This week we are introducing our newest, and youngest, member of the MBC team, Hugh Bourland. Have a read. 

Hey Y’all! This week I’ll give you a little look into my life. I was born and raised in Memphis, and I currently attend high school as a rising Senior at Memphis University School. I have one older sister, Ramey, who attends college at Texas Christian University, and a 4 year old lab named Piper.

I enjoy spending my free time hanging out with friends, playing guitar, attending youth group, and getting outdoors to hunt and fish with my Dad.

Fly fishing is my passion, having traveled to North Carolina, Maine and Yellowstone to fish through a program called Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions. This summer I will travel to the great state of Colorado as a leader in training for my 5^thyear in the program.

My dad and I love to get up to our family’s place at Pickwick and spend weekends fishing the river. Every Memorial Day, my whole family crams inside our house and spends the start of summer together, a time where I always make great memories.  I’ve grown up almost all my life on the water at Pickwick surfing, wakeboarding, and tubing.

However, my first introduction to watersports was at our family’s lake house in Montana, built on the shore of Cooper’s Lake. My fondest memories were formed there where I learned how to ski and wakeboard on the most beautiful lake – I would argue – in the world. The crystal blue water formed by a glacier is always glassy, but stays at a cold 65-70 degrees in the summer because it’s fed by natural springs.

Having bought our boats from Memphis Boat Center a few years back, I never forgot how friendly everyone was and thought it would be cool place to work. As this past school year was wrapping up, I began looking for a summer job. After considering different options, I remembered my thought about working for MBC and got in touch with Hart for an opportunity to work for the summer.

During my first few weeks here I have learned the ropes and gained so much insight into the boating industry. Stop in and say hey!

Who knew MBC had this many employees?! Keep your eyes peeled, we’ll start filling you in on our three technicians next week. 

This week we are introducing our accountant, Sean. Check it out. 

Hey Now Ya’ll,

My name is Sean Sullivan and I was born and raised in Memphis on a date I care not to disclose. My patron saint is Saint Patrick; I always keep a copy of his blessing in my wallet for good luck and safety. I am one of four kids, two older and one younger. Here is a lovely photo of all of us with our parents. Fun little tidbit, five of us have worked at the Memphis Boat Center at one point or another. The Memphis Boat Center has been a positive aspect of my life from day one, for which I am very grateful.

I grew up playing just about any sport I could get my hands on like basketball, football, soccer, Frisbee, cross-country, and rugby. These and other extracurricular activities kept me busy and out of trouble. Although I played my fair share of sports, athleticism does not run in my genes as demonstrated by the following photo.

My motto was always the ball is more afraid of you then you are of it. Despite all these setbacks I was not deterred from striving for success in sports. I have sense come to terms with my fears and became a stronger and better person because of it.

Moving along, I am finishing up an undergraduate degree at University of Memphis in Accounting and Finance (Lord willing). After which, I will begin working on my CPA, and CFA certifications. While at the University of Memphis, I participated in Student Government Association where I was head of campus safety for a
year. I have been a part of multiple other associations and leadership development courses from Tiger Leadership Institute to Memphis’s many community outreach programs.

Outside of work and education I enjoy a large verity of hobbies. I still play pick up sports and watch all of my favorite teams play as much as possible. This year my sports teams have done well winning the Super Bowl (Patriots), World Series (Red Sox), Premier League (Man. City), made the college football playoffs (Notre Dame), second place in WNCAA March Madness (Notre Dame), and currently competing for the
Stanley Cup (Boston Bruins). I am looking forward to the Women’s World Cup over this summer too. If I am not watching/playing sports, I spend time reading and watching videos on history, philosophy, and science.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to get to know me a little. I look forward to seeing you at Memphis Boat Center.

As always, next week we will be introducing another member of our crew, Hugh Bourland. Stay Tuned. 

This week we are introducing to you Randy Bouldin, our ‘do-everything’ guy who is great at everything he does. Have a look.

Hey Ya’ll!

