Success with Boats and Buyers
SRD20 helps anglers, boaters – and dealers – ring in the spring season.
Lafayette, LA (February 14, 2024) – Belle Chasse, Louisiana tackle dealer, B&B Tackle, started carrying SRD20 boat cleaning products a year ago on “kind of a trial basis.”
“We got all types of fishermen down here – from bass guys to crappie and catfish guys to inshore and offshore anglers. Turns out most of them need more than the typical soft plastics, hooks, weights, line, and other tackle we offer. Most of them want to keep their boats looking spic and span, too. I was kind of surprised the SRD20 stuff moved as quickly as it did. I had to reorder a couple times during the year,” notes B&B Tackle’s Wayne Borne.
In terms of which anglers are buying SRD20, Borne says it’s probably 50/50 between bass anglers combined with 20- to 24-foot bay boat owners and then offshore anglers running big center console boats. According to Borne, many not only stop in frequently for more of the local redfish fave, Capt. Lane’s Magnum Mullets, Marker 54 Shrimp for trout, and Zoom baits for bass, but also to restock SRD20 boat cleaning supplies.
“The two most popular SRD20 products are the Waterless Wax & Wash and the Pink Boat Soap,” states Borne.
Curious as to the quality of SRD20 himself, Borne started using SRD20 Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating & Protectant on the big Mercury tiller he runs on an aluminum, multi-species, flat-bottom rig. “That spray keeps my motor looking brand new. That’s pretty amazing considering the conditions we’ve got down here in southern Louisiana.”
“Besides lots of Pink Soap and Waterless Wax & Wash for cleaning entire boats – most fiberglass and/or gel-coated – this past year we had a lot of saltwater in the supply down the road, so customers were buying Graphene Spray to eliminate the water and saltwater spots all over and on their engines, just like I did, so that’s kind of taken off, too.”
Overall, B&B Tackle has been very happy with SRD20 sales in an area of the country where boats get super dirty—from saltwater and mud—to interior fish scales/slime and blood stains given extremely high catch rates in both inshore and offshore areas in the Louisiana Gulf region.
As far as unique applications, many anglers are using SRD20 Graphene on their trolling motors not only to eliminate water spots and salt, but also to coat the surface for easier deployment and stowing.
Additionally, offshore anglers have taken to using both Graphene and Waterless Wax & Wash in offshore boat fish boxes to clean up blood, slime, and scales in much less time – and the resultant coating makes it much easier to clean on a routine basis.
SRD20 Regional Rep On Earning Potential
“The first thing I can tell you is more money has been put into developing SRD20 products than marketing it,” says David O’Donnell of the PSS Agency. “But the anglers and boaters using it are coming back to our dealers and telling them how much they like the product, so word is starting to spread.”
O’Donnell says dealers can make money on SRD20 “without a ton of investment,” adding that SRD20 offers two different retail displays to draw customer attraction.
“The first display is a smaller counter/register oriented piece that shows all of our products, which a lot of dealers first gravitate to monitor sell-through. It makes a great conversation piece and added sale when a customer comes up to pay for tackle,” offers O’Donnell.
Then there’s a full, free-standing display that holds more SRD20 product and can be placed anywhere in a retail environment, which many dealers have converted to as word has spread and product demand has increased.
Like Borne, O’Donnell is an angler himself and has used SRD20 on his boat. While he uses the entire SRD20 product “system”, he’s most excited about a new addition to the product line, SRD20 Vinyl Protectant.
“For vinyl boat seats and other trim, instead of just removing mildew and creating an environment where it’s easy to grow back, the Vinyl Protectant kills the mildew and impacts the surface so it doesn’t grow back,” offers O’Donnell.
For prospective dealers, O’Donnell says margins are very good and there’s a good possibility of shops “doubling their money” and the product “doesn’t just sit there and collect dust.”
“We offer two tiers of product investment that make it very easy for tackle or marine dealers to get onboard with us. We just ask that dealers order enough product to fill a counter or free-standing display. With that, dealers also receive support marketing materials to help educate them in explaining the SRD20 boat cleaning ‘system’,” adds O’Donnell.
SRD20 founder and inventor, Stewart Delcambre, concludes: “2023 sales increased 480% over 2022, so we’re definitely making headway. Every angler and recreational boater wants a clean ride. It’s like detailing your car or truck. Whether you’re running an older boat or a newer rig, we supply a system that offers the means for keeping your investment looking good and adding longevity. We all know boats aren’t cheap these days…”