5 best pieces of advice that helped grow Northstar Products Inc.

The landscape was different in the fall of 2007.  The boating industry was living large and everyone seemed to be doing well.  The housing industry was going crazy and people were buying boats faster than they could be built.  Champagne was falling from the sky and everyone got lucky on a friday night.  Okay maybe it wasn't THAT great but times were pretty good.

Then it happened.  It stopped.  The country stopped.  The housing industry collapsed.  Financial institutions went belly up left and right.  So did boat dealers and boat builders.  It was in that time I began a company called Northstar Products Inc.  My mission was to provide a high quality bimini top for a pontoon boat at a fair price.  Simple game plan.  We went from an idea in 2007 to reality a few months later in January of 2008.  6 years later a lot has changed.  Some things though....the important things...have stayed the same.  

I received a lot of advice from a lot of people on what to do and how to run a successful online company that is selling a high dollar item sight unseen.  Here are the top 5 pieces of advice I took - and I'm glad I did.

5.  Fifth place.  You can't please everyone all of the time.  No matter how hard you try there are just some people out there that aren't happy unless they are miserable.  They will try to make you miserable too.  Do everything within reason to accomodate your customers.  Key words - within reason.  If you have a customer asking you to do something unreasonable chances are there is nothing you will be able to do to satisfy them.  Don't be unprofessional about it, just explain your reasons clearly and if it isn't good enough then congrats, you just ran into that customer you can't please.  Let it go.

4.  Fourth place - just out of medal contention - Don't compete on price.  You will lose.  There is always someone out there that can buy raw materials in larger quantities and cheaper.  They can produce cheaper and sell cheaper.  Identify the market you are after.  Try to go after different market segments within reason.  We developed a three tier system - entry level, mid level, high level bimini tops.  Our entry level top is no the cheapest out there.  It's not the most expensive either.  It doesn't make sense to sell a product you aren't making money on.  That is a great recipe to go out of business.  Know your expenses and price accordingly.  Make less on entry level items and more on high level items by adding value as well as price to upgrade your products.

3. Third place - the bronze medal -  Use quality parts/raw materials.  Don't skimp on this part.  I know companies that will buy second quality fabric and pass it off as first quality stuff.  It cheapens your product and your name.  Take the high road - it will pay off.  Cheap parts will only cause your phone to ring off the hook  with angry customers.  My goal is to spend my time on the phone taking orders, not explaining why the zippers just fell off the bimini top.  

2.  Second place - the runner up is....Every "problem" is a chance to excel.  Sometimes I feel the best feedback we get is from how we handle a problem or issue a customer has with one of our products.  We don't walk on water so mistakes happen.  Customers will have problems from time to time.  Perhaps the frame is scratched up, or there is missing hardware.  The top is the wrong color or the wrong size, or the wrong fabric.  What are you going to do to fix it?  Do whatever it takes.  Go beyond what the customer expects or asks for.  The extra effort and money you put into it will directly lead to more sales.  Your customer will be so impressed with how you handled the problem or error they will go out and tell all their friends or anyone they run into how you fixed the problem.  

1. First place.  The Gold medal - Service, Service, Service.   This is lacking big time all over.  Not just online but really everywhere you go.  From the bad service at seemingly every restaurant you go to all the way to the car dealership that you just have this bad feeling about.  Bad service is everywhere.  Not at Northstar Products though.  We believe in working just as hard to make sure our product goes on your boat the way you intended as we did to secure the sale.  We work hard to answer emails quickly and honestly.  If we can't make something for you we will let you know so we don't waste your time.  We will even give you an idea of where to go if we can't help.  I can't stress enough that our service is most responsible for our growth.  

There are a lot of places to buy bimini tops for boats out there.  Our service is second to none.  Come see for yourself.

Customer service and quality done right

I ordered a kids toy my daughter saw on a commercial while watching nickelodeon. It's Christmas and she's been good and it's only 20.00 so I jumped online and ordered it.  One less present to buy.   Check it off the list. Two days later I receive a phone call from the company thanking me for the order.  How nice, I think to myself as the person on the other end thanks me for my recent purchase.  If only the call stopped there.

They want to send me 100.00 in gas cards because of my purchase and sign me up for a savers program for just 1.00 for the first 14 days and then only 29.95 each month after.  (Insert sarcasm). "No thanks, just send my order" is my reply.  They assure me my order has been shipped but they need to verify my credit card for the savers program and free gas cards.  "No thanks" and I hang up.  

