Spending time on the water usually involves family, so it should come as no surprise that many longstanding recreational boating companies are run by multiple generations of the same family.
“We didn’t live on the water, so my brother and I would get up early to help get the boat ready, and we would go to George English Park, which is a popular boat ramp,” says Kristina Hebert, CEO at Ward’s Marine Electric in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “We would either go fishing or go up the Spanish River and have a picnic. It was always what we wanted.”
Ward’s Marine Electric is one of a handful of companies celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2024 and 2025. The electrical power specialist will turn 75 next year. Correct Craft, the parent of Nautique Boats, is celebrating 100 years in 2025, while the Healey family has members of its third generation helping lead the way at Viking Yacht Co. in its 60th year. The third generation of the Kuck family is in management at Regal Marine Industries, while at S2 Yachts, the parent company of Tiara, the Slikkers family has logged 50 years.
Each company has taken its own path to success and has its own story to tell, but the common thread they all share is that from generation to generation, they have passed down a love of boats and boating, and a knowledge of how to create products that bring ever more people into the fold.
100 Years and Counting
Greg Meloon is the president of Nautique Boats, which builds water-sports towboats. After graduating in the mid-1990s from Indiana University and earning a master’s degree at Rollins College, he started working at the company’s Midwest distribution center alongside his father, Ken, wrapping parts for delivery and buffing out hulls.
Greg, 49, is currently the only member of the Meloons working at the company. He represents the fourth generation of the family. There are cousins, and his son interned for Nautique Boats while attending college.
The company was founded in 1925 when Walter C. Meloon moved his family from New Hampshire to Pine Castle, Fla., to start the Florida Variety Boat Co. The business became a pioneer in trailering boats to deliver them instead of using railways. In 1936, after hearing a radio advertisement describing “the correct heel for your shoe,” Walter decided to market his boats as the “correct craft for you.” The company changed its name to Correct Craft Boats.
Initially, the company built runabouts. It expanded with a new plant in Titusville, Fla., in 1942. During World War II, Correct Craft manufactured boats for the military, and the yard continued to build mahogany boats throughout the 1950s. In 1961, entrepreneur Leo Bentz approached Correct Craft with an offer to sell the mold for the Ski Nautique water-skiing towboat and brand name in exchange for a new boat and free service. The shift to inboard-powered water-sports towboats was launched.
Through the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, water skiing boomed. The company created a boat for barefoot skiers in 1979. In 1981, a new Ski Nautique was introduced. A fishing version, the Bass Nautique, was unveiled two years later. When wakeboarding introduced a new series of athletes to a rope attached to the back of a boat, the Air Nautique was introduced in 1997.
Greg took over at Nautique while management at Correct Craft shifted outside the family, with CEO Bill Yeargin. The company ended the distribution-center business model in 2008 and brought all operations into the Orlando headquarters, which covers 290,000 square feet and has two private test lakes. During the pandemic, the company added a 300,000-square-foot facility across the street to make room for additional Nautique production capacity and to accommodate the Watershed and Ingenity divisions. Today, Nautique Boats has 611 employees.
With the consolidation, Greg relocated to Orlando and expanded his skillset. “The sales side was a good opportunity to ask questions and learn from our customers what they wanted,” he says.
He says the most satisfying thing about working at Nautique is the pride the employees have in the company and its products. “The second part,” he says, “is exceeding the expectations of customers in the field.”
Another key pillar for the company is a deep-rooted faith. “Our company was founded on the core principle of building boats to the glory of God, and we continue to embrace this philosophy today,” Greg says. “We share this with the marketplace through our Correct Craft mantra of ‘Making Life Better.’ ”
On working in a multigenerational environment, Greg says that he and his father always had a good relationship. “The hardest thing was to keep business discussions out of family time,” he says. “It was always about building value into the business and being successful for the future.”
Greg also points to his relationship with his grandfather, Ralph Meloon, who lived past 100 years and was known as “Mr. Ralph.” He made it a point to say hello to every person at an event like a water-skiing tournament or when walking through the factory. “He would make sure he could visit every person up and down the beach, in the pavilion,” Greg says. “He not only shared his excitement for the boats, but also for his faith and purpose in life.”
The fifth generation, Greg’s son, is graduating from college and hopes to join the family business, but nothing is guaranteed. “When he graduates, he’ll have to earn his way here,” Greg says.
