Furuno won the Manufacturer of the Year award in the “Support” category, and the NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) convention. Not only does this mark the sixth time Furuno has won the award, Furuno’s the only company that’s won it since the award’s introduction six years ago.

Furuno also garnered recognition for its radar in  the Best Radar Category, for their NavNet 3D DRS Ultra Hi-Definition Radar Series. And it took Best Navigation Category with the NavNet 3D MFD12. And Best Fish Finder with the FCV295. And – whew, we’re almost done – got second place in the Marine Specialty Product division, for the SC30 Satellite Compass.

Hey: we already knew Furuno made top-shelf gear. The real news is still that sixth consecutive win for Support. Essentially, this hinges on customer support, something that many marine electronics manufacturers sorely lack. Yes, we’ve all heard the stories of month-long repair waits, returned units that weren’t fixed, and intermittent problems that lasted the lifetime of a GPS or fishfinder. But it’s pretty darn rare to hear those stories about Furuno.

“Customer service to both our technical marine electronics dealer network and our end-users has always been the number one goal at Furuno USA. We are extremely proud to be able to offer products that are extremely reliable and customer support that makes customers feel secure in their purchase,” stated Jim Atteridge, President of Furuno. “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve upon our customer service and an example of this is our new Furuno Forum located on our web site. We’re connecting dealers and customers through our on-line community to ensure that Furuno customers are able to get answers 24/7, 365 days a year.”