The next day another call comes in from the same company with the same request.  I tell them I don't have a credit card with me and that I've maxed it out anyways.  (Not entirely true, but close). They gave me a number to call them back when I can, to give them my credit card -which I won't do.  

What I thought was going to be a pleasant experience turned into a terrible one with that first phone call to thank me for the order.  If it had stopped there - with a thank you - I would have ordered another set for my niece but since it is only a front for some other savings program I decided against it.

Being in a business that manufactures and sells products to consumers, I am always anxious to see how other companies handle customer service.  This particular companies treatment of their customer - me - actually cost them a sale.  

At Northstar Products we try to create a relationship with our customers that emulate the relationship you have with a family member or close friend.  We are happy to answer your questions about our products or refer you to another company if we can't help you out.  We want a company to do that for us as consumers as well.  We treat our customers and potential customers the way we would want to be treated.  

There are a lot of places to buy canvas for your boat, especially with the internet involved.  You can buy from anyone, but not everyone will go the extra lengths we are willing to go.

Give us a call.  Let's talk about what you need and what you don't need.  Let's put a good looking piece of canvas on your boat for a good price.  Let's turn some heads on the water and keep some money in your wallet.

Only 94 days till spring!

Who Makes the Best Boat Top?

Working in this industry I see a lot of sites and blogs that like to compare products and spotlight different products. While most are worth reading it is rare to find any comparisons on what allows us to stay on the water in the hot blistering sun - the bimini top. Without the bimini top keeping us out of the sun, our time on the water will be cut short due to blistering sun burns, dehydration, and perhaps death. OK maybe not death, at least not right away.

Boat builders they are the first to say they need to offer bimini tops with their boats, but they end up putting the cheapest thing on it they can find just to say they offer it. Not all of them do it but a significant amount do. Boat manufacturers pour money into research and development to offer new amenities and new ways to make their boat look good and be comfortable on the inside. Guess what? No one can see the inside of your boat from across the lake. What they can see is you put a shabby looking top that is worth about 150.00 on a 50,000.00 pontoon boat. If you are willing to do that most won't believe you are willing to put a lot of money anywhere else on your boat.

As a consumer you continue to scan the horizon looking for something better. Without a doubt the bimini top is the first thing most see out on the water on any given day. Poorly made bimini tops tend to lead people to believe the boat may not be all that well made either. A well built bimini top will compliment the boat which in turn will cause people to search you out on the water to compliment you, your boat, and your bimini top. They may even ask where you got it. Chances are you didn't buy it with the boat - chances are you bought it from us.

We take exceptional pride in our work, our workforce, and ulitmately our products. Regardless of whether it is our bimini tops, or our grill covers, we take the extra steps to ensure your satisfaction with your purchase. I wish I had a nickel for every time a customer has recommended us to a friend or family member. Even better I wish I had a dime for every recommended customer that has told me they saw our bimini top on a boat on the lake and asked that boat owner where they got such a great looking top. Then I tell them how reasonable the prices are -- mind blown. Yup add up all those dimes and nickles and I'd be writing this from a cabana in Key West.



Who makes the best bimini tops? We do. Come find out why.

www.northstarproductsinc.com

Bimini tops - make it a double!

Boating, especially pontoon boating is nothing like it was 15 years ago.  I look around at what so many manufacturers are doing and am amazed at some of the ideas.  Wakeboard towers, LED lighting, snap in carpet, unique floor plans, and the list goes on and on.

I'm a simple man though.  I like simple things.  For me as long as I'm on the water, it matters very little if I have a backward facing seat, or chaise lounge, or LED lighting.  No, it doesn't really matter at all.  What does matter to me is being comfortable on that 8' wide 22' long floating oasis.  I don't need to feel like I'm sitting in a lazy boy chair, I just need some shade from that hot ball in the sky.  As long as I have a cold beer and some shade I'm one happy guy.  Put a fishing pole in my hand and now I'm about as close to heaven on earth as I can get.

I can tell you from experience no one is going to remember how comfortable your pontoon boat furniture is, if you have satellite radio, or if your LED lights work if they are miserable on your boat because they couldn't get out of the sun.  Congratulations, you made your guests feel like a bratwurst on a grill.  They won't soon forget how miserable they were.  