The Prodigal Daughter
At Ward’s Marine Electric, Hebert is the daughter of Ward II and Trudy Eshleman, who took over the helm in 1983. Ward senior founded Ward’s Marine Electric 74 years ago. Hebert earned a bachelor’s and a law degree, and was planning to embark on a legal career, but her father asked her to help bring the company’s product catalog into the modern age by putting it online. She agreed and then decided she wanted to be more involved in helping the company grow.
“I started really spending time in all the departments while I’m trying to put together this product catalog,” she says. “I knew all the employees since I was a kid, but then I started working with them and really learning about all the things we do.”
Hebert worked her way up to president and CEO. Her brother Wardy Eshleman is vice president and chief operating officer. He works out of the Riviera Beach, Fla., location, while Hebert is at the headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. The company employs 52 people and specializes in designing and installing electrical power supply systems for boats.
Ward’s Marine Electric is a tight-knit group that likes to spend time together outside work. When the company sponsors a lunch or after-hours gathering, it’s only for the workers. “When we have lunches or we have think tanks or we’re talking about a new project, I know people are going home excited to talk about it,” she says. “The best part of my job is the people I get to work with.”
Her father is semiretired but keeps in touch. Hebert says a transition needed to take place between Ward the executive and Ward the dad. “You have to separate family and business sometimes,” she says. “You can’t pull daddy cards or mommy cards when you’re here, and I can’t pull my daughter card.”
She says leading the company is a huge responsibility. “It’s not only my job to make sure that we remain successful, but that we grow and we evolve,” she says. “I’m looking at where we were 20 years ago and the marine industry in general, and where we are today, and it’s two very different places.”
To evolve with the level of complexity built into so many boats, Ward’s Marine Electric offers a management service that lets an employee dial into a given boat to do remote diagnostics for a client. “We sell our power management systems, and with the last upgrade we did, we include a laptop with the proper connections,” Hebert says.
Ward’s Marine designs and provides power delivery systems but does not do equipment installations for things like electronics. The company’s customer profile ranges from contractors to crewmembers, chandleries, boatbuilders and boat owners. “On the service side, we are called by builders; we are called by owners; we are called by yacht management companies, yards, marinas; and we do custom engraving for panels,” Hebert says.
All of Ward’s Marine Electric technicians are certified by the American Boat & Yacht Council, some at the master level. Ward II is the current past chairman of ABYC and a past chair of the electrical committee.
Ward’s Marine has also opened its own academy to train employees. The company only offers the service to its workers, but Hebert says she knows the value that could come with a curriculum for vocational schools.
Standing On Their Own
As the grandsons of the company founder and the sons of Viking Yacht Co. president and CEO Pat Healey, Sean and Justin Healey grew up working in the company. In the early 2000s, Don Gemmell, a member of the Viking design team, went to Pat with the idea of developing a line of outboard-powered center consoles, but the U.S. economy had other plans, and the New Jersey-based builder put those plans on the back burner. In 2016, Sean and Justin revived them. Viking purchased the Ocean Yachts property near the Mullica River in Egg Harbor City, N.J. It would eventually become Viking Mullica and the primary manufacturing plant for Valhalla Boatworks.
At the 2018 Miami International Boat Show, the Viking team met with designer Michael Peters about developing a high-performance center console using Peters’ patented double-stepped bottom design. “We owned almost every single brand from Regulator to Contender to Jupiter, so we knew we could build a better center console,” says Sean, who is a sales representative for Valhalla Boatworks and Valhalla Boat Sales. He also is a member of the Viking demo team and represents Viking Marine Group at boat shows, tournaments and other events.
“We were the gnat in [Pat’s] ear, and ultimately he started thinking harder about it,” Justin adds. “Ultimately, we were so confident in our team’s ability to build the best boat.” Justin is also a sales representative for Valhalla Boatworks and Valhalla Boat Sales. He’s a member of the demo team and represents the company at events.
While Justin and younger sister Kaitlyn work at Viking headquarters in New Jersey, Sean relocated to Florida in early June to work at the company’s Riviera Beach facility that houses the Viking Yacht Service Center, Valhalla Boat Sales and two other subsidiaries. As a member of the marketing department, Kaitlyn is the manager of social media. She also attends boat shows, tournaments and other events.
Growing up, Sean and Justin spent most holidays and summers at the Viking plant. They would frequently ride to work with their dad and roam the plant until they found their grandfather, Bill. The fiery Irishman was known as “Dukes” because he enjoyed boxing as a fan and competitor, and would frequently tell his grandchildren, “Put up your dukes.”
