Back in the ’70s, as anyone over the age of 50 will tell you, content consumption was vastly different than it is today. There were no online binge-a-thons, movies streamed instantly to all sorts of screens, or endless reels and shorts on social media. We often had to get in a car, drive somewhere and generally make effort to get a taste of the good stuff. Today, by comparison, entertainment is a constant, all-you-can-eat affair.

I got a big dose of all of these platforms in early June, after surgery to fix my Achilles tendon and remove a painful bone growth from my foot. After the surgery, the medical team handed me a pair of crutches, told me to not bear weight on the leg for six weeks and then packed me in the car and sent me on my way. What was I going to do for six weeks? Watch a lot of content, that’s what. 

Laid up in bed, I wandered in and out of (prescribed) opioid-induced power naps. I watched, for some reason, ’70s sitcoms on my iPad. After plowing through a few seasons of M*A*S*H, I landed on All in the Family. It was probably because I now identify more with Archie Bunker, the grumpy curmudgeon, than when I laughed at his son-in-law “Meathead” in my family’s living room at age 7.

As I watched, I was receiving texts, e-mails and phone calls from folks checking in on me. It wasn’t just family and friends. It was also amazing colleagues from our marine magazine team whom I have worked with for almost nine years. Then I started getting messages from people I never expected to hear from in the boating industry — my “other family” for the past 35 years.

Maybe they saw my gruesome post-op photos on social media, or perhaps my colleagues spread the word, but I received more than a dozen heartfelt communications from people who surprised me. I got texts from heads of organizations, e-mails from people who work in marketing and public relations, and messages from the folks who write for our magazine. 

It reminded me of how most people respond when asked what’s the best thing about working in the recreational boating industry: It’s the people. For some reason, I occasionally need to be reminded of that. The wonderful conversations I had put me on the road to recovery in no time. Just like on those old TV shows, folks in this industry are family in one way or another.

Family is the theme of this issue. Every year, we highlight one or more industry businesses run by multiple generations of families across decades — often 100 years or more. During the planning of this issue, I always worry that we’ve run the well dry, but it never takes long to find a company or two that fit the generational description. 

One such business is Ward’s Marine Electric, which this year turns 75. Run by third-generation president and CEO Kristina Hebert, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company has 50 employees in six facilities and serves all sorts of customers, from the Coast Guard to sportfish builders to megayacht owners and recreational boaters. You can read all about the company and its connection to the previous generations starting on Page 22. 

Another generational company is Quick Group, which employs 450 people across six brands that manufacture more than 4,000 marine-equipment SKUs. The company, based in Ravenna, Italy, is helmed by founder and CEO Michele Marzucco. In 2018, he brought his children, Chiara and Carlo, into leadership and ownership. They spearhead digital outreach campaigns, manage technical education efforts and prioritize factory-floor efficiency. Senior editor David Conway’s reporting on the company begins on Page 30. 

This issue also marks the first edition of Soundings Trade Only’s Luminary Impact Awards. The program recognizes people and companies in the marine industry that are using their businesses as forces for good. The results of the awards, sponsored by AkzoNobel, begin on Page 25, where you will find profiles that show more than one way the industry is a great place full of amazing people.

And speaking of a force that could potentially be used for good, artificial intelligence might soon help to improve hurricane forecasts. Budget cuts to government agencies have left some meteorologists and boaters wondering whether forecasting will suffer. Kim Kavin’s reporting on Page 32 suggests that while AI is not taking over that space anytime soon, recent developments indicate that it might be used to supplement traditional models for more accurate forecasts. 

AI is being used in the medical field now, too, with those folks telling me that I will be able to walk with two feet again in a couple of weeks. That sounds good to me, and I was happy to hear it from real people instead of a screen. I also look forward to reconnecting in person with my extended family all across the marine industry. Maybe at the next boat show, we can share a few of our favorite Archie Bunker quotes.