For over 45 years, Superior Marine Products has been lobstermen’s choice for the “long haul.” Initially manufactured in Westbrook, Maine, Superior Marine began with Nathan Brackett, a Mainer who began working with his father in his small machine shop over the summers in the 1950s. Orr & Jennings Machinist was based in Portland, and sometime in the 1930s, Brackett’s father began making lobster blocks (snatch blocks were what they were called back in the day).

After completing his college education and gaining experience as a mechanical engineer outside the state, Brackett returned to Maine in 1963 to join his father in what would become their family business. He found joy in working closely with fishermen, solving their mechanical problems, and realizing the need for high-quality lobster blocks that could withstand the harsh Atlantic environment.

In 1973, Brackett settled on the Orr & Jenning block after the help of a lobsterman from Cape Elizabeth who tested many designs. In 1982, he focused his efforts on the block business altogether and gave it the official name of Superior Marine Products. Over the years of the business staying in the family and Brackett and his wife attending many fishermen’s forums throughout New England, they decided to sell the company to their longtime friend Dean Bridges. Bridges had a 30-year background in metal fabrication. As an innovator, he created the UHMW poly sleeve version for all block sizes and designed all the stainless versions of the Superior Block. Bridges kept growing Superior Marine out of Raymond, Maine, until he passed away in August of 2018.

Fast-forward to now. Kristin and Phil Stanley of PCS Performance in Gray, Maine, purchased Superior Marine from the Bridges family back in 2019 and have been keeping the brand right at home in Maine while continuing to grow the business.

Superior Marine blocks come in all different sizes and are zinc-plated with safety latches with a capacity of 2000 pounds. Superior even offers a 3-inch skiff block for hand-hauling individuals just starting out. To this day, you can purchase Hi-Lip blocks or Low-Lip blocks, which Brackett created out of necessity.

You can find Superior Marine products on Facebook or Instagram or reach them through their website.