This year marks the 75th anniversary of the formation of Norfolk Marine Company, a local family-owned boat dealership that still today remains in the same family that founded it. Norfolk Marine has become a landmark for residents of Southeastern Virginia in search of several premium recreational boat brands, their industry-leading full service center, and the area’s largest OEM marine parts center.

Beginning in 1946, Garland Kight, Sr. opened the first location of Norfolk Marine Company on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk. At that time the company was mostly focused on wholesale distribution and did very little business with retail customers. With continued success came expansion, quickly outgrowing their existing facilities and moving to a larger location on Front Street in 1950. In the years following, Norfolk Marine’s growth continued at a rapid rate, opening two satellite locations, one in Hampton (Hampton Marine) and the other in the District of Colombia (Capital Marine). It wasn’t until 1965 that Norfolk Marine moved to its current location on E. Virginia Beach Blvd. in Norfolk where it remains today.

1968 marked the year Norfolk Marine became one of the country’s first Grady White Boats dealerships, which they proudly maintain today as one of the only dealers to call the flagship boat line home for over 50 years. Shortly thereafter in 1972, the company welcomed the arrival of Garland Kight, Jr. to Norfolk Marine,  following closely in his father’s footsteps. In that same year under new command, Norfolk Marine made a bold move, deciding to alter their business model to become a full-scale retail operation. By the end of 1973 the company split into Norfolk Marine Company and Norfolk Marine Distributing, which would later be sold to form what we know today as Land & Sea Distributing. In 1975 the company purchased a neighboring building in order to form its first dedicated retail parts store which has grown today to house one of the largest and most diverse marine parts inventories on the East Coast. For 30 years Garland Kight, Jr. continued to modernize the business model and day-to-day operations, optimizing systems and the facility to accommodate their exponential growth in boat sales. Another key strategic move in the company’s history came in 1983 when Norfolk Marine became one of the first three dealers in the country to sign on Yamaha Marine Outboards, who they remain exclusive with today. By the company’s 50th anniversary in 1996 it had acquired two additional adjacent properties to accommodate growing inventories and became one of the first Carolina Skiff dealerships in the country.

In 2005 Kight, Jr. was joined by his son-in-law, Jason Murphy, to further grow sales and develop a modernized digital footprint including website development and integration of their first true CRM system. The highly sought-after Sea Hunt Boats line was added to Norfolk Marine’s offerings in 2007, and Murphy purchased the business in 2010 after several years in a variety of roles including President. Today Murphy represents the 3rd generation of ownership under the same family, and the company continues to build upon the legacy of growth and innovation. In 2014 the company opened a brand new 20,000 sq. foot boat warehouse and showroom on its now 4.5-acre campus. In 2016, Norfolk Marine expanded yet again with the purchase of another neighboring property to create a larger stand-alone service department, and in more recent years added Bennington Pontoon Boats and Regal Boats. Norfolk Marine today maintains not only the highest levels of volume and market share for their respective brands, but they are an industry benchmark in Customer Satisfaction scores. Throughout 75 years, the company and its employees have also maintained their focus of giving back, by annually taking part in dozens of local philanthropic events and tournaments which support a variety of causes in our community.