Garmin has been named Manufacturer of the Year in the large manufacturer category for the ninth consecutive year by members of the National Marine Electronics Association at its annual conference and awards banquet held Sept. 21 in Orlando, Florida. The coveted Manufacturer of the Year title is awarded to the most recognized company in the marine electronics industry for excellence in product service and support in the field.
Garmin was also awarded five Product of Excellence awards in the multi-function display, autopilot, multimedia entertainment, automatic identification system, and safety categories. These awards are voted on by NMEA dealers who specialize in installing marine electronics, qualified NMEA technicians, and other marine electronics manufacturers.
“These awards demonstrate Garmin’s strength as a team, as they exemplify not only the high quality of our products but also our commitment to providing customers and dealers with exceptional service and support throughout our entire organization,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales. “We are extremely honored to again be named the NMEA Manufacturer of the Year and very proud to be a part of this organization in its mission to enhance the technology and safety of electronics in the marine industry.”
This year’s NMEA Product of Excellence honors for Garmin include:
MFD – GPSMAP 8616xsv
This 16-inch chartplotter boasts a full HD in-plane switching display with multi-touch control and comes preloaded with Garmin Navionics+ mapping with access to daily updates, Auto Guidance+ technology and more. The GPSMAP 8616xsv offers anglers exceptional sonar detail with built-in support for a wide range of CHIRP traditional and scanning sonars, Ultra High-Definition scanning sonar, and the entire Panoptix all-seeing sonar line, including LiveScope live scanning sonar. This is Garmin’s ninth consecutive honor in this category.
Autopilot – Reactor 40 Hydraulic Autopilot with SmartPump v2
The Reactor was Garmin’s first recreational autopilot system to utilize AHRS technology and boasts usability, installation flexibility, and many other features that prove to be valuable for any vessel. With a new edge-to-edge glass touchscreen display, the included GHC 50 autopilot instrument not only looks good, it also makes navigation simple and hassle free. For 11 years running, Garmin has been awarded the top spot in the autopilot category.
Multimedia Entertainment – Fusion Apollo RA770 Marine Stereo
This marine entertainment system was the world’s first touchscreen marine stereo with Apple AirPlay, built-in Wi-Fi and network audio sharing capabilities. This extends Garmin’s winning streak in this category to eight years.
AIS – Cortex M1 Hub
Combining advanced collision avoidance technology with proactive alerting, the Cortex M1 hub offers a high-speed smartAIS transponder and remote vessel monitoring to alert boaters of collision risks, providing key information about the situation to make communications easier and more effective. This is the second consecutive win for Garmin in the AIS category.
Safety – GPSMAP 86sci
Garmin’s flagship marine handheld, the GPSMAP 86sci comes preloaded with BlueChart g3 coastal charts and inReach satellite communication capabilities, including two-way messaging and location tracking. Plus, wireless connectivity with compatible chartplotters and instruments makes it a virtual extension and backup of an onboard marine system.
