RAID International Business Director Terry Cummins has revealed RAID’s second quarter growth figures highlighting a 72% growth in RAID Dive Centres over the three month period. “The growth of RAID has been absolutely amazing. I have not seen anything like this since the early 70s when the US based training agencies started to take off internationally,” said the industry veteran. 

Cummins, a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute and known for his focus on solid metrics rather than marketing hype, went on to say: “With RAID, we have had very high double digit growth across all our major key performance indicators, including diver certifications, new instructors, new instructor trainers, new dive centres and countries where RAID is now available. For example, the response to our diver and instructor programs in Australia and Asia has been nothing short of amazing. With our Korean, Philippines and Indonesian Offices officially opening next month, we are sure to keep the momentum going not only with new instructors coming on-board, but with instructors and stores joining us from other agencies via our user-friendly, cost effective crossover programs. Similarly, our Regional Offices in Southern Africa and the UK are making very significant progress. In fact, all our Regional Offices are challenging the traditional models of service presented by other agencies and in respect to training, are leveraging our state of the art technology to offer substantial savings to both divers and dive pros on certification and membership charges which is a very big issue for many in the dive industry right now.”

Commenting on the release of the RAID growth figures, RAID International Training Director Paul Toomer said: “RAID has the numbers in a phenomenal upward spiral. This is because of our awesome international team and the full range of online courses RAID has that helps make all this happen. You want to know about free diving? Who’s better than Mike Wells and what he can bring to the table?  You want to know about gas diving? We have it all man from open water scuba, to tech, to all the major CCRs. You want to know the dive business? Unquestionably, our business team has the experience and the track record on that one totally nailed”.

RAID International CEO Jim Holliday is the first to admit that “RAID is not the biggest fish in the pond just yet, but I have every confidence that RAID’s outstanding growth and momentum will continue based on those virtues of a fair price, on-going innovation and good personalised service. For example, just on price, we are around half of what the old boys club charge, so retailers are quickly noticing us not just as a cost effective alternative, but also as a better business model generally. This is not an unsubstantiated claim. Here is the evidence: we only got started with the relaunch of RAID early this year after sailing under the industry radar for the first 7 years of the company’s history with a mere handful of stores – and now, 6 months later, we have dive centres in 40 countries and full service offices in 5 strategic locations, with 2 more to follow which I will proudly announce next month. One thing you can count on with RAID is we are not sitting still. We have more, lots more, on the way. I cannot wait to see the reaction to us at DEMA in November. We will be on booth 1038. So you dive professionals, come by and say hello to me and my team and be unafraid to take a look at what we have available for you and your customers – I guarantee you will be impressed.”

For more information visit www.diveraid.com.

Source: www.divenewswire.com