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The Work We Do: Richie Simicich, Strong’s Marine

I’m Richie Simicich and I work at Strong’s Marine.

My job title is yard manager. I’ve been here for over 20 years.

My responsibilities are making sure the technicians — we have eight technicians here — they all have their boats. Detailers are all made sure they have their boats down in a certain area. And we have high-and-dry customers. We have 81 rack customers, so they can call at any time and we put their boats in the water. So we’re just making sure everything flows properly.

My favorite part of the job is meeting customers, talking to customers that have been here for many years, knowing the families, knowing personal lives. Just being around the customer is my favorite part, seeing them this time of year. You get to know the family. You know the kids growing up. Right now it’s like a revitalization. The marine is shut down for the winter, no one is coming around and next thing you know springtime comes and everyone wants their boat in the water. 

Richie Simicich from Strong’s Marine. (Rachel Siford photo)

Here, there’s my work family. My work family with all my brothers and sisters. I remember when Ryan Strong and Jay Strong were born. I’ve really gotten to know the Strong family, being here for 20 years.

Boats have definitely changed over 20 years. There are different styles of boats, horsepower has changed. There used to be noisy, two-stroke engines, and now we have four-stroke engines that burn cleaner and are better for the environment.

I moved out here in 1972 and have been in Mattituck ever since. I’ve been in the Mattituck Fire Department for the past 36 years.

It makes you feel good to have customers that have been here for a long time and to meet new customers. I always say, my motto is, I’m here to make your boating experience a pleasurable one. And that’s what I do. It’s your boat. I take care of it like it’s my own.

“The Work We Do” is a Suffolk Times multimedia project profiling workers on the North Fork. It is made possible by Peconic Landing in Greenport. See photos on Instagram @thesuffolktimes.