Stainless Marine

In the world of high-performance powerboats, holding the hot-hand in a poker run means getting there quickly but also in high style. The inside of the engine compartment is not only the place where the business of power is conducted, but it’s a showplace of shine, where harnessing brute force and hawking beauty go hand-in-hand. Stainless Marine of Opa Locka, Florida, has spent nearly 33 years in the world of brilliance and speed.

Stainless Marine’s factory has been in the same South Florida building for 33 years, but inside, it’s been keeping up with changing times in the world of speed and manufacturing. Founder Jerry Schmid started out in a single work bay during spare time after his job at Eastern Airlines to make a small line of stainless steel products. “It was pretty rough; I worked the night shift from eleven to seven, seven days a week,” says Schmid. “When I started this business, I would come here and work, sleep a little and go back to my shift at Eastern. That was my life for a few years.”