My name is Randy Bouldin. I am 27 years old. I was born and raised here in Memphis, TN. I am the oldest child of Rand and Leslie Bouldin. I have a 24 year old sister, and a 22 year old brother. Ever since I can remember, I have been going hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, kayaking/canoeing, boating, skiing/snowboarding, and almost anything else in the outdoors with my family. I love the outdoors and it is usually the way I fill my free time.

I played many sports growing up as well. In high school I played on the football, baseball, golf, wrestling, and trap shooting teams. My Junior year of high school at the Trap Shooting State Championship, I tied for 2nd Place by shooting a 98/100.

I grew up doing Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. This gave me the opportunity to learn many skills to use in life and the outdoors. It definitely helped solidify my love of the outdoors. I started Cub Scouts in 1st Grade. I bridged over to Boy Scouts in the 6th Grade. In Boy Scouts I was able to go to summer camp at Kia Kima to learn skills and earn merit badges every summer. I also attended two of the three Boy Scout High Adventure Bases. I completed Sea Base and Philmont. I climbed through the Boy Scout ranks and earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2009.

I have studied Landscape Architecture at Mississippi State University. I have also studied Business at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and at the University of Memphis.

Along with my father and brother, I have climbed the two tallest mountains in Colorado. Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, which are both over 14,000ft in elevation. We climbed each one on two separate cross country fishing/camping/hiking trips. Every summer, we also go on a family fishing trip with all of the boys in the family. We have been doing it ever since I was a kid. We call it the Bouldin Bass Classic. We try to go somewhere new each year. However, this year we are returning to Dale Hollow Lake because the smallmouth bass fishing is amazing.

I have been kayaking/canoeing down the Wolf River here in Memphis ever since I was about 14 years old. I would take friends to float during the summer in high school. Then after high school, I started a kayaking/canoeing club that floats the Wolf River year around. We made a Facebook group for anyone who wants to know when we are floating and wants to join. It is called ‘Trust the River’. Since we created the group, it has grown to almost 300 people. The largest group that I have had floating down the river together was around 60 people. I invite anyone reading this who is interested, to join the group and come float!

My family used to own a farm in Mississippi when I was growing up. That is where I did a lot of hunting, fishing, shooting, and riding dirt bikes and four wheelers. We also trained hunting dogs there. Unfortunately, we sold that farm when I was about to graduate high school. Since then we got a farm in Tennessee where we do most of our hunting and fishing. For the last few years we have been growing corn.

I started working at the Memphis Boat Center in April of 2018. I love it. I get to do a lot of the delivery/pickup driving, and testing boats. Then I do anything they need me to do around the shop to help move things along.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. I look forward to meeting you all in return.

As always, stay tuned for next week’s edition on Sean Sullivan, our reliable accountant. 

When you call or come in, chances are that Alex or Ken will be your first point of contact. Ken helps so many of us, other employees and customers combined. It’d be impossible to provide the service we do without him. So without further ado, meet Ken Billings, an invaluable member of our Parts Department:

Ken says he knows two things about boating: one, that Leo DiCaprio made a lot of money from filming the movie, Titanic, and secondly, that World War I started when the Lusitania sank… and yet he still does a phenomenal job.  

Ken was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He says there were “no televisions at all” back then, but I’ll let you figure out the math. He has been married twice and has three lovely children.

Ken loves to spend his free time reading, which makes sense given that he majored in English at the University of Tennessee before completing his degree at Memphis State. Ken is also very involved in his church. He does ‘Meals on Wheels’ every Monday, delivering hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors around Memphis.

When asked if he could do anything in the world, what would it be? Ken said he would “retire to the coast and eat seafood”. Sounds like a pretty great plan to me.

We are so blessed to have Ken’s help here at MBC, and look forward to a few more years before he heads off to the coast. Stick around, next week we will be introducing Randy Bouldin, our guy who literally does everything.

When you call or come in, chances are that Alex will be your first point of contact. He is hard-working. He is dependable. Meet Alex Walker, our Parts Department Manager:

Howdy Doody everybody! Let’s give you a little insight on the life of your friendly parts manager. Some quick facts about me; I am the youngest of four, two brothers and one sister. I was born and raised right here in the wonderful city of Memphis, where I attended the University of Memphis. I am a huge animal lover especially mans’ best friend, the beloved dog.

