Draft:Grady-White Boats

Grady-White Boats is an American manufacturer of fiberglass offshore, sport fishing, and family fishing powerboats. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, with dealers throughout the US and internationally, Grady-White has been under the ownership of Eddie Smith since 1968 and has been led by President Kris Carroll since 1993.

History
Grady-White Boats was founded in Greenville, North Carolina, in 1959 by Glen R. Grady and Don F. White. The company employed local craftsmen to build wooden boats. The first four boats were shipped in February 1960. . Later that year, a 20-foot model was introduced. By 1965, the company had a lineup of 13 models in production.

In the 1960s, fiberglass was increasingly used by boat manufacturers. Grady and White decided to sell the company to someone who could transition Grady-White Boats from wood to fiberglass. In 1968, White met Eddie Smith. By the end of 1968, Eddie Smith owned Grady-White Boats. Eddie Smith brought in Wiley Corbett, local engineer, Dick Anderson, fiberglass boat maker, and Bing Fishman, Jim Stoneman, and Pete Fuhrman as salesmen. In 1970, Wiley Corbett was named President.

Grady-White Boats built a new manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Greenville in 1972. The plant had 120,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 30,000 feet of storage. Grady-White began manufacturing the saltwater dual console category with the Tarpon 190 in 1978.

In 1987, Grady-White began working with C. Raymond Hunt Associates to design a new, larger hull. The design, called the SeaV2® hull, featured a variable deadrise that increased from a moderate deadrise at the stern to a sharper deadrise at the bow. This provided stability at rest and low speeds and a soft ride at high speeds. The SeaV2 hull debuted in 1989 on the 28-foot Marlin 28 walkaround cabin boat. The SeaV2 hull has been used exclusively on Grady-White boats since the 1990s.

After Corbett stepped down as President (1970-1993), Kris Carroll became Grady-White Boats’ President. Kris Carroll was the first woman to be President in the US boating manufacturing industry and the first woman inducted into the NMMA Hall of Fame.

Grady-White added a 50,000 square foot expansion in 2003. This expansion allowed for increased manufacturing and new boat models. In 2018, Grady-White Boats expanded again with a 70,000 square foot addition, allowing for production of the Canyon 456 center console boat.

Industry recognition
Grady-White Boats has been awarded every third-party customer satisfaction award in the marine industry. In 2019, Grady-White received the NMMA Global Star award for success in international exporting.

Grady-White has been honored for contributions around Greenville and Pitt County. Grady-White was selected as Pitt County’s Industry of the Year in 2001 and in 2018 by the Pitt County Economic Development Commission. Several members of the Grady-White team have been individually recognized in the boating and manufacturing industries.

Several members of the Grady-White team have received individual recognition in the boating and manufacturing industries. Kris Carroll, President, Shelley Tubaugh, Vice President of Marketing, and Jill Carraway, Vice President of Finance, have all been recognized by The Manufacturing Institute as Outstanding Women in Manufacturing, receiving the Institute’s STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead Award. Carroll has been recognized by the Center for Coastal Conservation for her leadership in sound conservation and use of ocean resources. She also received the 2018 Hammond Marine Industry Leadership Award for extraordinary service and commitment to advocacy on behalf of the recreational boating industry

Patents
Grady-White Boats has received patents for innovations particularly related to ergonomics, seating, storage, and safety features. Among the company’s patented features are its foldaway bench seat, convertible seat assembly, portable boat ladder, fishing rod storage system, and boat seat with stowable seat back.

Current models
Grady-White currently produces 26 models in five different designs including coastal explorer, center console, dual console, walkaround cabin, and express cabin boats. All models feature unsinkable foam flotation and are engineered to exceed the U.S. Coast Guard’s boat manufacturer standards.