“That was always my fondest memory, coming to the plant and just getting to walk around with my grandfather,” Justin says.
Kaitlyn danced competitively growing up, while Sean and Justin were year-round athletes. When asked to compare Pat to a sports coach, Sean chose Mike Ditka, who coached the NFL’s Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl win before becoming a TV commentator. “He’ll coach you hard,” Sean says, “but he’ll pat you on the back and bring you in for a hug when it’s necessary.”
One thing that was never in question was that the Healey children would all be working at the family business. “Over time, I realized the pride that everyone had working here,” Kaitlyn says. “That’s something that I wanted to be surrounded by.”
Justin and Sean took a more traditional path to joining the company, starting in the make-ready finished dock area. Justin remembers showing up in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and was given the task to power-wash a hull bottom. “They asked me if I wanted a Tyvek suit, and it was 90 degrees out. I shortly realized why they offered the suit because I was covered in blue,” Justin says, describing ablative bottom paint.
Sean also did his time in the make-ready area, carrying a bucketful of rags and bottles of Spray Nine from the bilge to the flybridge to clean boats.
All three Healey children grew up with members of the Viking demo teams — guys who still play critical roles in the company today — including Drew McDowell, David Wilson and Ryan “Chief” Higgins. “It meant a lot to all of us to get to work with them,” Sean says. “Being able to look up to those individuals as mentors and, you know, to kind of lean on them and their experience.”
As the brothers gained experience, they learned that regardless of the task, the Healeys knew that a certain amount of accountability and responsibility came with their last name. “It was instilled that we’re no better than anybody,” Sean says. “We’re expected to work harder than anyone else, and it’s allowed us to grow and persevere throughout some of the hardships you might have within a family business.”
Viking Marine Group has nearly 2,005 employees and the third generation of Healeys feels a responsibility to each one. “There is by no means a chance for failure,” Sean says. “Seeing my father’s and grandfather’s success and the way they’ve been received by their peers, my brother, I and my sister have that extra motivation to ensure that we have the blueprint on how to succeed as a company.”
A Great Start
Tim and Duane Kuck grew up boating on Whitewater Lake in Wisconsin, but it wasn’t until their father, Paul, bartered deal to trade a boat for the use of a house on Man-O-War Cay in the Bahamas that their passion for the water bloomed. “That put us on the water in a beautiful environment — you know, kind of an idyllic place,” Tim says.
Paul and Carol Kuck had founded Regal Boats in 1969 with a mission to advance the luxury of pleasure boats and to acknowledge God. Duane, 69, is the president and CEO; Tim, 66, is executive vice president. Duane’s wife, Cindy, has played an integral role at the company behind the scenes for 33 years, serving on the board of directors. Duane’s sons, Paul and Jake, are the third generation in management. Paul graduated with a degree in business marketing from the University of Central Florida in 2014 and is chief operating officer. Jake graduated two years later from Florida State University and is vice president of North American sales and marketing.
Around 1975, Paul, the founder, was considering buying 6 acres of land to build a new factory for Regal. “Our dad asked us, ‘Do you want to stay with the business?’ ” Tim recalls. He and Duane said they wanted to stay involved, and the facility was built.
Being a Kuck didn’t always come with perks. “When you’re a family member, it’s like, well, whatever has to be done, and by the way, you’re going to get paid less and you’re expected to work harder,” Duane says.
The third generation started working at the factory during summers, trying different roles until they found what interested them. “I always had a big passion for the products, and that evolved into manufacturing, nuts and bolts, and what’s going on in the factory,” Paul says.
Jake enjoyed traveling to boat shows and the sales side of things. “Pretty early on, we identified that I shouldn’t be building anything,” Jake says. “I really got into sales and started liking it more.” Because Jake also has some education in finance, he works alongside the chief financial officer, as well.
Working at a family-owned company has advantages for the members, according to Jake. “Just being around the business, it’s probably come up around a dinner table or things of that nature,” he says.
Paul adds, “The family is made up of boaters. It’s our passion, so Jake and I have gotten to live the lifestyle of our owners. This experience helps us understand what our customers might want.”
Through the generations, one constant has remained a devout faith in God. “Our purpose is to honor God and enrich lives,” Duane says. “We feel like this is God’s business, and we’re privileged to be able to be stewards of it.”
