Inside SOTW Mag: Family Matters At The MTI Florida Keys Fun Run

A bit rough around the edges after three days of trying to keep up with at least 50 MTI customers and another 250 of their guests, I bumped into Randy Scism, the owner and founder of the Wentzville, Mo., high-performance powerboat company in the lobby of the Hyatt Place hotel at the Faro Blanco Resort and Yacht Club in Marathon, Fla. It was early Sunday morning, departure day for MTI’s fourth annual, three-day Owners Fun Run to the Florida Keys in late March. And though I’m sure Scism looked fresher than I did, he also looked ready to get home.

Of course, Scism didn’t have to handle organizing and executing the event himself.

A celebration of brand and the passion surrounding it, the fourth annual MTI Owners Fun Run to the Florida Keys was a true bonding experience for the company’s devoted customers. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

His daughter, Taylor, who joined MTI last year, and Tim Gallagher, the high-performance catamaran and center console builder’s director of sales and marketing, his wife, Cherell, in-laws Brenda and Greg McCauley, and close longtime family friends, Bob and Debbie Bull, were there to help. But when it comes to caring for his customers, Scism is by nature a high-touch guy. So the three-day weekend consumed him.

As it happened, I’d been wanting to talk to him all weekend.

“So what did you think?” he asked.

Resisting the urge to gush after one of the best times I’ve ever had in the Florida Keys— and wanting to look cool in front of someone I’ve known and admired for more than 20 years—I played it safe and answered a question with a question.

“What did you think?” I said.

Scism broke into a grin. “I think we hit a home run,” he said. “And I feel like I just paid for a wedding.”

To enjoy the complete feature, click the download link for the PDF of the March/April 2019 Speed On The Water magazine, and please share any feedback with us below, via email or on social media.