National Marine Lenders Association

What National Marine Lenders Association does

The National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA) is a 501-C nonprofit trade association founded in 1979 and headquartered at 100 Severn Avenue #101 in Annapolis, Maryland. Its mission is to promote, improve, and grow recreational marine lending in the United States by educating current and prospective lenders in marine financing procedures and advocating on legislative and regulatory issues affecting the industry. The association serves two primary member segments — Regular (Lender) Members including banks, credit unions, and finance companies that originate recreational boat loans, and Associate Members including marine documentation services, insurance carriers, surveyors, admiralty attorneys, and consultants — plus reciprocal industry associations (AVDA, MRAA, NMMA, YBAA) and, indirectly, boat-buying consumers who use its member directory.

NMLA's product portfolio centers on three pillars: industry data, professional education, and member services. The flagship data asset is the Annual Statistical Report, a 70+ page proprietary dataset in its 46th year covering boat loan borrower demographics, downpayment trends, delinquency and charge-off performance, and loan acquisition channels, sold to members at $250 and non-members at $599. Professional education is delivered through the Marine Lending Workshop (multi-day, includes a 200-page Marine Lending Manual) and the three-day Annual Marine Lenders Conference, which attracts nearly 80% of the membership base. Member services include a publicly searchable member directory, the NMLA Legal Network for attorney referrals, recorded webinars, and quarterly Snapshot Surveys. The entire digital operation runs on a YourMembership.com association management platform handling member database, event registration, e-commerce, and communications.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring membership dues ($695/year plus $200 processing fee), event registration fees (conference $695-$975, workshop pricing TBD), tiered sponsorship packages ($500 to $12,000 Diamond), and Statistical Report sales. The organization operates with 1-10 employees under an 11-person volunteer Board of Directors and a Marine Lenders Advisory Council of 9 emerging leaders, and is governed by a published 2023-2026 Strategic Plan.

Name

National Marine Lenders Association

Legal name

National Marine Lenders Association

Website

https://marinelenders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Marine Lenders Association is a 501-C nonprofit trade association founded in 1979 that educates, advocates for, and connects U.S. recreational marine lenders and associated service providers through annual conferences, a 46-year proprietary statistical report, and a public lender directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Lending Trade Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Boat Finance (FSAKADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Boat & Marine Leasing (FSAKANAH)

Keywords

• Marine lending association
• Marine finance education
• Recreational boating finance
• Trade association membership
• Marine lender networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Regular (Lender) and Associate Members. Regular Member dues are $695 annually with $200 new member processing fee. Associate Member dues are $695 annually with $200 new member processing fee. Membership runs March 1 to February 28.
2. Annual Conference Registration: Registration fees for the Annual Marine Lenders Conference. Member rate $795, 1st Time Attendee $695, Non-member $975, Guest $450, Golf Tournament $275, Boat Cruise $99.
3. Marine Lending Workshop: Registration fees for the annual Marine Lending Workshop held in March. Pricing to be posted in September 2026. Includes comprehensive training materials and Marine Lending Manual.
4. Annual Statistical Report Sales: The 2026 Annual Statistical Report is available for sale. Members pay $250, non-members pay $599. Report contains 70+ pages of exclusive marine finance market data.
5. Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsorship packages at multiple tiers: Diamond $12,000, Sapphire $10,000, Emerald $7,500, Platinum $5,500, Gold $3,000, Silver $1,500, Bronze $1,000, Starter $500. Includes event discounts, advertising, website placement, and complimentary registrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Marine Lenders Association is a 501-C nonprofit trade association founded in 1979 that promotes, improves, and grows the recreational marine lending industry in the United States. It sells membership subscriptions to financial institutions and marine industry service providers, produces the Annual Statistical Report on recreational marine finance market data, and hosts the Annual Marine Lenders Conference and Marine Lending Workshop for industry education and networking.