If you had a double Bimini on your vessel your guests would have walked away happy, happy, happy.  If you had a double Bimini top made by Northstar Products not only would your guests walk away happy, you'd be happy, happy, happy too because of the number of heads that would turn when others see how amazing your boat looks.  Let's be honest, we all like getting attention on the water.  Not many boaters will know if your boat has snap in carpet or has the newest furniture but they will most definitely notice that beautiful double Bimini top and hear the good times coming from your guests because they are comfortable in the shade.

A piece of advice...if you don't have a double Bimini top, get one.  Even if you have to scrap the top you have now.  Do it.  It is a small price to pay for the comfort of your guests.  I mean it really is a small price.  We have really low prices on double Bimini tops.  Chances are we have one for you.  Check us out.

www.northstarproductsinc.com

Quality Canvas

I have been in this industry for quite awhile and have lived through its ups and more recent downs.  To get through those down times I've seen many different strategies to staying around and being viable.

 Some have been lucky enough to cruise through on name recognition alone.  Enough people know who they are so buy their products.  Others have turned to using more price friendly raw materials therefor sacrificing quality and to some degree their reputation as a high quality producer.  

We did not do either of those things.  We invested in our customers.  We provide such a high level of quality, service, and a true understanding of their needs by listening to them, they tell their friends, family, and that guy in the lake who asked where to buy one.  

We continue to listen to the needs of our customers and potential customers.  We watch the industry and its changes closely and adapt to them.  We are boaters too and treat every product we make and sell as if it where going on our boat.

Take some time to compare our products to our competitors.  Ask questions, demand better.  We are Northstar Products and we will lead you to better quality Bimini tops.

Best Bimini Top = Quality AND Service

We ask ourselves the same question at every stage of production when we manufacture bimini tops. "Would I want this on my boat"? More importantly "Would I pay for this bimini top and be happy with it"? If we don't answer "yes" then we don't send it out. At Northstar Products we take our quality seriously. We take our service even more seriously. There are a lot of places to buy a bimini top online. What happens if you have a problem once you get it? Will the company you spent your hard earned money on going to go the extra mile to make sure you are not only satisfied but thrilled with your bimini top? Will they send you parts at no charge should you encounter an unexpected problem during installation? Did you buy your bimini top from Northstar Products Inc? If you did then you will be thrilled not only with your purchase but with the lengths we will go to so that you are able to install the bimini the way you want it. We are a family owned business that run a big bimini top business. We supply hundreds of bimini tops to boat owners every year but I can promise we will make you feel like our only customer. We value all of our customers and especially the recommendations that are given on behalf of our company. Take some time to give us a call or drop us an email. We do our best to answer any questions you may have. If we can't help you we will try to point you in the direction of someone who can. We are all boaters, lets help eachother out. Buy American, buy Northstar.

High Quality Bimini Tops At A Low Price

We have been making bimini tops for the boating industry for over 35 years.  From the way we manufacture our bimini tops to the way we run our business we are not your typical manufacturer. 

For many years now we have been supplying boat manufacturers with the very best bimini tops available.  We are not the largest out there but we are by far the best.  When the economy took a dive in 2008 we knew we had to get creative to stay afloat.  We have known for years that the choices out there for a boat owner to buy a new bimini top was limited.  The ones that were out there were very similar to each other in price and quality.  High price sub par to poor quality.  But they could get away with it because no one else was making them on a large scale…in essence there was no real competition.  There was no real reason to improve on price or quality.  There is a reason now.  That reason is Northstar Bimini Tops.

As the manufacturer we save our customers hundreds of dollars on a bimini top.  We are not a distributor.  We do not buy our bimini tops and then resell them.  We design them in house.  We manufacture them in house.  Our customers get the highest level of quality and service available.  We have been slowly growing and are beginning to make ourselves known. 

The toughest obstacle we have to overcome is being noticed online when someone does a web search for bimini tops.  So often when you search online for anything you typically stop after the first page or two of search results.  I did the same thing.  I don’t anymore.  I search out the best deal.  Not just the lowest price.  In this world of online purchasing there is no relationship anymore between the buyer and seller.  We try to create one online.  We are available for questions at any time.  We want to make sure you are comfortable with your purchase.  We want you to feel confident what you are buying will fit your boat.  We work one on one with you when what you need is not just a stock bimini off the shelf.  When you need an alternative way to mount it, or a different height or width.  Perhaps you want to install your bimini on a sailboat and have the backstay pass through the bimini top.  We can help.  We will work with you to make it happen.  No extra charge on most special requests. 

