“Jones Boys Boats is more a lifestyle than a business. It’s our passion, and something we’ve known our whole lives.”
What is the Jones Boys Boats Experience?
Our Dealership is more of a destination as compared to other dealers as we are located right next to a resort and hot springs, and our waterfront location allows people can test-drive our products before they buy them. We believe it’s worth the trip for people to come out and experience our company. Part of our Jones Boys Experience is that our customers that don’t live here but use their boat on Kootenay Lake will leave their boat to be stored with us. They will call us when they are coming out for their vacation or for the weekend and we will get their boat out of storage and have it ready in the water for when they arrive. Then when they leave, they hand us the keys and we pull it out and store it for them. It takes the stress out of having to organize hauling and launching, storage and prepping the boat.
They can also call and ask to have their boat serviced, and we’ll handle all that. We take full care of our customers, and make it as easy as possible for them to just jump in the boat as soon as they arrive and experience the Kootenay’s as they are meant to be enjoyed, in a laid back relaxed pace.
“We all like to work hard to get the job done and our team is basically part of the family!”
Full Interview with Casey McKinnon
On Kootenay Lake, the fish don’t care if you’re tall or short, big or small, old or young. These fish will take the bait no matter who is on the other end of the line. Once you experience your first catch and the abundance of the deep lake, get ready to center the rest of your life around capturing outdoor moments like these. Fishing, waterskiing, boating and every other sport imaginable can so easily become your pastimes of choice, especially when you’re surrounded by your best friends and family.
This has been the case for Casey McKinnon, who grew up as the Jones Boys Boats’ shop hand and boat detailer under the supervision and guidance of her dad, Lex. Much like his father before him, Lex shared his wisdom – and, more importantly, his way of life – with Casey and his other two children. Casey began working long summer days and weekends early on, but pitching in at the family business and going out on the lake afterwards is the ethos her family’s always lived by, and one she’s easily gotten behind.
Fond memories of hosting fishing derbies at the primely located marina – just steps from the family business – hold a special place in Casey’s identity. It’s these interactions with likeminded people that have nurtured and molded her into an independent thinker and adventure seeker. With family at the core of who she is both on and off the job, Casey is thriving in her General Operations (and outdoor enthusiast!) role. She shares her love for the water and adventure sport by encouraging others to have more fun and by facilitating individual experiences. Whether it’s organizing a fleet for an upcoming trade show, working with a production team to capture visuals that showcase their message, or collaborating with staff in a human resources capacity, she is always immensely proud of the Jones Boys Boats’ experience her family delivers.
Tell me about the Jones Boys Boats’ experience.
Our Dealership is more of a destination as compared to other dealers as we are located right next to a resort and hot springs, and our waterfront location allows people can test-drive our products before they buy them. We believe it’s worth the trip for people to come out and experience our company. Part of our Jones Boys Experience is that our customers that don’t live here but use their boat on Kootenay Lake will leave their boat to be stored with us. They will call us when they are coming out for their vacation or for the weekend and we will get their boat out of storage and have it ready in the water for when they arrive. Then when they leave, they hand us the keys and we pull it out and store it for them. It takes the stress out of having to organize hauling and launching, storage and prepping the boat. They can also call and ask to have their boat serviced, and we’ll handle all that. We take full care of our customers, and make it as easy as possible for them to just jump in the boat as soon as they arrive and experience the Kootenay’s as they are meant to be enjoyed, in a laid back relaxed pace.
Tell me more about the services and products that you offer.
We recently added a rental fleet for the summer months, offering boat rentals as well as some water toy rentals. We have bowriders, pontoons, and WaveRunners. We have a certified service department and fully stocked parts department, a rigging shop which assembles new products and installs accessories; we offer moorage and storage, and also boat detailing. For products we carry multiple boat lines and types, ranging from our aluminum lines Kingfisher and Thunderjet, to our fiberglass Campion line, as well as Suncatcher G3 pontoons and smaller boats including Lund, Marlon and Backwater Boats. We carry Yamaha Outboards, ATVs and UTVs, WaveRunners, Mercury outboards, trailers and much more!
How do you differ from the competition?
