Vendor Highlight: Meet Chad Walton

A DEKit vendor well known for excellence and quality - not just in the Charleston area, but nationwide - came from an unlikely alternative industry. Originally, he worked in the motorcycle industry, managing a performance and motorcycle racing team. Owning a boat was a dream for him, and when it came time to pull the trigger, he had his eye on a particular boat. But what impressed him about the boat was more about the decking features than the boat itself. He ended up purchasing a boat that he fell in love with, but it did not come with pre-installed decking. It was then that he went on a hunt to find the best decking product in the business.

Limited Availability Set Him on a Search!

Before 2019, the options for marine decking were limited, especially in the Carolinas, so it took some real investigation to find a product that suited all his needs. When he finally found an appropriate marine decking, he purchased it and installed it himself. It was then that he realized that marine decking was a much-needed commodity in the South East, so he switched gears - no pun intended - to become an installer and make marine decking more accessible for everyone.

Fast forward a couple of years, and one fateful day, he met DEKit co-founder Dan Brauser, who made a life-changing offer that he couldn’t refuse. In 2019, Chad was offered the position of VP of Sales for the DEKit brand. It was an attractive position not just because he no longer had to be responsible for the day-to-day operations that came with being a business owner, but also because he knew that DEKit was far superior to the competition.

Back to His Roots

In 2020, however, his aspirations changed and he decided that he wanted to once again return to being on his own. Wanting to stay with DEKit, he became a dealer for them. He and his business partner and lifelong friend Jason Sherman are now a premier dealer of DEKIt in the Carolinas and beyond.

A Superior Product to “Deck Out” Your Boat!

Before decking out his own boat, Chad and his partner did a lot of research and comparison and believe that DEKit is by far superior to any competitors. It isn’t just one of the easiest products to clean and maintain; it also provides the highest security against slip and fall accidents and has a luxurious, high-end feel that is unparalleled in the industry.

90% of the boats that their company “decks out” are offshore fishing boats and charter boats, but they also do plenty of leisure boats, large yachts, and cruise vessels. They also occasionally serve people from the performance boating community, which demonstrates how versatile the product truly is. You can find DEKit used all around the Charleston harbor and Carolinas, and many of those came from the installers of their company.

A High-End Luxury Feel You Simply Can’t Get Anywhere Else

When asked about what DEKit offers over other foam marine decking, Chad maintains, “It offers a high-end luxury that you simply can’t get with other manufacturers. In comparison, the installation is not as simple, but that is what makes it so much more customized and why it provides the long-lasting UV protection and durability that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Chad and his business partner also sell boats to their customers, but would be remiss if they didn’t ensure that DEKit was a standard on the marine vessels that they put out to sea. For more information about the DEKit product or to discuss the potential of being a DEKit brand owner, contact CWR Custom Marine today!