Epsode 68- Powerboat Talk with Joe Zelinski Founder of Custom Marine, Inc (CMI)
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Joe Zelinski and the Rise of CMI Headers in
High-Performance Marine Engines
As the founder of Customer Marine, Inc. (CMI), Joe Zelinski stands as a central figure and true innovator in the high-performance marine industry. For decades, CMI headers have set the benchmark for performance marine exhaust systems, widely regarded as the gold standard among performance boat enthusiasts, racers, and engine builders.
Early Life and Introduction to Performance Boating
Raised by a plumbing contractor, Zelinski developed a strong work ethic early on, along with a natural curiosity for anything mechanical. While spending summers digging ditches for his father’s business, he purchased his first boat, a Boston Whaler, at just 12 years old. That early exposure quickly turned into opportunity when he took a job at a local boat shop, earning boat parts instead of wages. Before long, he was working as part of a pit crew for the owner’s son in boat racing, where his passion for high-performance boats and speed began to take hold. It was here that Zelinski started focusing on designing and building parts to make boats faster.
From Kiekhaefer Aeromarine to Launching CMI
After graduating college, Zelinski joined Kiekhaefer Aeromarine, where he worked in a variety of roles and gained valuable industry experience. While observing an attempt to replicate an existing set of stainless steel headers, he suggested the company manufacture its own marine exhaust systems. The idea was met with resistance, leading to a defining moment when Fred Kiekhaefer challenged him directly: “If you want to build headers, go start your own company building headers!”
Zelinski took that challenge seriously. He left Kiekhaefer in 1986 and went on to launch CMI at the IMTEC show in Chicago in 1989, marking the beginning of one of the most influential brands in performance marine exhaust.
Building CMI into a Performance Marine Leader
In this episode of the Powerboat Talk podcast, Zelinski shares how he built CMI into a dominant force in the marine industry. CMI headers became original equipment on Mercury Racing engines and the preferred exhaust solution for top engine builders, including Sterling, Innovation, and Keith Eickert. His work helped define modern performance boat exhaust design and set new standards for quality, durability, and performance.
Selling CMI and Life After the Company
The conversation also explores Zelinski’s later years with the company, including the sale of CMI in 2005 and the transition into corporate ownership. He reflects on the challenges of operating within a corporate structure and discusses the circumstances surrounding his departure in 2012.
This episode offers an inside look at the evolution of high-performance marine exhaust, the growth of CMI headers, and the story of an innovator who helped shape the performance boating industry.
To learn more about Custom Marine visit them online at www.custommarine.com
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