Being named the number one independent boat dealer in the world for a particular brand is no small feat, particularly during a recession.

Being named number one worldwide after selling a brand less than a year is no less impressive.

Lake Union Sea Ray in Seattle scored both distinctions when it was recently notified that it was Meridian Yachts’ top independent seller worldwide between January and August of this year. Additionally, the company was named the number one Trophy and Bayliner dealer globally based on sales during the same period.

Lake Union Sea Ray began selling Bayliner, Trophy and Meridian yachts last October after purchasing a sizeable stock of inventory from Olympic Boat Centers, which filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2008.

Patrick Blake, a vice president at Brunswick U.S. Marine & Outboard Boats, which owns Bayliner and Trophy, congratulated Lake Union Sea Ray owner Kevin Roggenbuck on his company’s success with the brands after selling them for less than a year.

“I knew from the beginning that you would lead a team to success, but I had no idea it would happen so quickly,” Blake wrote in a letter. “You and your team have surpassed every expectation! It is truly a pleasure to work with such a well-run organization.”

The addition of the three brands substantially increased the boat lines offered by Lake Union Sea Ray, which had previously been selling Sea Ray and Boston Whaler boats. As part of the move, Lake Union also added three new sales and service locations and cherry-picked from an experienced sales staff previously employed by Olympic Boat Centers.

The risk has paid off, said Kay Woltman, marketing manager for Lake Union Sea Ray.

“We’ve only been an authorized dealer of (Trophy, Bayliner and Meridian yachts) officially since last fall. To be able to say that we’ve accomplished that number one position in less than a year—it’s amazing,” Woltman said.

She attributed the success to a combination of strong brand recognition of the various boat lines and a knowledgeable experienced sales staff. “We’ve been doing this for 22 years, so I think the experience of our staff plays a huge role in the success we’ve been able to achieve in moving our boats,” she said.