Read on or...

BOOK MY DEMO

 

As Regulator celebrates 37 years, our co-founder and president, Joan Maxwell, shares her reflections…

 

What has been your proudest moment in the past 37 years?  

The day we floated the first Regulator center console boat – the Regulator 26.  It had been a year and a half in the making, and the day we splashed that boat was the day Regulator was a success. It ran better than we ever dreamed. 

 

And it was just success after success from there?

Not exactly! It was work - but we loved doing it. We believed in what we were building and we were just so excited to share it with the world. But of course there are always headwinds…the biggest in the early days was that people told us we couldn’t sell center consoles in the Northeast….guess where our largest market is?! 

 

 

Since we are celebrating 37 years…let’s talk about the Regulator 37. If you had to use a few words to describe the 37 that ALSO describes Regulator as a company, what would they be?  

In a word, that 37 is a BEAST. It feels like such a big boat – far bigger than the number on the side of the hull!  The MyHelm™ digital switching makes this boat as easy to operate as the latest electronics on a 2026 car. And I suppose we could describe Regulator as a beast too…because we do keep after it! But really, I’d describe our company as reliably inventive. With every new boat we design, we work to engineer a Regulator center console boat that is inventive, reliable, repeatable and serviceable. 

 

 

When you think back to day one, what were your emotions—and how do they compare to how you feel today at year 37?  

We were young – building a business – starting out with dreams and drive. Today, 37 years later, we are humbled that God entrusted us with HIS business. We still have the drive to build the best center consoles, but today the dream is far broader. While the 26 was innovative in its day, we never dreamed that we would be building boats with stabilizing trim tabs, advanced electronics, lithium batteries and gyro stabilizers. I feel a great sense of pride in this amazing team that God has assembled in this place. They are just so amazing that I love introducing people who visit our plant to the talented craftsmen and women who design and build these boats. 

 

How has the Regulator community of owners, dealers, employees and beyond shaped the company’s success? 

Let’s start with our team – they focus on delivering THE BEST in every aspect of the business, from answering the phone and purchasing to engineering and building. They ARE Regulator! 

And of course, our owners. It’s always an honor when a customer chooses a Regulator over another brand. Through the years, it’s the customer suggestions – the things they love and the things they say would make the boats better – that have propelled our product development forward. 

Our dealers have been both friends and business associates - and they have been around for the long haul! We have dealers who have been with us for 24 of our 37 years! And our amazing local dealers are truly an extension of Regulator, providing expertise and customer service that is reflective of the quality boats we build. 

 

 

What was your vision for Regulator in 1988 vs. today?  

In 1988 and today – our desire is to build the best center console sportfishing boats.  What’s changed is the why.  It is no longer just to do it…it is to do it to honor God.  If we please the creator of the universe, we can certainly please the most discerning of customers! 

 

What advice would you give to someone starting a business today, based on your 37 years of experience? 

Wow, that’s a tough one. I would tell them to enjoy the journey. Focus on the small things and big things will follow. Details really do matter.  

There are people who have tons of business experience that would be humbled to share their knowledge – just ask them!  The Bible says in Proverbs “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”  I would tell them don’t be afraid to fail – take chances – don’t be reckless, be fearless.  

Have the courage to do something that others say you can’t. It is humbling to be entrusted with big dreams and the care of people to help bring them to life.  

And finally, if someone tells you no, don’t give up. There is a “yes” out there for you… push on until you get it!  

 

A Few More Fast Facts

 

How many Regulators have been built at the Edenton, NC factory since 1988?

6,434…and counting!

 

Who is the longest-standing team member…other than you and Owen? 

Carlton Wynn, Mold Manager, has been at Regulator since the summer of 1990.  He wasn’t there the day we splashed the first boat, but he was there by the time we went to market with it later that fall! 

And rounding our the top 5 longest standing team members are Buddy Oliver in our Pre-Fab Department (1990), Edith Sultan in Mold Maintenance (1994), Gerald Bonner in LDS (1995) and Calvin Ward in Cutting & Rigging (1996).

 

The first 26 was built 3.2 miles away from Regulator’s current factory!

Joan and Owen Maxwell started Regulator in an abandoned A&P Grocery Store in Edenton, North Carolina, when they were just 28 and 30 years old. Day after day, and night after night, they built a full-scale model of the first Regulator 26 by hand, personally testing and tweaking every little detail until they knew it was right. This was the beginning of a commitment to detail and consistency that continues today with an incredible team of experts in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Edenton…just down the street from the old A&P.

 

You can visit anytime!

Book a factory tour, meet our team, and see how much we love what we do here.