We are growing our business the old fashioned way…by providing an outstanding product at an outstanding price.  We want to grow because of word of mouth not because we paid a bunch of money to get on the first page or two of an internet search.  We not only want to earn your business we want you to be so happy you will tell your boating neighbors and friends about us. 

We are here for you.  We are ready to help. 

Northstar Bimini tops…Leading the way in quality and service. 

Stainless Steel Frames–Knockdown Style

The market is flooded with bimini tops for your fiberglass runabout boat.  There are seemingly hundreds of sites online to buy a replacement bimini top and frame.  I’ve noticed that virtually all of the framework for those bimini tops are made with 7/8” round aluminum.  I’ve seen plenty that reinforce the main bow with 3/4” tubing to keep it strong.  They are decked out in stainless steel hardware as well.  The frames are cut down and then put into a box for you to reassemble when you get it.  Putting the frame back together is pretty easy and though it is not very sturdy you realize it will do the job.  It may not be exactly what you want but it will work.  You may have had the option to get the frame in stainless steel but realize that there is no way the frame will be strong enough or simple enough to put back together.  After all, once you cut stainless…forget it…the strength and integrity of the frame is shot.  If only there was  a way to knock the stainless frame down and have it strong once it is reassembled.  I think you know where this is going…Our stainless frame does just that. 

We cut our frames down in a much different place than where others do.  We make sure that the entire crown of the frame is in one piece.  The crown is the part of the frame that spans the width of the boat.  Most frames are cut down in the crown.  Ours are not.  We make sure the crown is intact which is what gives the frame its strength.  We cut it down in such a way you will barely notice where it is cut after it is put back together.  I know what you are thinking…this thing must be a pain to put together…nothing could be further from the truth.  Actually the only tools you will need are your fingers.  No tools required.  We have developed this system for our frames so that they are easy assembled and you will not have to worry about screws coming loose.

 

There is no wobble to our frames.  They are strong and they are rigid.  We have the answer for all of you that want a stainless steel frame for your boat but don’t want to pay hundreds in shipping.  If you are not completely satisfied with this frame or bimini top we will not only refund your money we will pick up the freight charges to ship it back to us.  We work hard to make sure you are satisfied before and after the sale.  Check us out at www.northstarproductsinc.com

Give Customers What They Want!

I am a business owner, you are a boat owner. I also own a boat. You may also own a business. Even if you don't we all have one thing in common, more or less. We want a good product at a great price. I however want one more thing...piece of mind that if something doesn't work someone will help me out. I want to be able to call and talk to an actual person with knowledge about the product I bought from them. I want to speak with someone who treats me as if I am their only customer. I've taken the things I demand as a customer and put them in place as a business owner. I run my business the way I want to be treated as a customer. Wouldn't it be nice if all businesses ran that way? Northstar Products IS run that way. I demand it. I treat all of our customers the way I want to be treated. Kind of like the golden rule I suppose. We ensure that the products you buy from us are going to perform the way you expect them to. At Northstar we service our customers before, during, and after the sale. Here is an example that just happened: Customer A bought a bimini top from us - 8x10 bimini top and frame made in sunbrella fabric. When customer A gets his bimini top he realizes the rails on his pontoon boat drop down 6" in the back where the rear braces are supposed to attach. Now it looks like his bimini top is flying up in the air because the rear braces aren't long enough to accomodate the 6"drop in the back. Customer A realizes his oversight and calls Northstar to find out how much a new pair of rear braces - 6" longer - will cost. Guess how much he was charged? 0.00. Nothing, Not a thing. Free. We even shipped the new pair out at no charge. Why? Because he will be so happy with the level of service he received AFTER the sale he is more likely to tell all of his friends and anyone he over hears talking about getting a new bimini top about us. Now chances are he would anyway because of the quality built in to everything we do and how nice it looks. But now he may even seek people out to tell them about the service he received. And what did it cost me? about 15.00 for the parts and shipping cost. I may get 5 new sales because of it. Not a bad return on investment if you ask me. Here at Northstar we do that sort of thing all the time. We know the benefits of treating our customers right. We stand behind our work and will make sure it gets on your boat the way it was intended. I guarantee it!

