Page 43 - Poker Runs America 17-1

Shifting Gears

By Eric Colby

Huber Marine has relocated to

the Innovation Marine

headquarters in Sarasota, FL,

and marine high-performance

veteran Brad Halpin is now

at the helm of the company.

W

ell-knownperformance had already been in talks with Huber, but the late 1990s and early 2000s. Halpin’s

boat engine builder, wanted to ensure he would have the right home base was Mercury Racing’s famed
Innovation Marine, person to run the new business before Lake X test facility in St. Cloud, FL, where
has recently moved completing the purchase.the best of the best got the most out of

renowned high-perfor- “This is a small industry and it didn’t their propping.
mance transmission manufacturer Huber take long for word to leak out,” Halpin Huber Marine and Machine, which

Marine into its headquarters on the West explained. “They had watched me work. I the company is now called, was relo-
Coast of Florida and hired Brad Halpin to have the communication skills and people cated to Sarasota on the same site as the
run the new business.skills. Once I agreed to come aboard, they Innovation headquarters, but Halpin, who

Huber, which was based in Baton Rouge, continued into negotiations.”is officially called the Manager of the entity
LA., is best known for its high-performance As a factory technical representa- and has been in the role since July 2013,

marine transmissions while Halpin spent tive for Mercury Racing, Halpin worked said it will run as a completely separate
15 years as a technician at Mercury Racing. closely with Innovation when the engine business. Innovation partnered with Huber
His career there ended in May 2013 and manufacturer and service facility was primarily to ensure it can consistently pro-

word got back to Halpin that Rick La More, the only shop certified by Mercury vide transmissions for its contracts with
Jr., president of Innovation Marine, wanted Racing to seal and inspect the engines the U.S. Department of the Navy, and other

to talk to him later that summer. La Morefor Factory class offshore race boats inbranches of the military.

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