Growing up, the lake life was always a treat, but my main passion was baseball. From T-ball to high school ball, baseball was my life. Unfortunately, I ended my baseball career when I was a Junior at Germantown High School and decided to get a job.

Every year my family would take a beach trip to Pensacola, Florida. All week I would be out on the shore line from sun up till sun down running back and forth with my skim board. I loved working on my spins and aerials. Recently I’ve been able to put my skim board experience to use by wakesurfing behind the boat.

About 5 years ago I truly found another one of my biggest passions, dog training. I studied under multiple different trainers for a number of years, learning different methods and behaviors. While studying, I found my first dog, Bennett, a red retriever from a local rescue.

Dog training was great for many reasons, but meeting the love of my life, who just so happens to also be named Alex, was by far my favorite. Luckily for me, she loves dogs even more than I do. She is now a vet technician for a local vet here in Memphis. Together we have 5 dogs that have all been rescued from various situations. If you haven’t realized it yet, we love to rescue dogs, especially the infamous “scary” Pittbulls. We are in the process of buying a home with high hopes of owning our own rescue shelter in the near future.

Stay tuned, next week we will introduce another phenomenal member of our parts department, Ken Billings. 

This week we are introducing our savvy salesman, Jonas Jarnagin.  Take a read.

What is up everybody! I am coming in hot this week with a little peak into my life. Just some starter facts about me; I have 3 brothers. I have lived in Southaven/Olive Branch my entire life and I graduated from Mississippi State University last year.

Growing up, anything involving water was something I wanted to be a part of. Outside of school a lot of our time was spent either at the lake or the beach. My favorite of the two was definitely the lake.

I grew up with the majority of my summers being spent at Sardis Lake. My grandparents had a 1994 Four Winns Horizon that we loaded with hours. We spent most of our time either tubing or skiing, and loved every second of it.

While we spent the majority of our lake time at Sardis, one of my favorite places to go was and still is Lake Norfork in Arkansas. Our family goes every Labor Day weekend. The amount of memories that have been made there are endless for our family.

I love traveling, and I have been blessed to be able to have been to different places and do different things. I took a trip out west with my college roommates last spring, and it was absolutely incredible. We hiked in the Grand Canyon, went snowboarding, and drove through some incredible places.

I’ll close with the most recent update in my life. This past weekend I got engaged to the most amazing woman in my life. Lucky for me, she loves the lake just as much as I do. I can’t wait to start this new adventure in life with her.

Jonas Out.

Many congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. Jarnagin. Stay tuned, next week we will introduce the most proficient member of our parts department, Alex Walker. 

This week we are introducing our service department superstar! Most of you probably already know her and love her as much as we do! Meet the one, the only, Jeanie O’Bryant:

Hey! I would much rather hear about all of you but I am assigned to tell you a few facts about me so here is a few simple truths.

Hey guys, it’s been a while since Memphis Boat Center (MBC) has blogged. Let’s kick this year off by individually introducing our current team:

I’m Emily Gledhill, previously known as Emily McElravey and still known as Emac. This is my third summer working for MBC (2014, 2016, 2019) and I’m thrilled to be back!

So where have I been, you ask? New Zealand! Yes, you read it right. The other side of the world. I lived there for nearly three years and met my best friend/ husband there. My journey to the ‘Middle of the Earth’ was life altering. New Zealand is incredibly beautiful which I’m sure most of you are aware of thanks to ‘Lord of the Rings’.

While I lived there, I slowed down, literally, as their average speed limit is 31 miles per hour (50 kilometers) in the city limits. I also sped up and started riding mountain bikes downhill.

So… now you’re wondering why, why in the world would I ever move back to Memphis after living in a place like New Zealand. To keep it simple, America has more affordable housing. Pete and I dream of living on a lake with a few acres of land. That goal is far more achievable here, plus our future children will be close enough to visit family. My husband and I love traveling. We plan on rebuilding a campervan, as we did in New Zealand, so we can continue our travels in North America.

