amount, how much time has passed, and the number of times you were late on an account. It could be 30, 60, or 90 days late.

2. Balances Carried = 30 Percent

This is the actual dollar amounts you owe on various accounts in relation to how much credit you have available. You want this ratio as low as possible. Keep in mind, mortgages and installment loans are not factored into this as much because they are not really a credit line. FYI: If you’re thinking of applying for a home loan, don’t pay off collections or judgments prior to qualifying. By paying off the collection, you are, in effect, starting the collection process all over again; accordingly, your score will take a big hit. Pay off the collection at closing. Once you have the loan, you can handle a few months of a lower score.

3. Credit History = 15 Percent

How long have you been credit worthy? If you have a long history of making payments as agreed, it will help your credit score. But this can also hurt older people. By closing old accounts, you are removing all those years of payment history from the credit-scoring model, which is why experts urge you keep accounts you’ve managed efficiently open. FYI: One thing lenders had done in the past with younger borrowers is to have the parents add the child as an “authorized user” on to a credit card account they have had for 20 years. This immediately upped the credit score of the child because he/she had “inherited” a long credit history. However, now credit bureaus ignore most “authorized user” accounts when figuring out a borrower’s credit score.

4. Mix of Accounts = 10 Percent

Ideally, the credit bureaus like to see a mortgage, an auto loan, and three to five credit cards. For a borrower, if you have a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), it will be treated as a revolving account unless it is greater than $40,000. If it is greater than $40,000, it will be considered a mortgage. Each inquiry will take points off of your score. Multiple inquiries for a mortgage within 45 days will only count as one inquiry (the fact that you’re “shopping around” is a given). Likewise, multiple inquiries for a car loan within 45 days will count as only one inquiry. Only the first 10 inquiries count each year. Inquiries for a job, insurance or utilities, an account review, a promotion (pre-approval offers in the m /ail), or your own personal review won’t affect your credit score.

5. Facing the Consequences

When it comes to mortgages, car loans, and credit cards, what you don’t know can certainly hurt you. Your score is a reflection of your actions: you choose the behavior and you get the consequence.

· 30 days late on a payment can damage your credit score by at least 50 or more points;
· 60 or 90 days late, or a 30-day late payment on multiple accounts can drop your score by 100+ points;
· Balances of more than 40 Percent of your credit limit affects your score by as much as 100 points;
· If multiple credit cards are maxed out or approaching maximum balances, your credit score will be diminished by at least 80+ points.

The above details are for your information only. D&R Boatworld is not responsible for any consequences resulting from this article.