Maverick Boat Group CEO, Scott Deal Inducted into the NMMA Hall of Fame
We'd like to congratulate Scott Deal for being inducted into the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Hall of Fame! Scott's continued advocacy and tireless support of the sportfishing industry and health of our waterways does not go unnoticed. Pioneer of the technical poling skiff, master of flats boats, and a philanthropist and entrepreneur - we are grateful to call Scott a friend and colleague.
As the founder, owner and CEO of Maverick Boat Company, Scott Deal has been a driving force for innovation, enterprise, and advocacy in the marine industry.
Deal launched his career in the marine industry in 1984, when he and his brother paid $12,000 for the 18 foot Maverick boat molds. More than 30 years later the company, now named Maverick Boat Group, manufactures four boat brands—Hewes, Pathfinder, Maverick and Cobia—and 25 models.
Under Deal’s direction, the Maverick Boat Group has enjoyed steady growth and been a model of innovation in boatbuilding. When Scott purchased the Hewes brand from Bob Hewes in 1989, inventor of the flats boat, the company became (and remains to this day) the country’s biggest builder of flats boats.
An avid angler, Deal won the Don Hawley Fly Tarpon and Islamorada Fly Bonefish Tournaments and was a three-peat Champion of the Redbone Celebrity Series, among many more. In 1991, inspired by his successful tournament fishing experience, Deal built the first skiff designed for silent, shallow water poling, the Maverick Mirage. In the process, he created the ‘technical poling skiff’ flats boat category. To meet anglers’ need for a versatile boat that could fish shallow and also run comfortably in larger, open bodies of water, Deal developed the Pathfinder brand in 1998—and launched the bay boat revolution. The proprietary VARIS (Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion System) introduced in 2001, offers the highest strength to weight ratio possible in fiberglass construction and is used on 13 models across the company’s Cobia, Maverick and Pathfinder lines. After purchasing the Cobia brand from Yamaha Motor Corp., Deal completely revamped the model lineup with new fishing-focused models for the family, growing it into the one of the top-selling center console brands in the country.
A leading advocate for the nation’s fisheries, Deal is active on a number of conservation boards; including the Coastal Conservation Association, and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. In 2006, he was the first recipient of the Coastal Conservation Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and was also honored with the Ted Forsgren Conservation Award in 2014. He has also worked extensively with the Everglades Foundation to lobby for water policy improvement and funding for the Foundation’s restoration projects.
“Scott has played an integral role in recreational fishing and boating’s ascent in the national spotlight, and his advocacy efforts for the recreational boating industry and the future of recreational fishing will have a lasting impact for generations, not only in Florida, but across the country,” noted Jeff Angers, President of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “Congratulations to Scott and his family on this well-deserved honor.”
An assertive and articulate advocate for boaters and anglers, Scott has testified at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilber Ross regarding fishery management in the Gulf states and authored an opinion piece for Washington D.C.’s The Hill urging Congress to pass the Modern Fish Act. He’s also made his mark as Co-Chair for the Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management and co-author of “A Vision for Managing America’s Saltwater Recreational Fisheries,” which helped set the groundwork or passage of the Modern Fish Act in 2018.
Committed to industry leadership, Scott serves on several marine industry boards. Deal joined NMMA’s Boat Manufacturer’s Division (BMD) in 2005 and served as Divisional Chair for the BMD Board. He’s been a member of NMMA’s Board of Directors since 2007, an Executive Committee Member since 2011, and was the initial chairman for Grow Boating. In 2017, NMMA presented Scott with the inaugural Hammond Marine Industry Leadership Award, recognizing extraordinary service and commitment to advocacy on behalf of the recreational boating industry. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Center for Sportfishing Policy, which presented him with the Eddie Smith Manufacturer of the Year Conservation Award in 2014. He serves on the Independent Boat Builders, Inc. (IBBI) Board of Directors and served as its Chairman twice.
The NMMA Hall of Fame was established in 1988 and recognizes individuals who have made, or continue to generate, substantial and lasting contributions toward the advancement of the marine industry. It honors individuals whose names and deeds are synonymous with the pursuit of quality, innovation, and perfection within their respective spheres of expertise.