Now that we have covered where I’ve been and where I’m headed, let’s talk about why I’m here, specifically at MBC. I learned to water ski and barefoot when I was just five years old and have loved it ever since.

Unlike most of my fellow boaters, I grew up on the Mighty Mississippi. Spending time with my family, sleeping to the rock of the boat, and wakeboarding while the sun is setting are still my favorite things.

Furthermore, I have participated in the annual Memphis Ski Freeze on New Year’s Day a total of five times. All proceeds go to the Dream Factory of Memphis, a non-profit that grants wishes to critically ill children.

The Mississippi river is what makes me feel most at home. Anyone, who only sees it as dirty and dangerous, needs to see it when it is smoother than glass, which by the way was the perfect time for my dad to teach me how to barefoot off the boom… and honestly, we love that the Mississippi isn’t everyone’s go to; it means there’s more room for us.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. I look forward to catching up with all the amazing people I’ve met over past summers and getting to know all of you that I don’t know already. Stay tuned, next week I will introduce our Queen of the service department, Jeanie O’Bryant. Happy Shredding.

Behold, the Memphis Boat Center Smart Buyers Guide.

It’s beautiful isn’t it? You may have seen it before, like on our Facebook page. But, we are bringing it to all platforms because we want YOU to have the best opportunity possible when it comes to purchasing a new boat.

As we all know, it’s the slow season, but that doesn’t mean a brand new boat is out of the question. If you would refer to the chart above, you will notice that buying in the winter saves you thousands of dollars.

Literally, thousands of dollars.

Why wouldn’t you want to buy a brand new boat at such a discounted price? The benefits are spectacular and could potentially help swing your decision if you’re on the fence about buying new.

Added bonus: the 2017 boats for Malibu/Axis are so ridiculously amazing that it would almost be foolish not to buy one. Think about how cool you will look in front of all your buddies when your brand new boat shows up at the launch ramp.

Unlimited Instagram likes are in your future.

If you really want to see what all the fuss is about, go check out the new Malibu lineup and the new Axis lineup! Or you could give us a call at 901-744-4444 and we will answer any questions you feel like asking. Unless it’s about our personal life, that information is personal.

Stay warm out there folks!

Here at Memphis Boat Center we don’t only offer quality used boats, but brand spankin’ new rides as well. We are always up to date with the latest and greatest from the beloved brands we carry. Whether it’s a performance boat, a deck boat, or even a pontoon, we ALWAYS carry top quality. There are seven brands of boats that grace our beautiful showroom and they are all very unique in size, power, and performance. Just like an artist in a music genre, these boats tailor themselves to demographics via their individualistic characteristics.

Some of these boats are fast, some of them are slow. Some of these boats can hold an army, and some are a little bit more intimate. However, just like an artist at the top of his game, these boats stand alone among the ranks aquatic pleasure vehicles. Answer me this: who’s your favorite rapper? What certain qualities does that artist possess? How does he rhyme? How long has his/her career been going on? No matter the genre; if you have an artist that frequents your headphones more than others, it probably has something to do with his/her ability to cater to your listening needs.

Personally, I enjoy rap music a lot more than a conservative kid from Northeast Mississippi quite possibly should but it is part of the sound that I grew up on. Therefore I chose a collection of famous rappers to pair up with the beloved boat brands that we carry here at Memphis Boat Center. I understand that not everyone listens to rap music, so I tried to keep this list as close to mainstream as possible, Enjoy!

Berkshire Pontoons – A$AP Rocky and the A$AP Mob

The Berkshire Pontoons separate themselves from other pontoon boats with their unique blend of size, style, and comfort. The smaller models boast unmatched comfort when it comes to seating your party and the features included keep the party rocking. This is where A$AP Rocky comes to mind. A$AP blends his catchy lyrics with style and flash, creating a unique sound that isn’t easily replicated. Like the Berkshire’s, A$AP never goes anywhere without his crew ( A$AP Mob ) who is notorious for turning any venue into a full blown fiesta. The unique characteristics of A$AP Rocky and his crew are what put him in a category with the Berkshire Pontoons.

