Member Spotlight: Supplier-Partnership Innovation and the Rising Stars at the Boat Builder Awards at Metstrade
The 2025 Boat Builder Awards, organized by International Boat Industry (IBI) in association with Metstrade, recognized several notable achievements across the global marine sector. Among this year’s honorees were NMMA members acknowledged for collaborative product development and early-career leadership.
In the Collaborative Solution between a Builder and its Supply Chain Partner category, Starcraft Marine, a Smoker Craft brand, Uflex USA, Axium Group, Rollie Williams Boats and Williamsburg Marine received the award for their joint work on the revived “’57 Ski Champ.” According to the judges, the team coordinated production of multiple custom components to recreate the 1950s model at an accessible price point, illustrating effective integration across the supply chain.
The Rising Star award was presented to two Brunswick Boat Group professionals: Vittorio Bichurcher, General Manager of NAVAN Boats and senior director of strategy for Brunswick’s global boat portfolio, and Kevin Fehrenbach, an industrial designer contributing to several Brunswick brands. The judges noted their leadership in bringing Brunswick’s NAVAN line to market and highlighted this as the first time both Rising Star recipients came from the same company and project.