J. Robert Long was a marine industry executive whose leadership shaped boating for more than five decades. He led Starcraft and AMF Crestliner before joining Wellcraft Marine in 1976, where he served as president for 17 years and oversaw growth from $30 million to $300 million in annual sales.
Long died July 15 in Sarasota, Fla. He was 86.
In 1994, Long and his wife, Karen, purchased Marine Concepts, then a 14-employee operation, from founder Augusto “Kiko” Villalon. For 22 years, he built the company into a design, engineering and composite manufacturing business with about 250 employees and more than 300,000 square feet of operations in Cape Coral and later Sarasota, an expansion that included acquiring Wellcraft’s former Sarasota manufacturing facility.
“Bob believed that the strength of any company came from its people,” Todd Biddison, program manager at Marine Concepts, said in a statement. “He challenged those around him to think bigger, trusted them to do their best work, and took genuine pride in helping others succeed.”
Long sold the company in 2016; it is now owned by Patrick Industries. He also helped establish the National Marine Manufacturers Association in 1979, served six years on its board, and was inducted into the NMMA Hall of Fame.
Long’s obituary can be read here.
