Force One owner Doug Witty says snowmobiles and boats are an ideal product line mix in the North. - Norm Poole/NNSL photo

But in Yellowknife, shipping time and distances to suppliers -- and open-ended road closures across the Mackenzie River -- dictate their own rules.

At Witty's Force One snowmobile and marine dealership, the rule is 'buy early to survive.'

Which explains why the store was unloading three truckloads of Crestliner runabouts last week in 40-below weather.

"It looks a little odd, but we have to bring our marine lines (boats, engines and trailers) in before the ice road across the Mackenzie goes down. The same store in Lethbridge or Calgary wouldn't have that worry."

Compared to a similar-size retailer in the South, Force One by necessity must carry a larger inventory, keep it in stock longer, offer a broader product selection, and mount a more extensive parts and service support operation, said Witty.

He isn't sure what that costs, but his shipping bill alone last year was about $50,000.

Diversify to survive

Combining boats and snowmobiles in the same dealership isn't common in the South, but it has worked well for Force One.

"There are similar dealerships in Alberta and BC, but otherwise we operate exactly the opposite.

"Typically, the biggest part of their business is the marine side. They can count on summer. Here we rely on snowmobile sales to carry us because our summers are iffy."

The store's marine season starts with its annual boat show in the first week of May.

Witty starts ordering inventory for the show in early December.

"That's because of the road issues, but also to give all of our manufacturers' (boats, engines, trailers) the lead time they need, and to give us the time we need to put the packages together before the show."

Force One will bring in about 50 new boats this winter from manufacturers in Manitoba and across the US.

The risk involved in doing that goes with the territory, Witty said.

"We want to be able to fill as many boat show orders as possible from our on-site inventory. We have to plan for a successful event and hope it turns out that way."

Make or break at boat show

If the store waited until after the show to place factory orders, customers wouldn't see their boats until the middle or end of June, Witty said.

"Summer is too short as it is -- most people want to be in the water by then."

What's more unusual, the store sells three competing boat lines -- Crestliner, Bayliner and Lund. They range from 12-foot aluminum fishing boats to 24-foot cabin cruisers.

"Multi-line dealerships aren't common, but Yellowknife can only support so many boat stores. Our approach has been to carry a broad cross section of boat types and sizes.

"The manufacturers rattle our cage a bit about that, but it gives our customers a better selection and gives us the product diversity we want. If you look around Yellowknife, you see many of the successful businesses are very diversified."

The largest boat Witty has sold is a 40-foot Bayliner, which these days would go for about $400,000. More typical is a 16-foot aluminum fishing boat with a protecting canopy against the chilly winds on Great Slave Lake.

"There is a hardy waterskiing crowd here but fishing is easily the number one reason people buy boats in Yellowknife."

Started in 1987 with a single employee, Force One now employs 16 people year-round.

"We have sold both snowmobiles and boats from the start," said Witty.

"Building the marine side was slow going early on, but once you are established it is a very stable market."