Quality Bimini Tops Quality Price

There are very few companies that have the ability to mass produce bimini tops here in the United States. There is only a handful of manufacturers that supply the majority of all aftermarket bimini top distributors with the bimini tops you, the consumer, can purchase. I've heard many complain about the price. There is a reason for it.

Lets start at the manufacturer. They have to buy supplies, employ a workforce, and mark it up a bit to turn a profit. With that profit the hope is some of the money goes into research and development to continuously improve the product. I can tell you that does not always happen.

The manufacturer sells it to a distributor who will list them on their website. The distributor has to be able to make a little money (or a lot depending on the size of the distributor). Websites aren't cheap and they have a workforce to employ as well. The temptation for many distributors is to buy bimini tops from a foreign country (China) and sell them at what they would sell American made bimini tops for. You end up paying 500-600 dollars for a bimini top that may have been made in chine for about 125.00. There is no doubt imported products can be much cheaper than American made products. I mean cheap in every sense of the word. Poor quality, poor performance. Good luck going back to that website and getting service after the sale.

There are other avenues to go down to get a quality bimini top. You could contact the manufacturer of your boat. That could be expensive as well. You may not be able to deal with the manufacturer directly. Many have to purchase replacement canvas through a boat dealer. They mark it up when they buy it from the boat manufacturer to sell to you. The boat manufacturer marks it up when the buy it from the bimini top manufacturer. This can be much more costly than a distributor...so I guess that is no good either.

You could always go to a local canvas shop. Here you will get a custom built bimini top, maybe even the framework. American labor force and engineering are a bonus. So is the price. The materials that a local canvas shop has to buy come from you guessed it a distributor. That can prettye expensive also.

What to do? Find a company that can mass produce bimini tops but be willing to sell you only one. Find a company that uses an American workforce that uses American products to build the bimini top and frame. Find a company that is willing to listen to your needs before and after the sale. Find a company that will go the extra distance to ensure your complete satisfaction. Find a company that will stand behind it's products. Find Northstar Products Inc. Find them at www.northstarproductsinc.com

House Boat Bimini Tops

I've had several people over the past few years contact me regarding making them a bimini top and frame that is 10' wide. For the past few years I've simply said no, we do not make them wider than 8'6". With so many people asking we decided to investigate this request and take it much more seriously. What we found out is there really isn't anyone making them. Most houseboats are 10' wide and the canvas options are not so much limited as they are expensive. Perhaps there is some good we can do in the is segment of the industry as well. We have had quite a bit of success in supplying standard pontoon bimini tops in various sizes for hundreds less than our competitors and believe we can do the same for the houseboat market.

At this point in time we only use 1" square aluminum which initially made us a bit nervous about how strong such a frame could be. We use a high grade aluminum that is much thicker than what most others use, so we have that going for us. We went to work designing a frame and bimini top that is 10' wide by 8' long. Besides, we have offer a bimini that is 8' wide and 10' long and it is as sturdy as can be. We realize spanning 10' in width will present it's own challenges though. We had to make sure we could bend the "crown" smoothly and evenly to allow for proper water runoff while still maintaining a tight fit. After a few adjustments to our frame bending table and fixtures we accomplished what we set out to do. A strong frame that will provide proper support of the canvas while still looking great. There are a few things we made standard that we have as options on our smaller frames. For starters we only sell the 10' wide frame with all metal fittings. We also went with solid braces on the front and back of the frame to further increase it's rigidity. The entire frame and braces use metal deck mounts with quick release stainless pins as well. Some things we kept the same such as a cutout for a light bracket in both the bimini top and storage boot. We drill holes in the frame to allow a wire to be run through it for the light bracket as well. The overall look of the bimini top is very similar to the rest of our line up.

This truely big top is easy to set up, easy to take down, and looks fantastic. The price also follows the rest of our tops...rock bottom.

Size Matters!

