Strong’s Marine to sell Grady-White boats on North Fork for first time
One of the East End’s largest family-owned marine businesses is making waves, landing a major boat brand.
Mattituck-based Strong’s Marine, founded in 1945, announced Thursday it will now carry Grady-White boats on the North Fork for the first time — pushing deeper into the East End market with one of the industry’s top brands.
The company has been part of the local boating scene since 1965, when Jeff Strong’s parents moved the family business from Lindenhurst to Mattituck, establishing what became its original marina on Camp Mineola Road near James Creek.
“We’ve built our business around service and long-term relationships,” Strong’s Marine president Jeff Strong told The Suffolk Times. “That’s really what this is about — supporting customers wherever they are.”
Today, Strong’s sells roughly 200 boats a year and operates multiple marinas, service centers and storage facilities across Long Island, including locations in Southampton, Freeport and Port Washington. They employ about 125 full-time workers along with dozens of seasonal staff.
Sitting at a picnic table on a sunlit afternoon at Strong’s Water Club on Thursday, Mr. Strong spoke as crews moved between shrink-wrapped boats along Mattituck Inlet, preparing for the season after a long winter. A stiff breeze snapped banners on a nearby flagpole listing the brands the company sells — Grady-White not yet among them — while a sign at the entrance had already been updated to include the new brand, a sign of how quickly the deal is taking shape.
The expansion ramps up competition on the East End, where the marina business is changing fast.
“The marina industry is going through a very massive consolidation phase,” Mr. Strong said. “Over the last 10 years, it’s really heated up in a very big way.”
The move to add Grady-White boats to Mattituck builds on an existing relationship with the manufacturer, which Strong’s has represented for several years at its western Long Island locations. The expansion will allow the company to lean on its network of marinas and service facilities to support both new and longtime customers across the East End.
Grady-White — known for top-tier fishing boats and high-end consoles, with models running roughly 20 to 45 feet — approached Strong’s about expanding the relationship, Mr. Strong said. The brand is also known for strong resale value, often ranking among the top in the industry, according to Boat Trader.
Mr. Strong said adding Grady-White complements — not replaces — the company’s existing lineup.
“It’s like having BMW and Mercedes under one roof,” he said during a tour of the company’s Mattituck properties.
At the original marina on Camp Mineola Road, the sales office was busy as Ryan Strong, 41, the company’s vice president, came down from a second-floor office and moved quickly through the busy space. Outside, several Grady-White boats — including a roughly 30-foot Freedom with a pale green hull — were already mixed in among other brands in the yard.
Mr. Strong said his son will oversee the expanded Grady-White operations, after spending the past few years working to bring more of the brand into the company. It’s part of a steady transition to a third generation of family leadership.
“Strong’s Marine has consistently demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction and a deep understanding of the boating lifestyle,” said Todd Leggett, director of sales and customer relations for Grady-White Boats. “We’re excited to continue growing the brand with a partner that shares those values.”
