Bethel Marine Electronics: Staying on Course through Innovation
Small businesses are a lot like boats. Like boats, they need captains at the helm who keep their best interests at heart. They also require teams of individuals who are dedicated to making sure they stay afloat, rain or shine. Businesses, however, cannot dock in a marina at the end of a vacation or remain in storage until they are needed again …they are a 24/7/365 commitment.
Jules Rutstein, president of Bethel Marine Electronics and chairman of the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA), understands this principle. While his business focuses on enabling others to fully enjoy their leisure time, he knows running it is not all fun and games.
“Owning a business is like having children,” Rutstein explains. “It is a 24-hour obligation that you take home with you. You have to prepare for market changes and adjust accordingly. You take bigger risks than a large business, but then, you also reap greater rewards.”
Company Background
Rutstein bought Bethel Marine Electronics, which was founded in 1971 by the Melerk family, in 2000. He came to the company with a background in the technical industry and with considerable experience owning and operating small businesses. Rutstein was inspired to purchase Bethel Marine because he wanted to “help people have fun” through his work.
Prior to Rutstein’s ownership, Bethel Marine was a marine electronics retailer that served its customers through its store front in Downtown Melbourne. It maintained a small wholesale business and traveling sales team, but focused primarily on serving local consumers.
Since taking over Bethel Marine, Rutstein has expanded the company to include an Internet storefront and a larger wholesale service. He also relocated the company headquarters and retail space to a location along U.S. Highway 1 in Rockledge in 2005.
“We are closer to the Port now,” says Rutstein. “Our new location makes it easier for us to reach manufacturers like Sea Ray and is, for the most part, more convenient for our customers.”
Those customers are now boat owners, boat dealers, boat manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) alike. Bethel Marine provides both marine electronics products and technical services and takes part in three local boat shows (Orlando, Melbourne and Daytona) each year. They also stay at the front of new industry technology and products by attending the Miami Boat Show in February and the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show and NMEA Convention in October.
“The Miami Boat show kicks off boating season,” Rutstein explains, “which is our most active time of the year. Business stays steady until the end of July, and then surges again around October, when manufacturers debut all of their new products.”
Educating Consumers
When Bethel Marine is not busy serving its customers or attending industry events, it is maintaining an active in-house training program. Through the program, Bethel Marine offers consumers equipment training seminars led by technicians straight from the industry’s leading manufacturers, like Raymarine and Furuno.
“We want our customers to get the most out of their equipment,” continues Rutstein. “So we educate them on how to use their new products because the more familiar you are with something, the more likely you are to use it and enjoy it.”
Rutstein is passionate about boating and wants to make sure consumers are educated and able to maximize their purchases. He chairs the NMEA, an organization dedicated to setting industry standards and promoting the safe and proper use of marine electronics equipment, and writes a monthly column in Marine Electronics, the official journal of the NMEA. He also partners with manufacturers to beta test new products at Bethel Marine.
The attention to detail shown by Rutstein and his staff to their clients has garnered them a dedicated following. They have customers who have been with them for over 30 years and others who drive from as far as 100 miles away to visit their store. There are about 8,000 people on their current training program email list and their e-store receives orders from locations all over the world. While they may not be on the Fortune 500, they are proud of their small size and comprehensive service.
Insights into Small Business
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, not the Walmarts and other large corporations,” says Rich Lasby, Vice President of Sales. “Small businesses offer the personalization and knowledge that larger businesses cannot. Say you order something off of Amazon.com and it arrives missing a power cord. Amazon cannot help you figure out what needs to be done next. Me, I have over 30 years knowledge that I can use to help you figure out which power cord you need, how to get it, and how to use it once it arrives.”
Rutstein echoes Lasby’s feelings and adds, “Small businesses know the area, they know the needs of locals and they can compete quite well price-wise with larger corporations. In addition, you have a name, a face and a real person to go back to if you have any questions or problems.”
Both Lasby and Rutstein are confident that Bethel Marine and other small businesses will weather the current economy and will continue to enrich Brevard County for decades to come.
“The economy is like a hurricane,” illustrates Rutstein, “it wipes out weak companies and makes us rebuild new ones to higher standards. Right now, the boating industry is pulling itself back up by its bootstraps and is preparing for a nationwide resurgence in sales.”
Rutstein is optimistic for the future of Bethel Marine, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year. He sees his company continuing to grow and expand in its Internet and wholesale endeavors, while specifying its retail service on a customer to customer basis. Ideally, Bethel Marine would offer individual appointments to all of its retail customers, giving them the chance to have appointments that cater to their needs.
For now, however, Bethel Marine will continue cultivating the business relationships for which it is known and will continue helping boat enthusiasts make the most out of their free time.
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