If you have been searching for a bimini top for your pontoon boat but have an unusual size pontoon boat you are finding out you may be stuck. I'm sure you've been told the legs of the bimini frame can be pushed and pulled into almost any width to fit your boat. Websites tell you that a 96" wide frame can fit into an opening that is between 88" and 102" wide. Wow. Wouldn't it be better to actually get a frame and bimini top made specifically for the width of your boat? We think so. Wouldn't it be better if you weren't charged extra for it? We think so. I have searched the websites over and can't find anyone that has the variety of sizes that Northstar Products Inc. has. They will manufacture a frame and bimini in any width from 6' to 8'6" wide in a variety of lengths as well. All for the same price as a standard size. You will also find that their standard prices are MUCH lower than the others as well. They should be. After all Northstar Products manufactures their own frames and bimini tops. They design them and build them all in house.

All pontoon boats are not the same. They all can have different beams. You should be able to buy a bimini top and frame that will fit your boat exactly without pushing or pulling the frame out of shape. Your boat is an investment both financially and recreationally. Northstar knows how much your boat means to you and that being able to buy a better aftermarket bimini and frame than even your original should be easy. They make it easy. Check out all the sizes at www.northstarproductsinc.com. Need something they don't list? Call them...they can probably do it.

Now Is The Time.

Finding a great company can be difficult.  By a great company I mean one that offers a great product or service at a great price.  It shouldn’t stop there though.  A great company has the industry expertise to back up what it provides.  Having a great product is great, and expertise in the industry is better but having true quality customer service is even better.

Being able to call any company anymore to speak with a real live person is becoming more and more difficult.  As a society we are beginning to loose our ability to communicate with each other unless we are behind a keyboard.  Reading about the attributes of a product or what a company can do from behind a keyboard is one thing but speaking with a person is another entirely.  If you speak with someone you can tell how excited he/she is about the product.  The enthusiasm you can pick up on through their voice can make you feel much better about your decision.

There are millions of products for sale online.  What really separates them?  Each claims they are the best.  Each claims superb service, try calling the company.  See how willing someone is to speak with you.  How fast do they return your calls if you do get voicemail?  Hell, how fast do they return an email?  Back not so many years ago there were sales persons that sold products…not websites.  Those sales people are still out there.  You can still find them.  A great company has both.  They have sales people as well as a website to back up their products.  

Can you imagine a company that sells the products it makes, made in the USA, at low prices, backed by actual people you can talk to?  A company that will take the time to listen to you the customer not just push a product onto you.  How about a company that will make a product according to what you want and not charge you an arm and a leg for “custom” work?  Think that company doesn’t exist?  Think again…think Northstar Products Inc. 

Pontoon Bimini Top Frames – make the old new again.

So here we are ending another boating season.  This is the time of the year we begin thinking about pulling the boat out, getting it winterized, and start thinking about the next boating season!  It is time to stand back and take a good look at the pontoon boat to see what you want to replace or repair for the next boating season. 

The framework for your bimini top can really take a beating over the season.  Your passengers use it as a handrail to get in and out of your pontoon at the dock and they hold onto it to keep from falling out of the boat as you decide to jump that 3’ rolling wave!  Drinks are spilled and fish are flopped against it.  Your pontoon frame has indeed seen better days.  You really don’t want to buy an whole new frame though.  The only thing you really don’t like about it are the fittings that put it together are all vinyl.  You would really like to have the metal fittings.  Not necessarily stainless but at least the aluminum kind that match the frame and will give pontoon bimini framework a bit more rigidity. 

Replacing your pontoon bimini framework hardware will only take a couple of hours on a rainy (or snowy) winters day.  The first thing you need to do is check out www.northstarproductsinc.com to buy the fittings you need.  Then, when they come in, take your frame apart and replace the fittings.  It may take a little bit of your time to adjust them to get them in the correct location on your frame but the money you will save from not buying a whole new frame will be well worth the time.  Not to mention the money you will save by buying the parts at www.northstarproductsinc.com. 

So now that the fittings are replaced you want to know what works best to buff out your framework to make the actual metal look like new again.  We find that using a stainless steal polish works best even on a satin anodized aluminum.  Rubbing compound works as well but you have to put in a bit more effort with it.  Once you have replaced your fittings and buffed out your frame with some polish and a terry cloth towel, the only thing left to do is wait for the ice and snow to melt and get your pontoon back in the water where it belongs!

Bimini Tops - Quality and Service

Something can be said now adays for being able to call a business and speak with a real person and not a machine. When you call Northstar Products you will speak with a person who can answer all of your questions about your bimini top and frame needs. You may not always like the answers you get but you will get answers...from a person!