Working for Jones Boys Boats is more a lifestyle than a job. It’s our passion, and something we’ve known our whole lives. We’re in our third generation now; our grandparents started the company in 1951 as Kaslo Bay Marine, and then in the 90s my dad Lex established it as Jones Boys Boats here in Ainsworth. We’ve carried on the family tradition and we actually have third generation customers now too – the grandkids of the people who dealt with my grandparents are coming back to deal with us. We are really proud to have that family experience.
What is the family-work dynamic like?
We definitely have our days, but for the most part our shared joy for the business keeps things running smoothly. My dad Lex, my brother Chad, my sister Alicia and I can work all day together, have a family dinner, and then go out and recreate the same weekend. I think it helps that instead of having structured jobs like bigger corporations, we all apply our individual skills to what makes the most sense to benefit the business. It’s a positive environment, and a bit more relaxed and chill. We all like to work hard to get the job done and our team is basically part of the family!
Are there family values that you all share?
We’re all hard workers like our grandparents; they were more dedicated to this business as a lifestyle than just plugging away at a job. The passion for selling and renting boats continued with my dad and his brothers because that’s what they grew up doing. The family business was the main focus, and that lifestyle and work ethic continued on to us. We don’t know anything else; we were raised to work and also to enjoy our work. I think people can feel that in our customer service, too.
My brother is transitioning more into sales and he’s following my dad around to learn as much as possible from Lex, the marine industry guru. My dad’s a legend in the industry; everyone knows him and he knows everything about every boat. I’m starting to see that come out in my brother, too, which has been really fun to watch him transform in the business and in life.
What keeps you committed to your work?
I think it’s a sense of identity; it’s almost a family legacy. I’ve left a few times to do different things, like tourism; I’ve worked guiding jet boats in Blue River in the summers and renting snowmobiles in Revelstoke in the winters. I also have a business diploma and training in nutrition. But I just keep getting brought back here, and now I’ve been here for seven years and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon! I like the flexibility and that I’m allowed to really focus my skill set and morph my job to match those skills and the things that I’m interested in. Having my dad open to that is great. He’s really supportive when it comes to training further skill sets and he’s happy to have us all do the things we’re best at. It helps to have his support, especially in situations such as bringing up the idea of adding a rental fleet to our company and having his support and trust in me to make it happen!
Do you and the other staff use your products?
Yes; we’re lucky to have demo products. We have a demo Kingfisher fishing boat, a Campion Watersports boat, and a Yamaha UTV. We mainly use the UTV for hunting and exploring the Kootenay mountains, and we put the tracks on it in the winter months. In the summer we enjoy wake surfing with our friends. It’s really fun to be able to do that and it actually benefits the business as well. Everyone on the sales team has grown up using and owning our products so they know the products really well.
One of our seasonal salesmen and his family spend all summer here every year. After work, he takes his kids tubing in the boat they got from us. It’s great to see our employees get off work, walk across the parking lot, and jump in a boat or an ATV right from our dealership and head out to the lake or up into the mountains.
Sounds like you’re in an ideal location for people looking for a marine or mountain adventure!
We are! Compared to what’s going on in the Okanagan and Shuswap, Kootenay Lake is very underpopulated. There aren’t problems with too many boats or chaos on the lake. In the summer you pretty much get the lake to yourself, and it’s warm enough to do water sports. I remember it being colder when I was growing up though!
I don’t think many people realize that the cost of coming out here is so low. The campgrounds here have cheaper rates and have all the amenities. The 3 to 8 hours that people typically drive to get here can be daunting, but once you’re here, it’s a lot less expensive than other places. We basically service the East and West Kootenay regions, Southern Alberta, Christina Lake / Grand Forks Boundary area t Kelowna and Revelstoke as well, because the next closest dealership is in the Okanagan or Calgary.
Jones Boys Boats, your watercraft consultants with over 60 years experience on Kootenay Lake, are passionate about what we do – helping people get out on the lake or up in the mountains. We test every boat on the lot, which can be viewed on our blog – take a virtual test drive, or view a walk around tour. If there is something you’d like to see or questions you have, please let us know. Contact us at info@jonesboysboats.com.
