stand-up jet skis in high school and college , and beginning a formal career in the marine industry , I have spent my entire life in the water world . What was your first job ? My first job in the industry was working at Ilmor Marine while I was still in college . What started as a summer internship led to the opportunity to continue working during the school year and then an offer after graduation . To this day , I am grateful to Paul Ray , Mike Lindberg , and the team at Ilmor for the rich learning environment I was privileged to be a part of . My start at Ilmor lit a fire inside of me that the marine industry continues to feed today . What accomplishment are you most proud of ? In this fast-paced and ever-changing industry , I am most proud of prioritizing my work-life balance . When I met my now wife , I was already in a field-based role and since then have spent my career working in the field . The travel , pace , and intensity can certainly shift priorities around , but I ’ m grateful for my patient wife who has supported me on my tireless pursuit of navigating the marine industry . Now that we have two kids : maintaining that balance and communication is even more important . I ’ m equally proud to have made it a priority to align myself with teams and leaders who also share this ideal . I love my family and this industry , so protecting that balance is key to an enjoyable and sustainable career . Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career ? It ’ s rare to have the chance to publicly thank the people who have helped guide my career . Shawn Csizmadia has been there since the very beginning . Daniel Clarkson , Bret Martin , Travis Hayes , and the integration team at Mercury have been constants in my life . Brett Dibkey , Dave Newcomb , and Les Ares have been some of the more recent influencers in my career that I ’ m grateful to have in my corner . There are many more , including leaders in the OEM boatbuilding world like Ron Berman and Technical Specialist Gene Cioffi who have taken the time to mentor and guide me . I have been blessed to work with these names and many others who have added immeasurable value to my career over the years . As a young professional , what are the biggest challenges you ’ ve faced in the marine industry and how did you overcome them ? My initial lack of experience in the marine industry was my biggest challenge . Surrounding myself with industry experts , being willing to listen to them , and my extreme passion for learning the marine industry helped me build experience and confidence . In recent years the biggest challenges I encounter are related to introducing new technology into the industry . Integrating new technology requires both a pioneering effort and unrelenting persistence to complete the projects , but the fulfillment from accomplishing these difficult initiatives is unparalleled . How do you hope to inspire others in the marine industry ? If nothing else , I hope to inspire others in the marine industry to never forget to listen to the customer . Sometimes the customer is the supplier , the boat builder , the distributor , but most importantly the end user . If we listen to our customers and help them accomplish their goals , we have a chance to continuously improve the marine industry experience as a whole . We need our end users to continue to enjoy boating . How do you set goals for yourself and set yourself up for success ? As cliché as it may sound , I appreciate the importance of formal goal setting each year and using the SMART goal outline . The size of the company doesn ’ t matter if everyone has specific , measurable , achievable , relevant , and time-bound goals that align with the company ’ s mission , the chances of success improve immensely . Each year I try to have personal goals I work towards along with my professional goals . What boat did you learn to boat on ? Our first family boat was a 1992 Thompson 245 Carrera . My career has afforded me the opportunity to drive and go boating on all types and sizes of boats and even own a few over the years . Of all the newer , bigger , and faster boats I have been on , I still had more fun on our old Thompson than any of the others .
Who was your hero as a child ? My parents and grandparents have always been my heroes . They have helped me stay grounded and focused on faith , family , and hard work . My grandfather was my initial influencer that supported my interests in the marine industry and a career path in engineering . He is still one of my best friends and was my best man at my wedding . His life started early on the water while immigrating across the Atlantic Ocean into Ellis Island after WWII and he continues to live a life near water in either Algonac , Michigan or Sarasota , Florida . What are some of your favorite non-boating hobbies ? I love spending time with my family near the water and I have also always loved cars . When we lived in Michigan I would buy , restore , and sell a 60 ’ s or 70 ’ s muscle car each year . I ’ m a gearhead through and through so when I have spare time it ’ s usually spent working on a car or boat project or simply detailing the family cars . Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry ? If you have a deep passion for boating , fishing , the outdoors , or being a part of making things , the marine industry can offer a rewarding career . While the marine industry may be chaotic or complex at times , if you share one of these passions you will undoubtedly be able to foster them working in the Industry . Even while having a bad day at work , your office may be on a boat , in a beautiful body of water , during a postcard sunset . There are not many other careers that can offer that same experience .
KAGAN HOPKINS PARTS MANAGER , HALL ’ S SPORT CENTER
What first drew you to the marine industry ? Simply growing up in Muskegon . The water is our greatest asset , and I wanted to be in an authentically West Michigan industry . The marine industry is linked with Muskegon culture . What accomplishment are you most proud of ? Marrying my wife . Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career ? Joe McGlynn , the parts manager I trained under . He was known in town as “ the boat wizard ” as he had a way of finding obsolete or elusive parts to keep old boats running . He was also just a fun guy to get to know before he retired from the parts manager role . We are still friends , and he lives in my neighborhood . As a young professional , what are the biggest challenges you ’ ve faced in the marine industry and how did you overcome them ? Staffing ! We have overcome the need for more staff by training existing employees for multiple roles or moving people from other departments into the parts and service counter position . This is still a struggle today that we are learning to navigate . How do you hope to inspire others in the marine industry ? I am proud of the Ship ’ s Store we have created at our Muskegon location . I had a hand in designing it . When other dealers visit , I hope we can inspire them to “ beautify ” their stores in the pursuit of providing a better shopping experience for customers . How do you set goals for yourself and set yourself up for success ? I make a list of short-term goals at the beginning of each week . But I orient this list in the pursuit of a larger goal I set at the beginning of each year . What boat did you learn to boat on ? A 1998 23-foot Baja Islander . Fun to ride in , terrifying to tube behind ! That boat was fast ! Who was your hero as a child ? My grandfather , Jim , who we called Papa . He made a lasting impression on everyone he
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