About

For generations, Newfoundlanders have braved the islands icy coastal waters to provide for their families. The Meadus family was no exception to this tradition and as the last member of the Meadus family to pursue his family fate, Gary spent most of his adult life as an inshore fisherman. Like many of his family and friends, Gary thrived on the cod fish trade. This lifestyle was not to last. In the early 1990's the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced that the once plentiful cod stocks had been depleted to the brink of extinction. The cod fishery was no more.

Never one to accept defeat, Gary decided to create his own destiny and give business a chance. He had just recently used a new product called fiberglass to do some repairs on the “Amy Lynn” his traditional Newfoundland trap skiff. Many of the local fishermen were also interested in this technique of bringing new life to their wooden fishing boats. So Gary decided to give the fiberglass industry a shot.

The company was established in 1992 under the name O.P. Marine Supplies and was owned by Gary's brother, Ralph Meadus, who operated the company as a sole proprietorship. Ralph started out small by retailing fiberglass products to the area surrounding Old Perlican, a small town in Trinity Bay, where there was a growing demand for fiberglass products. From this small market niche the business expanded to include wholesale as well as retail customers. For the ensuing three years Ralph's efforts continued to pay off and O.P Marine Supplies became a thriving, successful business.