We take the time to walk you through the process. We make sure you understand what you are buying. We give you a timeline for when your product will be finished and we stick to it. If for some reason we can't make your product by the time we say we can we will contact you to let you know. We will explain what happened and why we are late.

If you are unsure about what happens after the sale should you have a problem you can put that to rest with us as well. We want to make sure your bimini fits your boat perfectly. If you need larger rear braces and didn't expect you would, we will accomodate that for nothing more than the cost to ship it to you. If you get our bimini top and for any reason are not completely satisfied you can always return it, unused for a refund.

I will give you the service that I would want to receive. You will be amazed at how far we will go to make sure you are happy with your purchase. We believe by treating you right you will recommend us to family and friends. If all goes well there will be a northstar bimini top on nearly every pontoon boat in the country! Give us a shot but more importantly give us a call...you won't be disappointed.

Putting the Service in Customer Service

Business has lost its way. Fast sales, quick witted salesman, quick fixes, fast shipments, low prices, and the assumption if something goes wrong there will be a company to stand behind it. In most cases you are in for real disappointment should you have a problem with something you buy. We are not claiming to be perfect when we build bimini tops and Northstar Products Inc. We make mistakes just like anyone. We believe the real measure of a company goes beyond what low price they can give out. We believe the measure of a company has to include how it performs when it is faced with adversity. Regardless of if the adversity is an economic condition or the way it fixes a problem in the field. The measure of a company must include more than a sales price on an item.

We believe that if there is a problem in the field, especially if it is a mistake we made, to hold nothing back to fix the problem. Not only to make the customer happy with the end result but almost glad the problem existed in the first place because of how successful the outcome was. We supply not only the best looking and highest quality bimini top in the industry, we also supply the best service.

Northstar leads the way in service and quality.

You can have it made in the shade.

A SATURDAY ON THE BOAT:
The plan: water sports, relaxing, and reading in the sun.

You start out the morning sitting in the sun on your boat, the warm heat relaxing your tense muscles after a work week that was especially stressful and demanding. After a while, with the sun starting its rise in the sky, you and your family depart from the dock in search of the perfect place to have some well-deserved fun. You will escape from your reserved work-self and transform for a day into your true self - the person not pressured by responsibilities and obligations but the person who enjoys life. You are here with your family - the people whom you love and who love you in return. THIS is why you work so hard during the week - THIS makes it all worth it.

You arrive. The sun is really starting to heat up the air making it feel thicker but also like a deep massage at the same time. This is the life! You put on your suntan lotion and enjoy the silky feel of the moisturizer and the distinct scent of coconut on your skin. You make a mental note to reapply soon to your skin and to your family's skin soon and frequently while you're all in the sun.

Lunch time! You reach into the storage unit under your vinyl captain's chair seat cushion and pull out your weaved picnic basket and classic red and white checkered tablecloth. Then you reach under the passenger vinyl seat cushions and pull out the table components and construct the table. With your family, you enjoy a lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit, and pop. The sun is so hot it's already starting to heat up your nice, cool lunch. You can see everyone start to sweat and get uncomfortable. You have a solution! From the storage units at the back of your boat, you pull out a canvas bimini top you just purchased made by Northstar Products. You easily erect the bimini top as shown to you by your local boat dealer and voila! Shade!

You finish enjoying your lunch, appreciating the coolness of the shade and the brief reprieve from the beating noon sun. You inhale and smell the mixing scents of the sea and the new canvas. Since the day is yours, you decide to relax and read for a while to let your food digest before jumping in the water. You move to the back of the boat out of the shade of the bimini top and into the direct sun. After a short time, the heat of the sun starts to make you sweat. Time to jump in and have some fun! Water skiing, tubing, wake-boarding, and swimming. You're laying on a floating air mattress with the cool water lapping at your sides while the sun again relaxes your muscles. But in the back of your mind, you know that water attracts the sun and this is how skin gets burned - lotion or no lotion. So you swim back to the ladder and re-board your boat, heading straight for the shade of the bimini top. The warm air feels cooler on your wet skin under the shade. You dig into the storage units under the vinyl seats again and pull out a few board games. Nostalgia sets in and you play Yahtzee, Boggle, and Monopoly with your family under the shade of the bimini top to wind down your day. Your thoughts start to drift towards your planned dinner of grilled hamburgers when you get home. This was a perfect day. And you can't help but think of how different it might have been if you had never bought the bimini top to provide the shade you so needed when you needed it. You and your whole family could be going home miserable with burned, red, sore skin instead of going home relaxed and prepared for another week having had a perfect day with the people you love that justifies all of the hard work and pressure of the rest of the working week.

