Charles Chapman Award

Lars Granholm has been involved with the recreational boating industry for more than 40 years, joining Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) in 1961. Later, he served as the project manager for standards development at the U.S. Coast Guard (1974–1981), where he authored small boat regulations.

He then joined NMMA’s staff in 1981, establishing the NMMA Certification programs. He founded the Recreational Marine Agreement Group, and later, at his initiative, expanded the organization into the European-mandated Recreational Craft Sectoral Group, which oversees all small boat certification in Europe today.

Granholm also established the International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI), serving as its managing director until 1999. IMCI is now the largest certifying organization in Europe, having certified products in 33 countries.

Lars still serves as the group’s Chairman of the Board. “Lars has truly been one of the framers of modern recreational boat industry rules and regulations. The work he has done when with the Coast Guard is still being used today, as is all his work in producing the concept of boat certification in Europe. He is a true industry giant,” says NMMA Engineering Standards director Tom Marhevko.