The Luminary Impact Awards honor individuals and teams that are using business as a force for good across the marine industry. Categories reflect how positive change is achieved, recognizing individual excellence, collaborative teamwork and sustainable innovation.
Jemma Lampkin
AkzoNobel Global Business Director, Yacht Coatings
AkzoNobel is proud to support the Luminary Impact Awards, an initiative that celebrates leadership and innovation in the marine industry. These awards honor individuals and teams making a lasting impact across the boating community, the wider marine industry and the world at large. As the exclusive sponsor, AkzoNobel is committed to shining a light on those whose work champions sustainability, strengthens communities and shapes a brighter future. We are inspired by their dedication and are proud to champion this important platform that reflects the same values we uphold across our global yacht coatings business.
“The Luminary Impact Awards provide a platform to honor and elevate these efforts, highlighting the individuals and teams making a difference and inspiring others to take action,” says Michele J. Goldsmith, vice president and general manager of the Soundings Trade Only Group.
Here are this year’s award winners, whose work to make a difference spans the globe.
Community Leadership
Winner: Brunswick Corp., Global Community Initiative
The global community is a seriously big place, but that’s where Brunswick Corp. does business. The company has operations in 22 countries, and sells products into 170
markets worldwide. Those locations all have different needs, which is what the Global Community Initiative is all about. Through collection events, volunteer service and donations of cash or products, Brunswick’s local teams give back in whatever ways make sense for the individual communities.
Valencia, Spain, is one example. The city endured severe flash flooding in October 2024. Brunswick’s Navico Group and Freedom Boat Club employees volunteered for cleanup activities, while Mercury Marine, Bayliner and Quicksilver teamed up with Touron, the corporation’s largest dealer in Spain, to raise funds for relief efforts.
The Global Community Initiative also helped families in and around Las Vegas. Members of the Land ‘N’ Sea RV team volunteered during the annual LNS trade show recently to join partners in packing more than 350 boxes of food for families in need. A similar effort in Chicago saw participation in the 2024 9/11 Day Meal Pack event at Union Station.
In Europe, the initiative supported free services for cancer patients in 2024. The Navico Group team donated a Simrad NSX display and C-MAP cartography to an all-female charity event, Mediterraneo in Rosa, a 640-nautical-mile passage to raise funds for the Lorenzo Perrone Association.
On this side of the Atlantic, the initiative helped kids get ready to go back to school. The Navico Group team in Ensenada, Mexico, provided close to 120 families with school supplies. Mercury’s Plant 22 in Juarez, Mexico, delivered 384 packages of school supplies to more than 236 families. Sea Ray delivered a boat filled with school supplies to Madisonville Primary School in Madisonville, Tenn. In Edgewater, Fla., Boston Whaler hosted its 14th annual “Boat Load of School Supplies” drive, delivering backpacks and other items to four elementary schools in a 15-foot Montauk.
These are just a few of the projects within Brunswick’s Global Community Initiative, which continues to demonstrate meaningful community leadership on a global scale.
Individual Excellence
Winner: Bill Yeargin
In the 19 years since he became CEO at Correct Craft, Bill Yeargin has stabilized the once-struggling company and transformed it into a business that, in 2023, exceeded $1 billion in revenue. Today, the company has a family of brands that includes Nautique, Centurion, Supreme, Bass Cat, Yar-Craft, SeaArk, Parker, Revel, Pleasurecraft Engine Group, Indmar Marine Engines, Velvet Drive Transmissions, Ingenity Electric, Mach Connections, Merritt Precision, Osmosis, Watershed Innovation and Aktion Parks.
It wasn’t easy building up Correct Craft to where it’s positioned today. Yeargin’s work required restructuring parts of the business to improve efficiency. He established clear leadership expectations. He launched internal leadership-development programs to build future executives from within and implemented operational changes focused on quality, innovation and customer satisfaction. He also clarified the company’s mission and values, ensuring every department understood how their work connected to larger goals. The overall plan worked, creating consistent leadership, boosting internal morale and giving the organization a clear, strategic direction, in addition to profitability.
