Boat dealers and marinas are familiar with the Xanigo Marine brand. Founder and Managing Partner Robert Holmes hopes to develop similar recognition among RV dealers in the years to come.
Holmes said RVs and boats are “near cousins,” exposed to many similar maintenance challenges. He said his mold and mildew prevention products can be just as useful on land-based vehicles as they are on marine vessels.
“It really relates to the fact that we do not use these toys as often as we would like to use them,” Holmes said. “We are dealing with mold and mildew and odd smells because these vehicles are in closed-up environments, where they are getting hot, they are getting cold, they are getting hot again and cold again. It creates moisture, which is a prime condition for mold and mildew to exist.”
Holmes said he started Xanigo Marine in 2020 because he was an avid fisherman and owned several boats through the years. He said several others joined him to inspect marinas in Florida, Michigan and Texas, seeking opportunities within the marine industry.
“We all came back with black spots on the seats as part of our list,” Holmes said. “We heard over and over again, ‘I have tried everything to get that off.’”
Research found many mold and mildew removers on the market, but Holmes said not one was a dominant product. Holmes said he followed his former business partner’s advice and found an opportunity in the fragmented market.
Xanigo Marine’s product line includes cleaners and preventative products.
“Mold and mildew are a unique thing because it is a living organism,” Holmes said. “What we needed to do was create an environment where that organism does not want to live.”
Holmes said he always intended to push his product line into the RV industry, but wanted to prove and establish the brand first in the marine industry. The company introduced boat detailers to its products in the first year they were available. Positive feedback helped the company reach consumers through boat dealers and marina parts stores.
“We get people asking all the time, ‘Will this work on my RV, too?’” Holmes said. “What we still have to determine is if we need to create a new brand or if the marine brand will be accepted in the RV space.”
Several marine distributors, including Keller Marine & RV, carry Xanigo Marine. At Keller’s accessory show in Pennsylvania earlier this month, Xanigo Marine Account Executive Kristy Brown met with dealers in the company’s booth.
“I have talked to probably a dozen RV dealers specifically who have shown interest in our products,” Brown said. “I tell them they just need to give our products a good look. We are going to hit both markets very hard because there is a lot of crossover. There are a lot of consumers who have both an RV and a boat that could be using our products on both.”
Holmes said the most difficult aspect of selling a prevention product in either industry is to change consumer mindsets.
“Everybody nods their heads and says, ‘Yes, prevention makes sense,’” Holmes said. “Getting them to actually be proactive sometimes is like twisting arms. We have to provide constant education down the pipeline, and we feel like the boat dealers, the marinas and the RV dealers are a great resource for that.”
Holmes said RV dealerships can do more than sell Xanigo Marine products in their parts stores. He said he recommends that dealers use the company’s products on the RVs on their lots.
“When they sell an RV, they should teach their customer it has been treated with Xanigo Marine, and here is why they do it,” Holmes said. “Then they could point out the product in their parts stores.”
