Bennington Recognized for Innovation at the Minneapolis International Boat Show for New Retractable Keeper Rail

Bennington, North America’s leading manufacturer of pontoon boats, announced today that it has been recognized for a National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in the furnishings category. The NMMA and Boating Writers International (BWI) announced the winners of the 2025 Minneapolis Innovation Awards at the Sneak Preview event on January 22 at the Discover Boating® Minneapolis Boat Show, in partnership with Progressive® Insurance. The Minneapolis Innovation Awards honor manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative products in the boating industry to market.

Bennington listened to their customers and heard that they have faced a tough choice in the past: sacrifice valuable seating capacity in the aft section when under way, or deal with obstructive railings that limit access and usability when stationary. The Retractable Keeper Rail was developed to eliminate this trade-off. Merging style and security, this feature rail is designed to revolutionize usability and comfort on the water. This product proves practicality and aesthetics can go hand in hand. The result is a manual feature that is user-friendly for adults and children alike. It solves the choice of limiting floor plans and options and elevates the pontoon experience.

“Keeping aft seating passengers secure and comfortable, the Bennington Retractable Keeper Rail is now available on several models,” said judge Bill Gius. “The high polish, stainless steel rail and linked chain system easily clicks into place for running underway or slides out of the way with the operation of three locking pin sets, to allow for easy access on or off the aft lounge and voluminous swim platform area.”

“We are grateful for the time and consideration afforded our Retractable Keeper Rail by the NMMA and BWI judges,” said Michael Shedivy, General Manager, Bennington Marine. “Putting the needs of our customers foremost has long been a hallmark of Bennington innovation. This new feature was derived completely through customer feedback and our engineers worked tirelessly to make it a reality and we humbly accept this time-honored recognition for this revolutionary new addition to our product line.”

To learn more about Bennington’s entire lineup of offerings, please visit benningtonmarine.com.