A two-day gathering on corporate culture in the boating industry concluded Wednesday, with attendees using words such as “inspiring” and “terrific” at the conclusion.
This story by Michael Vernon originally appeared in Trade Only Today.
The 2020 Correct Craft Culture Summit, which had been in the works since June, was a TED Talks-like event that included a stage, two white chairs and multiple presenters who spoke about the cultures in their companies. Correct Craft underwrote the costs of the event and subsidized hotel rooms for attendees.
The summit brought together leaders from across the industry, including CEOs from boatbuilding and equipment manufacturing firms, association heads, engine builders, retailers, yacht brokers and human resources personnel.
The two-day summit was divided into sessions, with Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin opening the conference speaking about what corporate culture is and how it works at Correct Craft. He was followed by Kris Carroll, CEO of Grady-White Boats, who gave a detailed account of how culture works at the North Carolina builder, often including off-the-record details about successes and failures. Regal CEO Duane Kuck then spoke about the culture at his company, and how it has contributed to the family builder’s success for more than 40 years.
Paul Singer, president of Centurion and Supreme, led a session on how he built the cultures at boatbuilders he has been involved with over the years. Correct Craft acquired the Centurion and Supreme brands in 2018.
Trade Only Today attended the second day of the summit, and the enthusiasm in the room was palpable. The attendees spoke openly and often with emotion about aspects of their businesses they wanted to improve after hearing the speakers. Several said they plan to implement parts of the summit right away into their businesses.
Yeargin quoted business writer Peter Drucker, who said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
The summit also involved some soul-searching for executives, who admitted that they do not necessarily adhere to another Yeargin favorite: “Be a learner, not a knower.”
