Spending more than 25 years committed to one thing is not a small feat nowadays. Marriage, Three-bedroom house, Job, Electric engine market. In the era of short-lived companies and shorter-lived ideas, Ray Electric Outboards, Inc. has withstood an erratic market to not only survive, but also prosper through 28 years, thanks to the president and founder, morton Ray. Ray founded the successful business in 1974 after building his first prototype in the basement of his Annandale, Va., home. "I did it all, except for some help from my late wife, Dot," says Ray. "I made the patterns, the furnace to melt the aluminum, the molds, and machined the castings and other parts on a Sears lathe. When we poured the aluminum in to the molds, it was Dot's job to hold one end of the shank."

Last fall, the Electric Boat Association of the Americas presented an award to Ray for his dedication to the electric boat industry. Ray, better, known as the pioneer of the electric outboard motor, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for founding the Ray Electric company.
The award and recognition that Ray deserves is arguably well overdue for the man that has always had his heart in his work. Ray was nominated for the award by his peers and by the industry of electric boat manufacturers.

After graduating with a West Point education and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie Institute of Technology, he officially retired from the Army in 1970n and began working on boats. The idea for an electric outboard motor began in 1973, and Ray has been working toward manufacturing the most efficient and reliable motor possible ever since.

Today, a crew in Cape Coral, Fla., manufactures the Ray Electric outboards. Though the motor has been changed and modified over the years, the reliability has remained constant. According to Ray, less than one percent of its motors are currently out of service today. "We feel that that speaks volumes about our reliable, easiest to operate, and most efficient motors on the market."

For more information on Ray Electric, call 941-574-1948 or visit www.rayeo.com.

- Article from Pontoon and Deck Boat Magazine

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