About SnapIt! Marine
At SnapIt! Marine Products, Inc. we are proud to offer the boating community the best products, at the best price, with the best service in the industry. Our products feature innovative, yet elegant and practical solutions to the convenience problems faced by all boaters.
If you have a particular need not addressed by one of our existing products – contact us! We would be delighted to consider custom crafting a unit to meet your specific need at a fair and reasonable price.
The SnapIt! Story
Everyone has often heard the phrases “necessity is the mother of invention” and “if you want it done right, do it yourself.” At SnapIt!, we believe these statements to be true as we have first hand experience with both of them.
We begin this story as sailors, having an enthusiasm for boats and water and having purchased a new sailboat in 1993. The boat was a delight to sail, but as one of our wives clearly pointed out. “There’s no place to put my soft drink!” Her birthday presented the perfect opportunity to rectify the problem. A four container drinkholder was purchased at the local boat store (along with the hardware to mount it which upped the cost an additional 50%) and presented to her on her birthday. Instead of the anticipated delight with her new gift, she rejected it! “I don’t want this. This is Texas! I need one that will hold a can with insulated sleeves and besides this thing is ugly. You make me something.”
So, we did. We made our own. And it worked very well, and the wife was happy.
SHOP NOWFAQ
The Winter Dallas Boat Show was in progress. Having purchased our boat from Inland Sailing Center and respecting their experience in the marine industry, we decided to drop by their display at the boat show and see if they thought there was any merit to our new design which utilized a snap detail to secure the drinkholder without any additional mounting hardware or holes in the boat. The response overwhelmed us. One of the first things we heard was, “You better get a patent.” So we did (Of course, it’s not as easy or as quick as that, but we were awarded a patent on our new design.). The boat show proved to be a hot bed of ideas and by the end of the week seven of the eight original products had been developed and were ready for testing.
After extensive testing in a small test market we began broader distribution of the SnapIt! line of marine accessories. SnapIt! “The necessary accessory!”
- By November of 1994 we had our first eight products in a few local marinas and five local stores of a national retail chain.
- In January of 1995 we had the opportunity to send our products for review by a major retail chain of marine stores. Our products were well received and the accolades continued.
- June of 1996 was the first major distribution of our products by a major retail chain of marine stores.
- March of 1998 brought the opportunity for growth — we hired a full time employee to operate the shop and run production.
- By 2002 we had expanded our product line to 32 assorted products and have a significant presence in a major retail chain, as well as numerous marinas, ship stores and mail order catalogs.
- Our products have crossed the Atlantic, traveled to Australia and meandered through the Bahamas. Boaters everywhere have been well pleased with their purchase of a SnapIt! accessory and have returned to buy more.
We have been pleased to be able to provide a well made, long lasting and durable product to boaters and we still experience a sense of pride when we sail past another boat and see our products adorning that boat.
Mike Catchings
President, SnapIt! Marine Products