At the same time, Yeargin carved out space to help shape and grow the marine industry as a whole. His numerous roles have included serving as board chairman of the National Marine Manufacturers Association on strategic industry initiatives related to safety standards, sustainability, public policy and workforce development. He also has served on boards, including those of the American Boatbuilders Association, Water Sports Industry Association and Association of Marina Industries.
In Washington, D.C., Yeargin has served on the U.S. Manufacturing Council and provided counsel to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. He also has participated in numerous American Boating Congress advocacy events. Beyond the marine industry, Yeargin has served on boards for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Council of 100 and the University of Central Florida, where he chaired the Nominating and Governance Committee. His work in education has also included advisory roles at Palm Beach Atlantic University and Grace College, as well as support for marine technical training programs through McFatter Marine Technical College and High School.
Yeargin’s passion for excellence is undeniable, as are the results he has achieved through his ability to deliver on his vision.
Honorable Mention: Jim Koehler
Every fall, over six Sunday afternoons — for 27 years — Jim Koehler has shown children the joy of being on the water. Koehler is president and founder of The Dinghy Shop in Amityville, N.Y., where he has inspired future Olympians, collegiate all-Americans and coaches who, in turn, inspired even more kids.
“He salvages old Sunfish, Laser and Optimist sailboats and makes them available for kids without resources to participate not only in this fall series, but other events,” says Matt Kreuzkamp, a volunteer coach. “For many of those same kids, he quietly sponsors their entry fees and, in similar fashion, salvages dry suits and other sailing gear so kids whose families may not otherwise be able to afford it can learn to love the water.”
Several kids have gone on to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and Webb Institute, Kreuzkamp says, “tremendous educational platforms for children of humble families.”
Innovation in Sustainability
Winner: Boardwurks DerelictBoard
Fiberglass for decades has been a go-to material for boatbuilding. However, it’s a material that doesn’t naturally break down at the end of a boat’s life cycle, creating significant challenges when it comes to landfills and recycling options. DerelictBoard is intended to help solve those sustainability challenges.
The advanced composite panels are made with upcycled fiberglass, eliminating the need for virgin materials and reducing carbon emissions associated with traditional disposal methods. Producing the panels involves extracting fiberglass from abandoned boats, then processing and thermocompressing the material into high-performance panels suitable for marine decking, docks, construction sheathing and set design. According to Boardwurks, DerelictBoard panels are not only stronger than conventional plywood, but also are impervious to rot and highly resilient to the marine environment.
In 2024, the vessel-recovery initiative led by Boardwurks and its partners diverted more than 300 tons of fiberglass waste from Florida landfills, with a projected increase of 20% year-over-year. The material is 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle, and it reduces carbon emissions by 45% compared with conventional disposal methods.
Boardwurks has strategic collaborations with Emerge Marine, A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure, and RPM Machinery. The company has created 15 jobs, and its collaboration with local municipalities also provides hands-on experience in sustainable materials and restoration practices for people who might go into this type of work.
“DerelictBoard represents a paradigm shift in marine sustainability,” the company states. “Unlike traditional fiberglass disposal, which often results in hazardous waste and pollution, Boardwurks’ innovative process reclaims value from waste, setting a new industry standard for marine composite materials. The project not only addresses environmental concerns, but also promotes economic development through job creation and local restoration efforts.”
The goal is to expand DerelictBoard production across additional coastal states, creating a nationwide network of vessel recovery and material upcycling: “By scaling our operations, we aim to prevent thousands of tons of fiberglass from entering landfills annually while supporting local economies and marine restoration projects.”
Honorable Mention: Suzuki Clean Ocean Project
This multifaceted effort to protect aquatic ecosystems and environmental health got a big boost when Suzuki introduced its microplastics collecting device, first as an option and later as standard equipment on the company’s 115- and 140-hp outboards. The device uses the cooling system to filter and remove microscopic pollutants for proper disposal.
