MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 7, 2025 — Matt Gruhn, President of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), was honored by the National Marine Lenders Association with the 2025 William B. Otto III Marine Industry Service Award, recognizing his outstanding vision, leadership and unwavering dedication to advancing the marine industry.
The William B. Otto Award, established in 2002 by the Global Marine Insurance Agency, celebrates individuals whose leadership has driven meaningful innovation and positive change across the recreational marine industry. The award was presented to Gruhn during the NMLA’s 45th Annual Marine Lending Conference on Sept. 22, 2025, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
“Matt’s vision and dedication have elevated the role of the marine retailer and strengthened the entire boating ecosystem,” said Noelle Norvell, NMLA President in a statement. “His leadership has built bridges across the industry, creating lasting value for dealers, manufacturers and boating consumers alike.”
“I am incredibly grateful to be recognized by the lender community with this honor,” said Gruhn. “At the MRAA, we measure our success by the impact we have on our industry, and driving impact is a team sport. Our team has been blessed to have been able to increase our reach and welcome an increasing number of industry organizations into the vast amount of education, programs and services that our team delivers for them every day. It’s rewarding to know that our important work is being recognized as making a difference.”
Gruhn, who on Oct. 1 celebrated his 14th year as MRAA President, is the 14th recipient of the esteemed award. He leads with collaboration, innovation and advocacy for marine dealerships, driving a stronger, more sustainable future for recreational boating. All are characteristics that fit within the award standards.
William B. Otto Award nominee qualifications include:
- A commitment and dedication to marine industry improvement
- A passion to help the industry and individuals within it grow
- Shown efforts to improve relations within industry sectors and consumers
- A person of high ethical standards
- Nomination by a current NMLA member
- Election by two-thirds vote of the NMLA Board of Directors
Gruhn’s leadership has helped his dedicated MRAA team to boost MRAA membership by more than 300 percent, and attendance at MRAA’s annual conference, Dealer Week, by more than tenfold. The annual conference has become the marine industry’s premier educational gathering.
In addition to launching and maintaining an online learning platform, MRAATraining.com and an online annual virtual conference, Gruhn and the MRAA team have revitalized the Dealership Certification Program and introduced three position-specific certification programs for dealership employees. Most recently, Gruhn spearheaded the introduction of the MRAA Dealer-Manufacturer Scorecard Program — a forward-looking initiative designed to foster constructive dialogue, improve dealer-manufacturer relationships and ultimately enhance the boating customer experience.
Past Recipients of the Marine Industry Service Award include:
- 2002 — William B. Otto, III
- 2003 — Greg Proteau
- 2004 — Peter Theut
- 2005 — Jeff W. Napier
- 2007 — Jackie Forese
- 2008 — Bruce Van Wagoner
- 2009 — Kaye Pearson
- 2010 — Don W. Mattocks
- 2013 — Robin Cottmeyer
- 2015 — Jim Meere
- 2018 — Michael J. Smith
- 2022 — Karen Trostle
- 2023 — Michael Bryant
To learn more about the William B. Otto Industry Service Award, click here.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
