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NORTH FORK, NY — Strong's Marine, a beloved family business for more than 80 years, and dedicated to serving the boating community, has set sail on a new chapter: Recently, the company announced that it had expanded its authorized sales and service territory for Grady-White Boats, further strengthening its ability to serve boaters across Long Island and New York City.
"Founded in 1945, Strong’s Marine has built its reputation on generations of boating knowledge, hands-on service, and a long-standing commitment to customer satisfaction," representatives said. "Today, the Strong family continues to lead the company with a focus on delivering a seamless ownership experience across sales, service, and dockage."
Strong’s Marine has expanded its Grady-White Boats presence from New York City and Nassau County into Suffolk County, now serving much of Long Island, including the North Fork and Shelter Island.
The strategic growth allows Strong’s Marine to better support both new and existing Grady-White owners with convenient access to sales, service, and dockage solutions across its network of locations, all supported by "Strong’s Total Care Commitment", ensuring a seamless ownership experience from purchase through long-term service and support, representatives said.
"Grady-White is one of the most respected brands in boating, and we’re proud to expand our relationship in a way that better serves our customers," said Ryan Strong, vice-president of Strong's Marine. "This expansion allows us to bring more boaters into the Grady-White family while continuing to provide the hands-on service, local expertise, and long-term support Strong’s Marine is known for."
"Strong’s Marine has consistently demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction and a deep understanding of the boating lifestyle," said Todd Leggett, Grady-White director of sales and customer relations. "We are excited to further strengthen the Grady-White customer experience across Long Island and New York City with a partner who shares our values of quality, integrity, and customer care."
The expanded territory enables Strong’s Marine to offer a full lineup of Grady-White models, from versatile center consoles to offshore fishing platforms, supported by factory-trained technicians, premium service capabilities, and seamless ownership experience, representatives added.
The news of the expansion came just as Port of Egypt Marine in Southold, longtime exclusive dealers of Grady-White boats, announced a sale to Hinckley; the name will remain the same and both Yvonne and Will Lieblein will continue in their roles.
"One notable change is that we will no longer serve as a Grady-White dealer," Port of Egypt's Lieblein family wrote in a letter to their clientele. "Since 1960, Grady-White has been a cornerstone of the Port of Egypt experience, and we are incredibly proud to have been the longest-standing Grady-White dealer in the world. The relationships we’ve built over the years — with colleagues, partners, and friends — are deeply meaningful to us, and we will always treasure those memories. And while we will no longer sell Grady-White boats, you can count on us to continue caring for yours."
Reflecting on Strong's Marine's longtime tradition, Jeff Strong, president of the company, reflected: "We have seven very high quality brands; Grady-White is one of them. Thankfully, we've had Grady-White at our western location since 2016 so it's not a new relationship for us, but it's a significantly expanded relationship."
He added: "Port of Egypt had done a very good job. It was a Grady-White dealer for over 50 years."
His son Ryan navigated the expansion, Strong noted.
"We all feel great about it," Ryan said.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us," Jeff Strong said, adding that the longtime business has the capacity, both in expertise and in technical issues, to handle any issues clients might have seamlessly.
"We're there to support them— that's a big message for us," Jeff said. "We want to be sure Grady-White owners know we're excited — we've been a dealer already for 10 years back west, so we know the product, we know the brand, and we have a great relationship with Grady-White. They'll be in good hands."
Whether it be service needs, captain's needs, parts, or potential trade-ins, "We're there to help with any of those needs," he said.
Despite new horizons, Jeff said the hometown family values that have long been a tenet of the firm for decades remain strong and steadfast. The enduring mission is to share a love of the water, of navigating new journeys under blue skies, creating moments that will live forever in family memories.
"It's about being on the water, for me," he said. "Some people may feel they have to use a boat X amount of times, for X amount of hours, every year. But it's about the memories. Our boating season is four to five months and even if you only get out on the water 12 to 15 times, those are memories, not just for owners, but for their friends, family, children and grandchildren. It's not about how many times you get out on the water — it's about having special memories."
To see his son involved with the family business is deeply rewarding, Jeff added. "Family is everything to me," he said. "We're very fortunate. There are a handful of other family businesses on the East End that have that type of longevity that we do, but it's a small handful. We are blessed."
And, Jeff added, it's the entire Strong's team that has created such a strong legacy. "The team that we have is, quite frankly, amazing," he said. "We have many that have been with us for many years — and now, their kids or relatives work for us, too. So it's not just the Strong's family – it's the family within our team. They, and we, are all passionate about getting people in the water —and providing super service is a mandate, basically. You need to have that high level of hospitality. For us, it just feels very rewarding."
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