Simultaneously, Suzuki’s Clean Ocean Project has reduced waste and found sustainable alternatives in the packaging and shipping of outboards and parts, and in recycling and repurposing materials. This includes using plant-based dyes and plant-based alternatives to packaging “foam” and plastic sheeting.
The company coordinated cleanup events at beaches and parks across the country and around the world. It has sponsored recycling bins, named Clean Ocean Project ambassadors and more, all for one overarching purpose: “Suzuki is all about empowering everyday people and helping them see that, bit by bit, they can make a positive difference.”
Team Impact
Winner: Lippert, 100,000 Volunteer Hours
Lippert’s team members contribute to the company’s bottom line by manufacturing and supplying products for the RV, marine and automotive industries. In 2017, the company decided to set a goal of a collective 100,000 volunteer hours annually, to help team members also make meaningful contributions in the communities where they live and work.
“The goal was ambitious but clear,” the company says. “To turn Lippert’s company values into action by building a culture of caring, collaboration and community leadership.”
As it turns out, the team members wanted to do more. They’ve already recorded more than 1 million volunteer hours, with Lipert providing the time, structure and encouragement to engage with causes they care about — cleaning up public spaces, honoring first responders, aiding the elderly. By partnering with schools, nonprofits and local organizations, Lippert created a ripple effect of goodness that extends beyond its facilities and into the fabric of the communities where its team members live, work and play.
“This initiative has strengthened team morale, improved employee engagement, and contributed to a deeper sense of purpose and unity among Lippert’s global workforce of 14,000-plus people,” the company says. “Over the years, team members have consistently met and exceeded participation goals of over 70%, establishing a strong benchmark for involvement. This collective spirit has enhanced collaboration across departments, improved retention and created a more connected, mission-driven culture.”
The initiative has inspired OEMs, dealers and other marine partners to explore how volunteerism can strengthen brand purpose, build trust and deepen stakeholder relationships. It has reshaped expectations around workforce engagement, demonstrating that leadership through service is as vital as traditional performance metrics.
Some of the results include donating Lippert products as prizes for volunteers at cleanup events, working in partnership with Oasis Marinas to support National Marina Day, creating online communities for people to engage in projects year-round, and more.
“Lippert’s team members have served in ways that touch lives every day,” the company says. “These acts of service have directly supported thousands of local nonprofits, school systems and civic organizations, filling gaps where resources were limited or strained.”
Overall Honorable Mention:
Correct Craft, Global Service Trips
Correct Craft’s global service trips are organized with the goals of inspiring others to act and contributing to the higher purpose of “making life better.” The trips began in 2007, when 21 employees built a home in Tecate, Mexico, for a family in need. Today, there have been more than 850 volunteer spots on Correct Craft’s global service trips. “This July, we’re bringing 100 team members from Correct Craft to our brand Pleasurecraft Marine in Little Mountain, S.C.,” the company says. “PCM has created a partnership locally with Screaming Eagles Special Needs Athletics. Their 34-acre campus, known as ‘The Nest,’ is being developed into a comprehensive facility featuring indoor and outdoor sports areas, farming, camping, hiking and daily activity therapy.”
PCM will install fencing around the soccer field and play with the kids, renovate the arts and crafts room, construct pergolas and picnic tables, build sheds and more.
General Honorable Mention: Brunswick Corp., Engaging the Next Generation of Employees in the Marine Industry
Brunswick is tackling the marine industry’s workforce challenges by partnering with colleges, trade schools and organizations. One example is signing day, an event typically associated with high school athletes who sign a letter of intent to play sports in college. Mercury Marine and Mercury Racing attended signing day at Impact Institute in Indiana, which celebrated seniors who completed their career and technical education study, and who have been offered full-time employment or an opportunity to continue in postsecondary education.
Another example is Mercury Marine and Mercury Racing consulting with two collegiate teams, Princeton Electric Speedboating and University of Michigan Electric Boat, on sustainable technologies. Yet another example is the SkillBridge Internship Program. The Brunswick Veterans Network established an internship program for an initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. It provides civilian work experience and a path to employment for transitioning service members.
