The state of Missouri will begin reopening all businesses and social events beginning Monday, May 4—providing that residents and business owners continue to adhere to social-distancing requirements. That’s very good news for Performance Boat Center, the mega-dealership and service center based at the Lake of the Ozarks, MO. They’ll be celebrating by mounting a Fun Run on Saturday, May 9, that may well count as the first real public boating event of the 2020 pre-summer season.
“It’s kind of the first official powerboating event of the year,” observes PBC co-owner Brett Manire. “Hopefully, things start returning to normal.”
The Performance Boat Center Spring Fun Run had been on the schedule for a few months, but until recently, “we didn’t know what was going to happen,” Manire says. “Now that our state is reopening, I just put together a pamphlet and posted it to the Internet.” The response was fast and furious: “I’ve gotten an absolutely astronomical amount of RSVPs already,” Manire says. “I bet we’re going to end up with a full pool, with 40 to 50 boats. I think we’ll have a good turnout, with so many people looking for a reason to get out and go boating. And we’re happy to give people a reason to get out of the house and go boating, and spend some money at our local businesses that haven’t been able to stay open so far this season.” Among those businesses set to reopen: PBC’s own Redhead Lakeside Grill, the popular restaurant/marina at the 21 Mile Marker, serving American cuisine with a Midwestern flair.
The Fun Run will encompass a full fun-filled day of boating, kicking off with a “meet and greet” at the PBC Showroom (located at 1650 Yacht Club Drive, Osage Beach, MO) at 9 a.m., following by the run with two or three stops (yet to be determined) and ending with a pool party with cocktails and the facility’s Redhead Pool Deck from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
With locations in both Osage Beach, MO, and Hollywood, FL, Performance Boat Center is also putting word out that it needs boats to sell—catamarans, cruiser, bowriders, tri-toons, center consoles and most everything else. “We need listings,” Manire says. “I just sent out an email blast, because we’ve got databases of customers who are looking for certain boats. I’m optimistic the sales are going to be strong, and we’re going to have another record-breaking season.” Click here to visit Performance Boat Center’s website for more information.
Otherwise, the dealership is in full swing preparing for the oncoming return to normalcy. “We’re keeping very busy, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to be reporting that. It’s nice to be busy again.”