With 750 employees, managing individual relationships can be challenging, but Duane says his father set an example of how to work with family by “letting out a lot of line.” One time, Paul and Carol went on a European vacation and left 25-year-old Duane in charge. “I remember having a very challenging manufacturing supervisor,” Duane says. “We got into it, and he quit.”
When asked if the third generation has come to Tim or him with an idea that was just way out there, Duane says, “We tend to end up thinking similarly without a lot of divergences. As far as growth, which I think is a good thing, sometimes I look at their plans and say, ‘Wow, that’s aggressive.’”
Lessons Learned
When shutdowns from the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, Tom Slikkers, president and CEO of Tiara Yachts, told his sales department to go through the builder’s backlog and cancel every order for a boat intended for dealer inventory. “The only orders I wanted us to keep on our books were those for retail customers,” Slikkers says. “We had about 120 orders, and we canceled close to half.”
When companies went back to work, Tiara brought its employees back to the Holland, Mich., factory. Demand for boats then skyrocketed, but the experienced executive didn’t give in to the temptation to try to meet the surge. “I had dealers calling me asking to increase production, and I said, ‘We are holding production in the rate that we are.’ ”
He told the retailers that he was facing his own challenges, including finding enough employees and addressing supply-chain backups. “For all the years I’ve been doing this, anything that goes up that fast is not going to stay up,” he says. “I’ve seen our company try to do things like that before, and the result has never been favorable.”
Tom, 62, has been at the helm of Tiara since 2012 and has logged more than 40 years in boatbuilding and sales. He is the youngest son of Leon Slikkers, who started in boatbuilding at Chris-Craft in 1946. Leon left in 1955 to start building SlickCraft wooden runabouts. One of Leon’s many claims is being among the first to start working with fiberglass in 1957. By 1960, he had committed exclusively to the material. After the company moved to a larger facility in Holland, Leon sold SlickCraft to AMF and stayed on as president.
In 1974, Leon founded S2 Yachts with his sons David and Bob, who are now 75 and 73, respectively. Initially, the company focused on building sailboats, but in 1976, Tiara Powerboats made its debut with the 20-foot Overnighter and 25 Vacationer. That was followed by the introduction of Pursuit fishing boats in 1977.
Tom started at Tiara in accounting and stayed there for almost three years, with his brother Bob as his boss. “In one of my reviews, he said, ‘You do great work here, but it isn’t your cup of tea. You’re going to have some other opportunities in other areas of the business, so you’re going to sales,’ ” Tom says. “Today, I look at it as an awesome move because it gave me a different perspective of what we do, who we interact with, what the interaction was like.”
As with Correct Craft and Regal, a devout faith is a pillar of the management culture at Tiara Yachts. No one at the company works on Saturdays because the Slikkers are Seventh-day Adventists. “It’s been that way since Leon instituted this on day one,” Tom says. “For many years, my dad would go to boat shows, and on Saturday, our booth was closed. I don’t let any employee work on Saturday.”
The culture is based on more than taking a day off. “We’re going to operate with Christian values, and there’s a subset of things that fall under that,” Tom says. “It denotes how I’m going to treat customers, dealers and employees, suppliers, people we’re in business with.”
When he took over the presidency of the company in the wake of a recession, Tom immediately recognized the gravity of his decisions. “The weight of what you’re doing has a significant influence on a lot of individuals,” he says. Of the 750 or so employees at Tiara, Tom says, he sees them as 750 mortgages and about 1,000 college tuitions.
Today, Tom strives for a culture of engagement, including profit sharing that the family all agreed upon for the employees and multiple generations of other families working at the company. He holds monthly meetings and tells the staff when things are going well, and when they aren’t.
“I have to be willing to consider myself more of a servant than I do a top dog of the company,” Tom says. “When I go out on the shop floor, what they want to hear from me is, How’s your kid doing? What’s going on at home? Are we taking good care of you? They want to know that I care.”
Tom wants to have a good succession plan in place, but the message he has for someone looking to be promoted might surprise some people. “You may want to be promoted at some point,” he says. “Your best insurance for that would be to build up your successor.”
Tom has two children. His daughter is 35 and works as a dentist. His son Alex, 32, is a product manager at Tiara. Looking ahead, Tom says he plans to stick around for a while, primarily because he loves his job. “We just hope we can keep making this cool company cooler,” he says
This article was originally published in the August 2024 issue.