Product overview

The National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA) operates as a 40+ year-old 501-C non-profit industry association serving the recreational marine lending community, not as a traditional software product vendor. Its portfolio of offerings centers on three core pillars: industry data and reporting, professional education and networking events, and member services. The flagship data product is the NMLA Annual Statistical Report, a 70+ page PDF now in its 46th edition providing comprehensive recreational marine finance market data, boat loan portfolio statistics, borrower demographics, and industry trend analysis available for purchase by both members and non-members. Professional development is delivered through the Marine Lending Workshop (a multi-day in-person training program with a 200-page manual) and the Annual Marine Lenders Conference (a three-day networking and education forum). Member services include a publicly visible member directory for locating marine lenders and service providers, the NMLA Legal Network for legal referrals, and an online member community platform for event registration, communication, and resource access. The association also publishes the "More Boat Less Monthly" consumer marketing pamphlet and the quarterly Snapshot Survey for ongoing market intelligence. These offerings are interconnected: the Annual Statistical Report and Snapshot Survey provide data that informs educational programming at conferences and workshops, the member directory drives business referrals within the membership, and the online community serves as the digital hub through which members access resources, register for events, and communicate—all unified under NMLA's mission to promote, improve, and grow recreational marine lending in the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NMLA Annual Statistical Report A 70+ page annual PDF report providing comprehensive recreational marine finance market data, boat loan portfolio statistics, borrower demographic characteristics, delinquency and charge-off performance metrics, downpayment trends, loan acquisition channels, and operational data on fees, lien perfection, floor plan, repossession, and remarketing. Sold to members at $250 and non-members at $599.
• Annual Marine Lenders Conference A three-day in-person annual conference serving as the premier marine lending networking and education forum, featuring general sessions on industry trends, economic outlook, cybersecurity, regulatory updates, and concurrent breakout sessions. Registration fees: Member $795, First-Time Attendee $695, Non-member $975, Guest $450, plus optional Golf Tournament $275 and Boat Cruise $99.
• Marine Lending Workshop An all-inclusive multi-day educational program on recreational boat financing presented by expert marine lenders, collectors, attorneys, insurers, and consultants. Includes a 200-page Marine Lending Manual covering underwriting, collateral valuation, lien perfection, fraud prevention, marine insurance, and repossession and remarketing.
• NMLA Member Directory A publicly visible online directory enabling consumers to locate NMLA member organizations including lenders (banks, credit unions, finance companies, loan originators) and associate members (attorneys, insurers, surveyors, documentation services, consultants). Searchable by company type and category.
• NMLA Legal Network A curated referral network of admiralty and maritime attorneys and collections law firms available to NMLA members, spanning multiple U.S. states including Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and New York.
• NMLA Sponsorship Packages Annual sponsorship packages at eight tiers (Diamond $12,000, Sapphire $10,000, Emerald $7,500, Platinum $5,500, Gold $3,000, Silver $1,500, Bronze $1,000, Starter $500) that include conference benefits, website advertising, social media mentions, and Annual Statistical Report recognition.
• NMLA Regular (Lender) Membership Annual membership subscription for banks, credit unions, savings and loan companies, and finance companies that extend or originate credit to recreational boat buyers. Dues are $695 annually plus a $200 new member processing fee. Membership runs March 1 to February 28.
• NMLA Associate Membership Annual membership subscription for marine industry service providers including marine documentation services, marine recovery agents, marine insurance agencies and carriers, marine surveyors, marine finance software and valuation services, admiralty attorneys, and marine finance industry consultants. Dues are $695 annually plus a $200 new member processing fee.
• NMLA Online Member Community A state-of-the-art online community platform powered by YourMembership.com that enables members to manage their membership, register for events, access association information, communicate with other members, and find member contact details. Supports social profile login via Facebook and LinkedIn.
• William B. Otto III Marine Industry Service Award An annual award established in 2002 by NMLA in honor of Bill Otto, recognizing individuals in the marine industry who demonstrate significant career contributions, leadership, and advancement of industry relations. Nominations require board sponsorship and are announced at the Annual Fall Marine Lenders Conference.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 consecutive years of comprehensive marine finance market data
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Vessel Documentation Association (AVDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal membership relationship. AVDA consists of vessel documentation and lien perfection specialists. NMLA and AVDA cross-promote member services and collaborate on industry best practices. AVDA members assist NMLA lenders with USCG documentation and title services.
• Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal membership relationship between industry associations. MRAA represents marine dealers and retailers while NMLA represents marine lenders, creating mutual benefit through cross-industry collaboration.
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal membership with the leading advocate for strengthening and growing recreational boating. NMMA President Frank Hugelmeyer speaks at NMLA Annual Conference. Collaboration on industry advocacy and market development.
• Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal membership with the professional association for yacht brokers. Supports industry networking between lenders and brokers for boat transaction financing.
• YourMembership.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationAssociation management software provider powering NMLA's website, membership database, event registration, and e-commerce platform. Provides online community, membership management, email marketing, and career center functionality.
• Info-LinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfo-Link releases periodic InSight Reports on marine industry trends that NMLA shares with members and publishes on its news channel.
• Annapolis Yacht DocumentationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMLA Associate member providing USCG documentation and lien perfection services. Located in Annapolis, MD, serving marine lenders with vessel documentation and title services.
• Dona Jenkins Maritime Document ServiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMLA Associate member founded in 1983, providing USCG documentation, DMV registration, and preferred ship mortgage services in San Diego, CA.
• Grace Titles, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMLA Associate member providing vessel documentation and title services in Caledonia, MI. MLAC member Cassi Matthews serves as President.
• Hailing Port Service, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMLA Associate member providing USCG documentation and preferred mortgage services in Bronx, NY.
• International Vessel DocumentationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMLA Associate member providing vessel documentation services including USCG documentation, DMV registration, and foreign jurisdiction registration in Coral Gables, FL.
• New England Marine DocumentationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMLA Associate member with 37+ years serving vessel owners, lenders, and brokers with Coast Guard Documentation, Preferred Mortgage Recordation, and State Titling in Winchester, MA.
• Reliable Documentation, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMLA Associate member handling USCG Documentation and Arizona, California, Delaware state registrations. President Kathi Ford is current AVDA President in Costa Mesa, CA.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NMLAssociation
• Facebookfacebook.com/National-Marine-Lenders-Association-100064453338864
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-marine-lenders-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Marine Lenders Association