Four Winns – 2Pac

When you think of tried and true boats with unmatched quality and craftsmanship the company Four Winns comes to mind. The consistency within the company itself is why this manufacturer has been around since 1962, and their unique features make them an outstanding boat company. The late 2Pac Shakur was known to be a loose cannon who spoke his mind and reflected real life struggles through his rhymes. 2Pack was so influential that even after his death in 1996 he continued to sell millions of records worldwide. 2Pac falls into a category with Four Winns because just like his music, these boats are still selling and only getting better with time.

Stingray Boats – Juicy J

Stingray Boats have been pumping out incredible vessels for you, and your family for over 35 years. If there’s a more iconic manufacturer of deck boats, please point him/her out to us. That’s why Juicy J is in the same category as Stingray boats, because in their respected fields they are nothing short of icons. Juicy J has been a staple in the rap game since his emergence with Three Six Mafia back in the 90’s. Since then, Juicy J has made a career as a solo artist and continues to sell out tours and concerts. This iconic rapper is in a category of his own just like Stingray boats.

Paddle King Pontoons – Lil Yachty

Do not let the Paddle King fool you, these micro pontoons are more versatile than you think. Since there are private lakes around Memphis some of these bodies of water have regulations on the size of a boat that can enter the lake. There is also a horsepower regulation for some of these lakes, preventing a lot of people from putting their fancy wake boats in a 3 acre lake. It’s different, it’s new, it’s efficient; almost like rap musics newest mumble rap sensation Lil Yachty. Honestly, I only put Yachty in this category because his name is basically “little boat” and Paddle Kings are little boats. Also, his hair is the same color as a few of the boat models we have in stock.

Bryant Boats – J. Cole

There may not be another boat manufacturer in the United States that puts in the time and effort to creating the perfect product like Bryant Boats. Bryant’s are all crafted in Sweetwater, TN inside a weathered, brick building that doesn’t look like it has much to offer. That is where the beauty of Bryant boats come into play, these 100 percent fiberglass boats stay true to their roots like the double platinum album possessing lyricist J. Cole. Cole raps about his crooked smile, his shaggy appearance, and other imperfections that he possesses, but he is incredible at doing it all on his own. J. Cole went double platinum without any guest features on his album “2014 Forrest Hill Drive,” a feat that has not been achieved in his genre for 25 years. The humble, yet talented persona of J. Cole is what puts him in a category with Bryant Boats.

Axis Boats – Skee-Lo

Axis Wake Research rolls off of the same floor as Malibu boats, making them the baby brother to the world famous 23 LSV (come on, we all know the Wakesetter is king.) However, these boats boast unmatched reliability, performance, and comfort. For the Axis boat I chose Skee-lo, remember his famous song? “I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her.” I know that rings a bell for some of you, but let’s harp on the “I wish I was a baller” line for a moment while we head into the grand finale…

Malibu Boats – Lil Wayne

Probably the most recognizable rap super star to step on stage in the last 15 years, Lil Wayne has built an empire around his persona and his music. Just like Malibu boats has propelled themselves into the upper echelon of performance wake boats, this comparison is a meshing together of two “alpha’s.” Malibu has long been a top the list of quality boat manufacturers, and that continues to grow today. The emergence of the M235, Malibu’s latest beast to roll of their floor, fused together the idea that flash and style could correlate with power and performance. Malibu boats are the Cadillac’s of the boating industry, and Lil Wayne probably owns quite a few Cadillac’s himself. Wayne has always been flashy, whether it’s his diamond encrusted teeth, his quiver of gold chains hanging from his neck, or his outrageous fashion. This artist will go down in history as one of the best to ever do it, and Malibu boats still live by their motto, “the truth is on the water.”

I hope this piece is as entertaining for you to read as it was for me to write, I apologize if some of these artists are hard to pronounce or do not strike a chord with your musical interests. Don’t forget to come by Memphis Boat Center and check out all of our beautiful boats we have waiting for a new home!