An Unlikely Journey from Anonymity to Industry Leader
Randy Ramsey is now well known for his accomplishments in custom boat building, co-founding Jarrett Bay, partnering in Bluewater Yacht Sales and many other businesses, and perhaps most widely as the voice of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Diving deeper into his career and personal journey reveals some worthwhile lessons in humility, leadership, and faith.
Anybody that knows Randy, knows he’s a born leader. He’s one of those guys everyone wants to be around, or be part of what he’s doing,” explains fellow Bluewater executive Jud Black. “He’s a man of faith but doesn’t wear it on his sleeve. His faith shows up in actions and what he does.” Whether that’s going out his way to wish even the faintest of acquaintances a Happy Birthday, or coordinating trucks full of hurricane relief supplies, there is no shortage of examples regarding his generosity.
Challenges & Faith
By all accounts, building the first Jarrett Bay, Sensation, back in 1986 to ‘88 was a huge challenge—an evolutionary construction leap that had not been undertaken in Carteret County, North Carolina before—let alone by a bunch of young men with limited building experience or any formal business training.
“There’s an old saying, ‘Just before you don’t, you do. Just before you do, you don’t.’ There are so many times when you think you can’t get through something, but then someone in your life does something small that makes a huge difference. I’m extremely fortunate to have had that happen multiple times in my life,” Randy explains.
One of the most transformational relationships of Randy’s journey was becoming dock mates with a man named Jack Huddle. “Jack had a Phoenix boat and I was running commercial charters at the time,” Randy reminisces. “We were both fishing offshore one day when I radio-ed him about the tuna bite I had found.” As they say, the rest was history. Jack’s company, Trader Construction, went on to be a critical partner in improving Jarrett Bay’s facilities, and three generations of his family have now built five custom Jarrett Bays over the years. Throughout that time, the boats evolved from sparsely appointed charter boats to impeccably crafted performance sportfish yachts.
“The generous things Jack Huddle did for me are the types of things only a father would do.”
Randy also cites the move from their first shop in Williston over to Marshallberg as another big risk, “because at the time we leased it out, we only had one boat to build.” They didn’t have any other commissions lined up after. “We’d be out of business soon and were contemplating closing the company. We moved on faith,” he adds.
The company’s next move, in 1998, was another big leap. “The parcel we’re on now had been for sale for many years, and I had always thought it was out of reach. When I visited, I thought, ‘Holy cow, this could be the mother of all boat yards,’” Randy recalls. Jack Huddle was instrumental in encouraging the idea, plus they had the blessing of the local economic development bureau, a formal business plan, and banking partners that believed in them. “But it was still huge on faith,” Randy admits. Two of the three buildings had collapsed roofs and had been vandalized terribly—to the point there was no copper plumbing or wiring left. He was dreading the on-site visit with the bankers, “but this was one of the many times God intervened for me. It was raining so hard we never even got out of the truck!” The inspection passed and the loan went through. Developing the property was still a daunting task, with Jack and his construction company doing all the work. “All on a handshake, same way as all the boats we built with him,” adds Randy.
Giving Back
By many accounts, Randy has been gracious and eager to pay forward the many favors that he’s received in his lifetime. “I’ve tried to be an open book. I think that by continuing to help others, it makes our industry better, stronger and moving forward. The way I see it, however I can provide a courtesy to someone, it is nothing but a positive,” Randy explains.
Throughout his journey in the marine industry, Randy has also been deeply engaged in many local charities and boards, not only in Carteret County but across North Carolina. For more than thirty years, he has been a board member and unwavering advocate for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, to include manning the tournament radio and becoming a presenting sponsor via Jarrett Bay Boatworks. Randy’s charm and generosity is on full display each year to the international audiences tuning into Big Rock Radio while he delivers the morning prayer and handles all the tournament traffic, often finding assistance for any boat in need with poise and immediacy.
“I do believe if you’re lucky enough to receive gifts, it’s important to give back in a meaningful way. As a member of any community, it is incumbent on us to help others,” Randy says.