United Marine Manufacturer's Association

What United Marine Manufacturer's Association does

United Marine Manufacturer's Association (UMMA), legally United Marine Manufacturers Association, Inc., is a Missouri-incorporated, for-profit trade association founded in 1995 that operates a semi-cooperative structure serving independent boat builders in the U.S. marine industry. The organization links nearly 70 member boat-building companies, which collectively produce more than 30,000 boats per year ranging from small aluminum craft to 50+ foot vessels, with over 100 preferred marine suppliers organized under a parallel body called UMSA. UMMA is managed by a small leadership team (1-10 employees) led by Owner/President Kent Wooldridge, Vice President Kim Liddycoat, and Marketing and Communications Manager Leslie Garrison, with offices in Springfield, MO and Suffolk, VA.

UMMA's core offerings are collective services rather than technology products. Members gain access to a member-exclusive online portal containing searchable Builder and Supplier directories, Master Purchase Agreements negotiated with preferred suppliers, supplier vetting and cost/benefit analysis, business training, insurance programs, financing options, and joint government-relations advocacy through alignment with NMMA. The annual invitation-only Partnership Conference in St. Louis, MO serves as the primary in-person event for builder-supplier engagement. The UMMA brand and logo are registered trademarks, and intellectual property rights over the brand identity are actively maintained.

UMMA generates revenue from two streams: initial membership fees structured across seven tiers that can be spread over as long as three years, supplemented by small annual dues from smaller members; and a small commission on all member purchases routed through the association's collective purchasing programs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires direct inquiry, but management states approved members should recoup membership charges within the first three months.

Name

United Marine Manufacturer's Association

Legal name

United Marine Manufacturers Association, Inc.

Website

https://ummaonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UMMA is a semi-cooperative U.S. trade association founded in 1995 that links nearly 70 independent boat builders and over 100 marine suppliers, providing collective purchasing, supplier vetting, advocacy, and an annual Partnership Conference funded by tiered membership fees and purchase commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Suffolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: UMMA charges initial membership fees that vary by tier of membership, with payment terms that can be spread over as long as three years. Additionally, small annual dues are charged to smaller members to help offset the higher pro rata share of the group's operational expenses.
2. Purchase Commissions: UMMA's primary revenue derives from a small commission on all Association member purchases made through the collective purchasing programs negotiated with suppliers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UMMA (United Marine Manufacturers Association, Inc.) is a semi-cooperative trade association serving independent boat-builders and marine industry suppliers. It provides Builder Membership and Supplier Membership (UMSA) programs, delivering collective purchasing power through Master Purchase Agreements with suppliers, supplier vetting, business training, insurance program access, financing assistance, and government relations advocacy. The organization also operates an annual Partnership Conference connecting members and runs member-exclusive Builder and Supplier Directories through a member portal.

Product overview

UMMA (United Marine Manufacturers Association, Inc.) is a trade association serving independent boat-builders, not a technology product company. The organization offers a semi-cooperative structure providing Builder and Supplier membership programs. Core offerings include member-exclusive Builder and Supplier directories accessible through a member portal, and an annual Partnership Conference held in St. Louis, MO. Membership benefits center on collective purchasing power, supplier vetting, builder collaboration, and cost savings achieved through pooled market share. The organization connects nearly 70 builder companies building more than 30,000 boats annually with over 100 suppliers. No standalone technology product, SaaS platform, or API-based service offering exists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UMMA Builder Membership Tiered membership program for independent boat-building companies that delivers collective purchasing power, supplier vetting, cost/benefit analysis, Master Purchase Agreements, business training, and government relations advocacy. Seven tiers accommodate companies from a few million to over $100 million in annual sales.
• UMSA Supplier Membership Membership program of the United Marine Supplier Association (UMSA) for marine industry suppliers, providing purchasing priority from UMMA boat builders, targeted marketing opportunities, supplier collaboration, and partnership conference participation with over 60 boat builders.
• UMMA Annual Partnership Conference Invitation-only annual conference held in St. Louis, MO that brings together UMMA boat builder principals and purchasing personnel with UMSA supplier representatives for networking, seminars, trade shows, and collaborative planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 boats produced per year by member builders
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UMSA (United Marine Supplier Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995UMSA represents a parallel organization of preferred suppliers to UMMA boat builders. Suppliers receive purchasing priority from UMMA builders and work hand-in-hand with builders to enhance and grow business. UMSA and UMMA work together to support NMMA's efforts on government relations issues affecting the marine industry. UMSA joins UMMA as co-sponsors of the annual Partnership Conference.
• NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMMA and UMSA work together in support of NMMA's efforts to address common threats of government intrusion into areas which adversely impact the marine industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): The largest U.S. marine industry trade association representing the broader recreational marine manufacturing sector. UMMA explicitly partners with NMMA on government relations, making NMMA both a collaborator and a broader-scope peer in marine trade association services.
• Orgill, Inc. Large hardware distributor serving independent retailers through buying-group arrangements. Comparable as a scaled purchasing-intermediation model supporting independent channel operators against big-box competition.
• Ace Hardware: Large retailer-owned cooperative providing independent hardware store owners with collective purchasing, marketing, and operational services. A scaled analog of UMMA's semi-cooperative structure for independent operators in a different vertical.
• True Value Company: Hardware retailer cooperative providing independent store owners with collective purchasing, marketing, and operational support. Another direct structural analog to UMMA's semi-cooperative independent-builder support model.

Direct peers

• Do it Best Corp. Member-owned hardware and building supplies buying cooperative serving independent retailers. Closely analogous to UMMA's model: pooled purchasing power, tiered membership, vendor negotiation, and shared services for independent operators competing against large chains.
• Affiliated Distributors (AD): Member-owned marketing and buying group for independent distributors across multiple trade categories. Operates a near-identical two-sided model (independent operators + preferred suppliers) with collective purchasing, networking, and shared services.
• American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC): Non-profit standards organization for the recreational boating industry, developing safety standards and certification. Comparable as a member-funded marine industry body providing technical, regulatory, and educational services to builders and related professionals.
• Independent Boat Builders, Inc. (IBBI): Long-standing purchasing cooperative serving independent boat manufacturers — the closest direct functional analog to UMMA in the marine industry specifically, providing pooled purchasing of materials and components to independent boat builders.
• Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA): Trade association serving marine retailers and dealers across the Americas. Operates a similar member-services model (collective benefits, advocacy, networking, education) for the downstream side of the marine value chain that UMMA's builder members sell into.
• AD (Automotive Distribution International): Cooperative buying group for independent automotive parts distributors. Closely mirrors UMMA's model of pooling independent operators' purchasing volume to negotiate supplier terms — a near-structural twin in a different industry vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ummaonlineinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/umma-united-marine-manufacturer-s-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 United Marine Manufacturer's Association