Jack Hargrave was a naval architect, considered the Dean of American powerboat designers for over forty years. He sketched numerous yacht designs which he, along with his team, developed into an astonishing 7,000 yachts and ships.

Often compared to acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Hargrave set the standard that other designers in the industry have followed ever since. His philosophy of first finding out what works, and then how to make it look pretty, made him the number one naval architect in the United States.

A family affair

Mike Joyce first worked for Jack Hargrave’s company in 1978 as a broker before moving on to start up his own company. After Hargrave’s death in 1996, Mike contacted the family about buying the business and convinced them that the Hargrave name was a legacy and brand name that would live on in the industry for a long time to come. Known as a man who in every aspect of his life was honest, dedicated and full of talent, his legacy and philosophy still permeate the company today. “We are a small family-run business, competing with the giants out there in the industry, yet at the same time we are not competing with them at all,” says Mike. “They are sales companies who also service boats. We are a service company who also happen to build boats. The owners tell us they feel like they are our only customer, which is what we want.”