More Than Just Boating
John Mullen—known throughout the boating industry as the legendary “Ugly John”—built his reputation long before he began selling boats.
From 1974 through 1986, Mullen achieved tremendous success in the racing world, capturing:
Three National Speed Records
Two National Championships
One World Championship
Competing in drag boat and offshore racing, his passion for performance and craftsmanship laid the foundation for what would eventually become Ugly John’s Custom Boats.
The business began modestly from John’s home in Turley, Oklahoma, where he sold boats before renting a 1,200-square-foot building and taking on his first new boat lines: Hondo and Dimarco racing boats from Los Angeles.
As demand grew, so did the business. A year later he moved operations to South Tulsa, and soon after began carrying his first family-style boat line, Celebrity, when he expanded to a 50 x 75-foot facility at Keystone Lake.
From there, Ugly John’s continued to grow. Performance brands such as Baja and Fountain were added, followed by the development of Westport Marina at Keystone Lake and a highway store in Grove on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
Grand Lake proved to be a major success, eventually leading to the development of Thunder Bay Marina and the addition of premier yacht brands including Carver and Bluewater.
Ugly Johns Today
Today, Thunder Bay Marina on Grand Lake serves as the corporate headquarters for Ugly John’s Custom Boats.
Even after decades in the industry, Ugly John himself remains deeply involved in daily operations, often flying between dealership and marina locations. In fact, aviation plays a role in the company as well—customers are occasionally flown directly to manufacturing facilities to see the craftsmanship behind the boats they purchase.
Across its locations, Ugly John’s now includes:
Multiple boat dealership locations
Marina operations
Restaurants and entertainment venues
Retail ship stores
The company also maintains a presence at major boat shows across the country, including:
Tulsa Boat, Sport & Travel Show
Dallas Boat Show
Northwest Arkansas Boat Show
Springfield Boat Expo
Fort Lauderdale Boat Show
Miami International Boat Show
Despite the size of the operation today, the company still operates with the same philosophy it began with:
“If a person can afford an 18-foot sport boat, we can take care of him,” says Ugly John Mullen.
“From that day on, we can help that customer move all the way up to a 66-foot motor yacht.”
That commitment to serving boaters at every stage of their journey is why Ugly John’s continues to carry such a diverse lineup of boats.
A True Family Business
Ugly John’s has always been—and continues to be—a family operation.
John’s two sons, Jeremy and Chris, play active roles in the business, working in both sales and management.
“They’ve been driving boats and backing trailers down ramps since they could walk,” John often jokes.
Today, the third generation of the Mullen family is also involved, continuing the legacy that began decades ago. Both Blake and Cooper now work within the business, representing the next chapter in the Ugly John’s story.
John’s wife Velma has also played an important role in the company’s growth. She oversees the retail operations, traveling across the country to source unique clothing lines and specialty items for the company’s ship stores.
What began as a small family venture has grown into a multi-location operation—but the heart of the company remains the same.