sureshade co-founders surfari 48

SureShade is honored by Soundings Trade Only with Honorable Mention in 2018 Top 10 Most Innovative Marine Company Awards

SureShade “…is the definition of a little company that could”… and DID!

SureShade was honored with an Honorable Mention in the 2018 Top 10 Most Innovative Marine Company Awards recognizing companies pushing the industry forward with fresh business models, inventive ways to market & serious financial commitments to product development.

The Top 10 Companies recognized included the marine industry’s biggest players – from Mercury Marine to Brunswick Corp and Garmin – along with Freedom Boat Club named as the top company.

The judges decided that SureShade deserved an honorable mention for several reasons. Not only did its “shade on demand” solve a problem that had been highlighted by scientists for years — protecting skin from exposure to the sun — but it did so with a retractable, streamlined package that did not clutter a boat’s cockpit.

Notable innovations from September 2017 – September 2018 submitted for the award include:

  • Complete rebranding of SureShade, including logo and tagline, to establish a new brand promise of “Extending the Experience” for both boat builders and boaters
  • Introduction of new MTX Pull-Out Boat Shade product to meet increasing demand for shade on smaller boats as well as bow shades with the ability to be cambered to boat curves and available in 6 ft. or 9 ft. extension lengths (vs current 4.5 ft. with RTX pull-out shade).
  • Introduction of ATF-SG Silent Glide Shade product that delivers significant performance improvements for builders and boaters with 85% less noise and 80% less power consumption
  • Expansion of SureShade team with distributor and manufacturing representative partnerships to grow sales and service support for OEM and dealer clients

SureShade – A Culture of Innovation

SureShade was founded on the invention of an innovative sunshade system that created a new product category of permanent, retractable sunshade systems in the marine industry – forever changing how boat builders integrate sun protection for new boat design. Where sunshade was once an aftermarket addition, SureShade has become an initial OEM design consideration for new boat models.

In the 10 years since commercial launch, SureShade has continued their foundation of innovation by introducing new automated and manual sunshade products that utilize their patented telescoping framework system and accommodate various boat sizes and styles. With such a basic need for sun protection on boats, it’s hard to believe that if you were a boater in 2008 this product did not exist.

With a focus on continuing to raise the bar on innovation by developing products that meet the demand for more sun protection on boats from aft to bow, SureShade has experienced significant growth in boat builder clients for factory installations as well as aftermarket installations on existing boats.

SureShade has also led the marine industry on the issue of sun safety in boating by addressing the growing concern boaters have for more sun protection. In addition to developing sunshade products that provide improved sun protection on boats of all sizes, SureShade champions the industry campaign to raise awareness of sun safety in boating with the site SunSafeBoating.com.

Read the full write-up for SureShade’s Honorable Mention on TradeOnly.com.