Nadie

Regal has been a family business for nearly 40 years. Throughout that time, the one thing that has remained a constant in our business is integrity. "Be honest and do what's right" - that's what we were taught growing up in the family boat business. Who are we? We are the second generation of Kuck (pronounced "cook") kids: Duane, Tim, and Pamela.

Our journey really began in western Ohio andcontinued to Evansville, Wisconsin. It was there that Dad sharpened his business skills under the mentorship of Clark Prudhon and Gene Kandel. After working for Pruden Products, a steel building firm, for nearly 8 years, Mom and Dad moved our family to Orlando. When we moved to Florida, Mom and Dad did not know what they wanted to do other than start their own business. After much thought,consideration, and prayer, they took their life savings, along with additional investments from partners Clark Prudhon and Gene Kandel, and decided to start a boat company.

Though Dad never had any experience building boats, he had experience with business, and with people. Mom and Dad researched names and chose the name "Regal" - a name that would reflect the essence of quality and royalty. The firstRegal boat was a 21-ft. cuddy, followed by a 16-ft. tri-hull and 14-ft. runabout. They were produced out of a small, run-down, leased production facility in Orlando in 1969. Ever so slowly we began to produce and sell product.

From the beginning Regal has been a family business. For example, Mom did payroll, a job she kept for 20 years. In 1973, just as our fledgling company began to hit itsstride, an energy crisis hit the country, and the stock market went into a free fall. Although things looked bleak, Dad did not know how to quit. A year later most orders for boats were canceled, and much of the original investment was gone. It looked as though the beginning of our boat business would actually be the end.

Weathering The Storm

There are not many things in life that are aspainful as failure. Mom and Dad drew their strength and hope from their faith. It was during this season that Dad released the business to God. "Whatever happens from this time forward," he prayed, "is because of You, not me." You might say that his prayer was just an act of desperation � and that it was. As a matter of fact, Dad joked that it is easy to give it all to God when you don't have anythingto give! But, truth be told, there is not one rational reason why we are still in business today. Our entire family recognizes that it was God's grace and handiwork, more than our hard work and commitment, that brought Regal success.
By 1975 the storm had passed, and Dad emerged with more focus, confidence, and faith. Regal had not only survived, but had achieved sales of $800,000. Mom and Dad,now optimistic about the future, purchased the assets of another boat manufacturer named Scat Craft and moved into that company's facility in South Orlando. It was more than twice the size of our previous factory. It was then that Duane and Tim made a decision to stay in the family business.

In 1976, we packed a 24-ft. cuddy cabin for our Austrian importer. It was our first international order.Not long after that we received an order over the Telex machine from a German importer for 39 boats at a very critical time in our business. This was without a doubt one of the most significant orders we have ever received in our 30-plus year history. Today over 35% of our annual sales are international shipments to over 45 countries.

Looking Forward

For the next 15 years Regal enjoyedcompounded growth of 25% per year and at times even more. In 1988, we broke ground on a second manufacturing plant in Smithville, Tennessee, a new $4 million facility. The timing of our January 1989 opening could not have been worse. The boating industry was on the verge of one of the hardest recessions it had ever experienced since the oil embargo of 1973. We found ourselves with so much debt that we...