NASHVILLE — After 80 years of life, how does one measure success? 

For Buck Pegg of Chaparral and Robalo Boats, it can be defined by “his hard work, selfless dedication to his craft, respect for the people he met along the way and a strong desire to be an entrepreneur,” according to a statement from a company.

In honor of Buck’s 80th birthday and his economic contribution to South Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp flew a flag over the Georgia state Capitol, and on the day of his birthday, a flag was flown in his honor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., “paying tributes to a man with honor, integrity and selflessness who has had a positive impact on so many,” company representatives said.

“The desire to be the biggest and best did not drive Pegg’s success, it was his love of the water and his desire to build something he loved. Growing up in Michigan, Pegg would wait for spring thaw and find wooden boats that would drive onshore and repair them. 

“As a teenager, his family moved to South Florida where his love of boating was fueled by the marine lifestyle inherent to South Florida. Pegg started a fabrication business building fiberglass parts and boats for several customers. In 1965, he decided to start his own brand, Fiberglass Fabricators and this is where the Chaparral story begins.” 

Pegg had a naming contest in his Ft. Lauderdale plant and the name Chaparral was the winner. The first model was a 15-foot tri-hull with more than 35,000 boats produced. He continued to build boats at his Ft. Lauderdale plant until 1976 before moving the company to an abandoned Larson Boat Company facility in South Georgia.

In 2001, Chaparral purchased the name and tooling for Robalo Boats. Together Chaparral and Robalo are iconic brands and top market share leaders with worldwide distribution, company representatives said. The company continues to be a leader in innovation and product design with an emphasis on company culture, philanthropy and community support. 

“A prime example is the scholarship program offered to employees’ sons and daughters, which to date has awarded almost $1 million. Chaparral and Robalo Boats has been a public company since 1987 traded under the symbols of MPX,” representatives said.

“Fast forward to today and Buck Pegg celebrated his 80th birthday on Aug. 9.” 

Buck said, “I will now cut back my working hours to only 50 per week,” with company representatives adding, he “sets the bar for work ethic very high. … Buck’s decision to relocate to Nashville changed the lives of thousands of individuals and families over the years and has been a major economic driver in South Georgia for 46 years.”