Jeff Husby ’ s marine industry career is driven by a relentless passion for the boating lifestyle which he ’ s enjoyed and embodied since the age of five .

Boating Industry ( BI ): What ’ s your boating background ? Jeff Husby ( JH ): I grew up in Wisconsin and enjoyed family boating since I was five … during the season , my parents and I went to my grandparents ’ house on the lake nearly every weekend to fish and boat … such great memories !

As I grew older , my aunt and my dad took interest in my passion for waterskiing and towboats . Dad and I bought our first towboat when I was 14 ; it was the first of many more towboats and years of memories with family and friends on the waters of Wisconsin .

For this special Top 100 edition of Boating Industry magazine , Jeff Husby is an obvious choice for our Profiles in Leadership spotlight . Having earned the coveted Dealer of the Year and # 1 national retail ranking in 2022 and 2023 , Husby and his company – Regal & Nautique of Orlando – now joins a small group of industry elite inducted into the prestigious Boating Industry Hall of Fame .

In addition , he and his team have earned scores of additional industry accolades including MRAA dealer certification and being named 5x MRAA Great Dealerships to Work For ; 5X PCM Dealer of the Year ; Nautique and Regal President ’ s Awards ; top NMMA CSI award winner in all brands for both sales and service ; retail winner of Sea Tow Foundation national boating safety

By Wanda Kenton Smith award ; among countless other distinctions . Husby , who has worked 33 years exclusively in the marine retail industry , currently splits his time managing and overseeing operations for three separate entitles : Regal & Nautique of Orlando with two locations including a new , state-of-the-art facility downtown Orlando and recently launched Clermont venue ; WaterSports Central with six retail locations in Georgia , South Carolina and Tennessee ; and 2024 start-up , Wake United , an online and brick and mortar watersports pro shop with nine sales locations .

Boating Industry caught up with Husby to talk about his relentless passion for the boating business ; the people and strategies that contributed to his success ; and his insights on industry challenges ahead .

BI : How were you introduced to the boating industry ? JH : Our local boat dealer in Eau Claire , WI was Nelson ’ s Sports Center , and my high school girlfriend ’ s dad owned the dealership . It was so cool to hang out there and look at all the boats . I often asked if I could clean the boats at boat shows , just to be a part of the crew .

BI : How and why did you launch your career in the boating industry ? JH : One word – PASSION . I knew I would move to Florida after graduating from college in Wisconsin . I was driven to be a part of the towboat business and to live in a warm climate .

In 1992 , I packed up everything I owned and made the move to Orlando . I applied at Correct Craft in hopes of fulfilling my dream , but they weren ’ t hiring , so I took a job as a sales associate at Boaters World which was owned by Ritz Camera . Six months later and after breaking multiple company-wide sales records , I asked for a raise . The district manager told me they capped out all sales associates at $ 6 per hour , so I went looking for another job . I found a parts manager position at Longwood Marine which lasted about a year . Then , I found an ad in the paper seeking a retail salesperson which ended up being Southeast Correct Craft . I started in February 1993 … and never looked back !

BI : Who were your early champions ? JH : I met Walt Meloon the first time by accident at IMTEC in 1992 and then reconnected during my second interview at Southeast Correct Craft when I was hired . Walt was an industry icon , and I was very intimidated when meeting him again , but I knew he was knowledgeable and part of the founding family of Correct Craft . Once Walt recognized my sales abilities , he made sure I was involved in all aspects of dealership training . SECC grew from selling a dozen retail units in 1993 to 100 + new retail units in 1996 , becoming the unofficial # 1 Nautique Dealer in the world . Walt gave me the necessary tools to grow and taught me how to “ do the right thing ,” no matter the cost . Honesty , integrity , and solid values from the Meloon family

28 february 2025 www . boatingindustry . com