Existing Industry – Grady-White Boats Inc.
Name: Shelley Tubaugh
Position/Title: Vice President Marketing
Business Name: Grady-White Boats
Where, in Pitt County, is your business located: Greenville, NC
1. Tell us about your business/company.
Grady-White builds 28 models of fiberglass offshore, sport fishing, and family fishing boats ranging from 18 to 45 feet. We presently employ about 350 people. Our 60-year track record of pioneering designs, amazing craftsmanship, superb engineering, and exceptional customer service is unmatched by any other company in the industry.
2. How long has your business been operating in Pitt County?
Was your business originally established in Pitt County? Or did it expand/relocated to Pitt County? Please explain.
Grady-White Boats was founded in 1959 in Greenville, NC and has been under continuous private ownership by the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) Hall of Fame member Eddie Smith since 1968. The company moved to its current site in 1972, breaking ground for a modern manufacturing facility at 5121 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Highway.
3. What kind of employment do you offer? What are the range of positions?
Grady-White has a great team of really qualified craftsmen. We have 350 people at the plant and 200 of them are actually building boats and we have a wonderful team here in Pitt County.
4. Has your business expanded over the years? If so, how? (new infrastructure, new technology, etc.)
In March of 2018 the company announced the $8 million expansion of their manufacturing facility, adding over 70,000 square feet of space and 65 new jobs since then. The expansion creates additional capacity for its production of offshore recreational family fishing vessels. Grady-White last expanded in 2003, the 8th time since their beginning, when it invested $6 million to expand its facility by 50,000 square feet, including environmental control elements for the employees in the fabrication areas. The current expansion is the latest in a long line of additions and improvements Grady-White has made, 9 times over the years, to its corporate headquarters here in Pitt County, which is its one and only facility.
