The National Marine Manufacturers Association announced that it will induct Ben Speciale, president of the Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit, into the NMMA Hall of Fame.
Speciale will be presented the Hall of Fame Award Oct. 3 during the industry breakfast at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference in Tampa, Fla.
Speciale has held many positions at Yamaha and in 1992 left the company to work as production manager at Fenwick Fishing Tackle. He returned to Yamaha in 1996 to work in strategic planning and financial operations. Speciale was promoted to vice president of operations and planning in 2005, and five years later, he was named to his current position.
“Ben’s unwavering commitment and tireless efforts to guide not only Yamaha but our entire industry to success are commendable,” NMMA president Frank Hugelmeyer said in a statement. “His decades of leadership at the helm of Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit, as well as on the NMMA board of directors, including his recent tenure as NMMA board chair, have been vital in navigating pivotal challenges and opportunities to advance the growth and innovation of recreational boating.”
In 2022, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership presented Speciale with the Conservation Achievement Award for his leadership in environmental stewardship. Two years earlier, Speciale received the Eddie Smith Manufacturer of the Year award for his contributions to fishing and boating.
