The History of Grady White

In 1958 Glenn Grady and Don White founded Grady-White Boats in Greenville, NC. It was a humble beginning for the coastal Carolina handcrafted wood Boat Company. From the beginning the goal was quality and the designs were for small tough "works of art", boats with flared bows and lapstrake sides intended for the rigorous conditions of the Carolina coast.

A 1975 Model Hatteras

At that time Eddie Smith today's Chairman and CEO of Grady-White Boats was in high school and following graduation from college he entered the family business for three years when a chance meeting with Don White introduced him to the Grady-White company. This was 1968 and the Grady-White Company was struggling and the founders wanted to sell. With the support of his family, Eddie purchased the company.

Knowing his limitations Eddie hired Wiley Corbett, a man with a fabulous talent in manufacturing and engineering. This new team successfully transitioned the boats into fiberglass. In the meantime Eddie became excited about sport fishing, becoming internationally known for his fishing skills. At the same time the team adopted a plan that invited communication from customers and potential customers, and Eddie listened well. As a result he developed a truly great boat with the absolutely best distribution system, sales team, and dealer network and the listening continued. "Built by fisherman," became a company slogan and gave real direction to the designs and goals of the company.

The 275 Tournament, 2008

In 1989, Grady-White reached another milestone by partnering with C. Raymond Hunt and Assoc. and the introduction of the Marlin 2, with the now famous Sea V2 hull. Then in 1993 with the retirement of Wiley Corbett, Eddie chose Kris Carroll, a feisty Yankee woman who had joined the company in 1975 as a production control clerk to lead the company as President. The company continues to grow at a controlled rate to protect their goals of the finest quality, great customer intimacy and satisfaction.

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