As seen in Speed On The Water Issue 35 March/April 2019.
Who will guide the high-performance marine industry into the future? Here’s a look at 12 shakers and movers who have yet to celebrate their 40th birthdays.
Words by Matt Trulio and Jason Johnson | Photos by Pete Boden
There’s no shortage of gray hair in the high-performance marine world—that much we know, starting with a quick look in the mirror. Right now, that’s not a problem. But could it become one? Is there a next generation of folks in the go-fast marine world who can and will shepherd the industry when its elder statesmen are gone?
The answer to both questions is yes. Lacking fresh blood, the high-performance marine industry will die. It doesn’t run itself. The good news is there’s a slew of younger folks who are already involved and ready to take the industry to another level as their predecessors fade out of the picture.
Younger, at least for the purposes of this article, means less than 40 years old. That’s borderline ancient for industries such as technology and hospitality, but not for marine. In our world, people just begin to hit their stride as they enter their thirties.
What follows is a look at a dozen of the brightest young lights in high-performance marine industry. While there are no guarantees, we’re confident their accomplishments to date will be eclipsed by their future achievements. They have talent and drive.
And they also have time.
TEAGUE CUSTOM MARINE, VALENCIA, CALIF.
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING
For longer than 34-year-old Cherilyn Noack has been alive, her father, the legendary Bob Teague, has owned and operated Teague Custom Marine in Valencia, Calif., with his wife, Andrea. It’s safe to say that Cherilyn and her younger brother, John, were born into the family business being that they grew up in the offshore racing pits, at poker runs and around Powerboat magazine tests. Even their uncle, Norm, works as an engine builder for Teague Custom Marine.
That said, Noack, who married one of the company’s lead riggers, Josh Noack, in
2013, never felt pressured to go into the family business. Now, the mother of two boys—Cru, 5, and Nixon, 2—wouldn’t have it any other way, and hopes that TCM will continue to thrive as a third-generation business one day.
“In high school I was pretty sure I wanted to go to an art school—I was interested in interior design,” said Noack, who graduated from California State University-Northridge in
2007 with a bachelor of science in business administration with an option in business law. “My dad encouraged me to enroll in a school that wasn’t as specific as an art college, which was a good call. I majored in business admin because I knew I’d need a good business background no matter what I decided to do.”
Noack worked at TCM part-time through college and came to realize she genuinely enjoyed working at the shop. She knew she loved boating as a hobby, but she quickly grew fond of the camaraderie she encountered with industry colleagues as well as TCM customers around the world.
“I’ve been around this my entire life—it’s always been a family atmosphere for us,” Noack said. “It’s also a family atmosphere with many of the companies we work with on a daily basis.
It’s always a family affair with the dedicated team from Teague Custom Marine, which is located in Valencia, Calif. Last fall, the crew had fun running its 31-foot DCB powered by twin 1,400-hp TCM engines in the annual DCB Regatta in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and Noack got a good shot from the back seat to prove it.
Some people such as the Inmans, who own IMCO Marine, and Gene Willen of Howard Custom Boats, I’ve known since I was a little kid. The same goes for some customers who have owned several boats with Teague power.”
Noack, who has been part of a major shift toward digital marketing and social media promotions over the last several years, handles everything from TCM’s extensive advertising campaigns and online parts catalog to company merchandise and customer service.
“Much of what Teague looks like to the outside world—what people know or think of when it comes to the brand—starts with me,” said Noack, who pointed to her parents as her main role models, adding that her goals for the business are to expand engine and product development, and continue to keep Teague Custom Marine at the forefront of boaters’ minds as the go-to source and trusted company for quality parts and service.
