Congressman Davis Visits Grady-White

Congressman Don Davis (D-NC) visited North Carolina boat builder Grady-White on August 5 to hear from the company leadership and employees and to see the many upgrades since he was first elected to the North Carolina State Senate and visited the company several years ago.

Todd Leggett, dealer and customer relations manager for Grady-White Boats, showed the Congressman how the boats are built and explained the process and craftmanship behind each boat. Kris Carroll, president of Grady-White boats, introduced the Congressman to the company’s many employees during a tour of the factory floor.

“It was amazing to experience Grady-White’s incredible craftsmanship at their manufacturing facility in Greenville,” Congressman Don Davis stated in a press release. “We must keep supporting our thriving boating industry in eastern North Carolina.”

In addition to meeting with Grady-White’s leadership and employees, the Congressman was joined on his visit by Robyn Boerstling, senior vice president of government relations at the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

Congressman Davis, a member of the bipartisan Congressional Boating Caucus, has been a vocal advocate for the industry and the recreational boating and fishing community. Recreational boating is a significant economic driver in North Carolina, generating $9.1 billion annually and supporting more than 28,000 jobs.

The Congressman has noted his opposition to the vessel speed rule proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which would require small recreational boats to travel at 10 knots or less along much of the coast – including North Carolina –for up to seven months of the year.

Recognizing the potential impact the proposed rule would have on North Carolina’s manufacturers and coastal communities, Congressman Davis has signed on to H.R. 8704 – a bipartisan bill that delays NOAA’s proposed speed restrictions for boats 35-65 feet through 2030. The legislation also establishes a longer-term grant program to invest in technologies and efforts to reduce the risk of marine mammal vessel strikes. This grant program would build upon the $6 million NOAA provided to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support these efforts.