Why Buy From Northstar Products Inc?

Why Choose a Northstar Bimini?

- MADE IN THE USA

- 35 years experience in the marine industry working directly with boat manufacturers

- Unmatched quality and craftsmanship. We sew our bimini’s together with three sew lines.
-One lock stitch is ½” in from edge of material.
-The second is put in with our surging machine to prevent any possibility of the material fraying or falling apart.
-The third lock stitch is when our color matched binding (edging) is sewn on. These three stitches ensures a strong and durable bimni top for years to come.

- Unbeatable warranty -should a zipper break, thread break, binding (edging) come off, or snap come loose we will fix it for you at NO CHARGE. You send the bimini back to us at your cost, we fix it and send it back to you. We even pay to ship it back to you. This also covers your frame. Should any of the parts that hold your frame together break at any point, I will send you replacements at no cost. Should any deck mounts break at any point I’ll send replacements for those as well. No cost to you. We stand behind our work and the products we use to build them. The fabric also has a manufacturer warranty as well. Odyssey III - 3 year warranty. Aqualon - 3 year warranty. Outdura and Sunbrella - 6 year warranty. The fabric warranties are issued by respective fabric manufacturers and are subject to their terms.

- Each bimini is custom built for you. We sew each of these per order so if you have special instructions or options you need we can help right away. We ship in 1-5 days depending on season.

- Strong frames. Our aluminum square tube frames are made with an .062 wall which is the thickest you can get and still be able to bend the aluminum correctly. Many frames are made with an .047 wall. Thick wall = strong frame

New Canvas Tops Can Make Your Old Boat Look New Again.

So your boat may be looking a little, well, lets say tired. You were planning to buy a new boat this year but with the economy still on the mend and not quite back to where you are comfortable you are going to have to keep it. This is the perfect time to make some inexpensive investments into the boat and get it looking like new again. New furniture may be too expensive, new carpet may be too much work. Think about a new bimini top and frame. They are easy to put up and if made correctly will really set your boat off right. You can pick up a new one with a frame for a great price at www.northstarproductsinc.com. You simply need to measure how wide your boat is at the point you want to install it, then figure out how long you want it. That is it. You can make your boat look new again for as little as 306.09. Check them out and also look for other accessories to spruce up the old boat. You will be glad you did.

Who you should buy a bimini top from

When you do a search for Boat Tops or Bimini Tops you are given a lot of websites to choose from. Go one step further and search for something more specific like Pontoon Bimini Tops and a new set of websites are displayed. Refine your search more to something like Replacement Bimini Tops for Pontoon Boats and another set of websites is revealed. On some of those searches the same websites come up.

There are a lot of companies out there trying to get your business. Some have name recognition that makes the buyer feel good about buying from because they've heard of them. Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, Wal-mart, Overtons, and West Marine just to name a few. All of those companies have one thing in common - they are all distributors of boat tops. None of them manufacture them. In fact many websites you buy bimini tops from do not manufacture them - they distribute them.

There is nothing wrong with buying from a distributor. They know the products they are selling well enough. Service after the sale may be a problem though. If you have any trouble with your purchase and contact them for help they will more than likely either send you on wild goose chase to contact the manufacturer or they will have to get back to you so they can contact the manufacturer. Of course you are going to also pay a bit more for the bimini top if you buy it from a distributor. After all they have to mark it up to sell it to you.

They are in business to make money. Bottom line though...you trust the name Overtons. You trust the name West Marine. You trust the names Cabela's, Bass Pro, and Wal-Mart. You are willing to pay more for that piece of mind. But do you have to pay more for piece of mind? Is it really worth it? After all it is just bimini top for a boat. It just needs to keep the rain off of your head and the sun off of your back. Oh yeah, it should look good too.

If you invest a little bit of time into researching exactly what you are buying and who is making the product you will be able to save yourself a bunch of money. Everyone knows cutting out the middle man will save you money. The same is true in the aftermarket and replacement bimini top industry. Cut the middle man out. Cut the distributors out and buy from the manufacturer whenever possible. When it comes to service after the sale I know I would rather speak with the person that designed and built what I bought instead of a salesman.