Personal Background
Ben Sherwood, founder of Sherwood Marine Marketing, was born and raised in the Midwest and
grew up in the small town of Knoxville, Illinois. He graduated from
Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois with a degree in Marketing and a
minor in Retailing. Upon graduation from Bradley University, Ben was
commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force where he
went through the USAF flight school. Ben spent three years on active
duty, including one year overseas, followed by several more years in the
reserves before being honorably discharged in 1972 at the rank of
Captain.
Corporate Background
Following his tour of active duty in the USAF, Ben
joined Outboard Marine Corporation as a District Sales Manager selling
outboard motors to dealers. In this position he covered two different Midwestern
territories calling on and working with marine dealers. He then became
involved in the creation of a new Division of Outboard Marine
Corporation called OMC Parts & Accessories, (later named OMC Genuine
Parts) where he served for fifteen years as Director of Sales, Marketing
and New Product Development. Ben was then promoted to the position of
Product Group Manager of Johnson Outboards and later of Evinrude, a
position he held until his retirement.
Dealership Experience
After retiring from OMC, Ben purchased and operated a
Chevrolet dealership in central Illinois where he received a "Top
Dealer" award his first year in business. As a dealer principal, he
was involved in all aspects of the business including arranging for
floor plan loans, handling all advertising, and supervising the service,
parts, sales and business managers. In addition, he frequently
went out to the showroom and sold new and used cars and trucks. He later sold the
dealership and became a retail sales and marketing consultant and
writer.
Sherwood Marine Marketing
Sherwood Marketing was founded in 1992 to provide sales and marketing
consulting services to the golf, automotive aftermarket and marine
industries. Recently the company name was changed to Sherwood
Marine Marketing to reflect the decision to focus only on the marine
industry. Ben Sherwood has written a monthly column for marine
industry trade publications for several years and is currently a
columnist for Boat
& Motor Dealer magazine. In 1998 he received a "Journalism Award" from the MRAA, (Marine
Retailers Association of America). Sherwood Marine Marketing also
provides sales and marketing consulting services to both dealers and
manufacturers. In addition Ben Sherwood conducts seminars for
dealer groups on a variety of subjects. Ben Sherwood and his wife live in Pleasant
Prairie, Wisconsin.
