Max Marine Electronics, the world’s largest supplier of legacy marine electronics, has broken ground on a large, purpose-built, ground-up construction facility that will be completed in early 2022.

I got into this by accident; I picked up a fish finder at a garage sale and re-sold it. The buyer ended up being an installer who was seeking a discontinued model for his client. I was blown away that someone would want the same unit my parents had in their boat 15 years prior,” said Max Stein, President of Max Marine Electronics, Inc. “I realized that this could be a big opportunity, and as an avid boater and fisherman, the boating industry was a natural fit.

Ten years later, Max Marine Electronics has grown into is the world’s largest supplier of legacy marine electronics. The company caters to a global network of customers from their facility in Pompano Beach, FL. Stein is tasked with constantly searching to find what his customers seek – quality pre-owned marine electronics and related new-old-stock parts. All too often, pre-owned electronics don’t pass the stringent quality control requirements set by Max Marine Electronics. Additionally, many devices are no longer supported by original manufacturers, making parts to complete repairs virtually extinct.

This is where the company’s technical team steps in. Technicians for the company are tasked with refurbishing units to provide years of reliable service. Due to the lack of availability of some items the company has expanded to include a small-scale production department that specializes in reproducing discontinued parts using a combination of 3D printing, sourcing of alternate components, and assembly.

Since Max Marine Electronics purchases pre-owned and over-stock items, their inventory is ever-changing and runs the gamut of manufacturers and age. With technology evolving at a faster pace, the company is seeing newer models come in earlier in the life of those products.  However, some timeless units have remained popular among buyers including the Furuno Navnet Series, Raymarine C/E Series Classic, Simrad Autopilots, Garmin’s 2000/3000 series, and even the Northstar 951/952.

It will be interesting to see what Max Stein means when he says, “We have big things planned for the next couple of years.”