Paul Leavy/The Valdosta Daily Times Workers at the Regal plant work a mold with fiberglass as they fabricate the hull of one of the boats being built at the plant in Valdosta.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Paul M. Kuck, founder and chairman of Regal Marine Industries, Inc., passed away Tuesday, Sept. 5, at the age of 76, leaving behind a legendary business that has brought great success to the Valdosta area.

Kuck was born in a farming community of New Knoxbille, Ohio, and spent part of his career serving the country in the U.S. Army. Before investing $60,000 in a boat building venture, he spent 12 years in sales, merchandising and marketing, experience that prepared him for the career he was about to build.

In 1969, Kuck and his wife moved their young family to Orlando, Fla., to found Regal Marine Industries Inc. The small company has become one of the world’s largest privately owned boat manufacturers with $160 million in annual sales, dealers and distributors in 40 countries and two manufacturing plants employing 850 team members.

While the headquarters for Regal is in Orlando, Valdosta is home to its second location. The expansion into this community was a beneficial one to both the company and the city, as a boat manufacturing company named Bayliner had recently closed leaving workers unemployed and a useful facility empty.

Within days, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority and representatives from several state agencies began work on an incentive package to encourage Regal to locate a second manufacturing facility in Valdosta.

Kuck and Regal Marine stepped up to occupy the old facility almost immediately, hiring many of the Bayliner employees.

The company promised to add 400 jobs by 2004 and double that within the next 10 years. The building was purchased with OneGeorgia money and substantial local investments, and Regal Marine set up a lease/purchase plan to buy the building over a 12-year period.

Even Gov. Roy Barnes made a trip to Valdosta for the official announcement of Regal’s expansion into Valdosta. He said the reason he came to town was to “highlight the cooperation between Lowndes County and the city of Valdosta.”

He added, “This area has a winning recipe and knows how to work as a team. Other communities should learn to do the same.”

The Kuck family was just as pleased to be a part of the Valdosta business community. Paul Kuck said, “We initially were going to expand our facility at our headquarters in Orlando, but after hearing about the Bayliner closing, we decided to explore locating here. My family was drawn to the values we’ve seen in this community, and we are impressed with the people here. We want to be a good business partner and provide good jobs and training for our employees.”

That’s exactly what the Kuck family and Regal Marine have done in the Valdosta area, bringing with those good jobs success for the company. Over the past several years it has been nominated for the Chamber of Commerce’s Manufacturer of the Year award many times, and it received the 2005 Manufacturer of the Year presented by South Georgia Business magazine.

It has expanded its staff as promised and has grown to be one of Lowndes County’s top 20 employers with average pay at $8.50 to $10 per hour.

A partnership with Valdosta Technical College trains and recruits Regal employees.

Now Kuck’s children, Duane Kuck, Regal CEO, Tim Kuck, Regal COO, and Pam Kuck Biddle, handle day to day operations.

Kuck’s business sense had been profitable for more than just his company — it has been profitable for this community as well. Regal stepped in to save jobs without wasting time, while also stimulating the local economy.

Duane said that the family business will carry on in his father’s memory: “He would want us to carry on the tradition of what he started by continually giving to family, community and those in need around the world.”