FORT WAYNE, Ind., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Harris Kayot's Harris FloteBote was recently awarded the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates award for "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Pontoon Boats"(1) at the Miami International Boat Show.

"Being acknowledged by J.D. Power and Associates is a tremendous honor," said Tim Schiek, president of Harris Kayot and vice president and general manager - pontoon and deck boats for the Brunswick Freshwater Boat Group. "We are so proud to receive this distinction, and I want to thank our dealers, who provide the highest level of sales and service experience in the industry; our employees, who make tremendous efforts to manufacture high-quality, family- friendly boats; and our customers for making it possible."

J.D. Power and Associates measures customer satisfaction and product performance in seven pontoon categories: engine; ride/handling; helm/instrument panel; design/styling; sound system; maintenance; and fishing. Rankings are determined based on responses from consumers who purchased a Harris FloteBote during model year 2005 and 2006. In all, J.D. Power and Associates surveys thousands of consumers to determine eligibility for the annual award.

"We are extremely proud to have been recognized as this award represents the voice of our customer," said Tim Dammeyer, director of marketing & service, for Harris Kayot. "It is an affirmation of the design and quality of our boats, as well as the craftsmanship and hard work of our employees. This award also speaks to the outstanding contributions of our dealers. We have some of the best in the industry, and it is because of them that we are able to meet the needs of our customers."

Schiek accepted the award on behalf of the organization during a breakfast on Feb. 15 at the Miami show. Jim Poiry, former president of Harris Kayot, and his family also were on hand to celebrate the award. The Poiry family owned and operated Harris Kayot from 1986 to 2005.

This is the first year that Harris FloteBote has received the distinction, but it has been ranked in the top five for customer satisfaction since J.D. Power and Associates first launched the pontoon segment of the Boat Competitive Information Study in 2002. Harris FloteBote has also won the National Marine Manufacturers Association Customer Satisfaction Index award since 2001.

About HarrisKayot

Founded in 1946, HarrisKayot, a unit of the Brunswick Boat Group, is a leading builder of high-end pontoons from 18 to 27 feet, as well as high- quality runabouts and deckboats from 20 to 26 feet in length. The Company has had passion for fine design, innovation and fresh thinking since its inception. For example, Harris developed the "dolphin" nose tube, allowing a pontoon boat to slice effortlessly through the water, for a drier, smoother ride. Originated in 1959, today it is a standard within the industry.

About Brunswick Boat Group

Based in Knoxville, Tenn., the Brunswick Boat Group, a unit of Brunswick Corporation, is the largest maker of pleasure boats in the world. The Boat Group makes Albemarle, Baja, Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Cabo Yachts, Crestliner, Harris, Hatteras, Kayot, Laguna, Lowe, Lund, Maxum, Meridian, Palmetto, Princecraft, Sea Boss, Sea Pro, Sea Ray, Sealine, Triton and Trophy boats; Attwood marine parts and accessories; Benrock, Diversified Marine, Kellogg Marine and Land 'N' Sea parts and accessories distributors; and IDS dealer system management.

(1) Disclaimer: Harris FloteBote received the highest numerical score among pontoon boats in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Boat Competitive Information Study(SM) Study based on 12,140 total responses, and measures 25 pontoon boat brands and owner opinions of 2005 and 2006 model year boats registered June 2005-May 2006. Includes pontoon boats with two-three aluminum tubes supporting a flat plywood deck surrounded by railings and powered by outboards or sterndrives. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed September-October 2006. Your experiences may vary. http://jdpower.com/

CONTACT: Tim Dammeyer, Director of Marketing & Service of HarrisKayot,
+1-260-399-4072, tdammeyer@harriskayot.com

Web site: http://www.brunswick.com/

• Present Customer Successes with Context