Olathe, Kan. – October 12, 2026 -- Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) won three awards and placed No. 4 on the Soundings Trade Only Top 10 Most EPIC Companies list at the 2026 International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), citing 15 product launches in the eligibility period.
Garmin Signal VHF 400 wins IBEX Innovation Award in OEM Electronics
The radio prevailed among 100 product entries. It combines VHF, DSC and a Class B SOTDMA AIS transponder on a color touchscreen in a compact unit designed to fit nearly any helm.
Judges also highlighted NMEA 2000 integration, support for 12V and 24V systems, and a separately powered fist mic with magnetic mounting, which eases installation across a wide range of boats. The National Marine Manufacturers Association manages the IBEX Innovation Awards, and Boating Writers International (BWI) judges them.
Garmin OnBoard earns sixth consecutive Boating Safety Award from Sea Tow Foundation
The Sea Tow Foundation named the Garmin OnBoard System winner of its Best Boating Safety Product or Technology Innovation Award. The wireless man-overboard (MOB) detection and engine cutoff system monitors up to eight tags, alerts those aboard when an MOB event is detected and stops the engine if the captain falls overboard.
Garmin takes Development & Technology EPIC Award for the ninth straight year in the Top 5
Soundings Trade Only has named Garmin a Top 5 company in each of the ninth consecutive years since the EPIC program began. Garmin also won the Development & Technology category and ranked No. 4 overall. The publication describes the program as the marine industry's only award scheme that recognizes the work of an entire company rather than a single product or individual.
EPIC stands for exceptional, purposeful, innovative and compassionate, and honors companies transforming the marine industry through technology, products, processes and workforce initiatives.
Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing, said the honors reflect work on both onboard communication and safety and on broader technology development for the industry.