Smithfield’s Pack brothers will continue to manage the Surry County-owned Grays Creek Marina per a contract county supervisors approved on Dec. 7

Randy and Brian Pack, who co-own Smithfield Station restaurant, hotel and marina, have since 2019 operated a similar establishment along Grays Creek known as Surry Seafood Co. For three years, the Packs operated the establishment under a lease agreement that also obligated them to manage the marina. In 2022, Surry accepted a $600,000 offer from the Packs to purchase the building and an adjacent parking lot, necessitating a new agreement governing management of the marina, which remains under county ownership.

The new contract specifies the county will retain 100% of the proceeds from fuel sales and boat slip rentals at the marina. Per the agreement, Surry Seafood Co. will continue to manage day-to-day operations, including slip rentals, fuel sales, cleaning and maintenance, in exchange for an annual payment of $40,000.

Supervisor Timothy Calhoun initially asked to table the matter, asserting the county only takes in around $37,000 from slip rentals and fuel sales, but his motion to postpone the vote until February received no second. Calhoun then voted with the other supervisors to approve the contract unanimously.

Surry County Administrator Melissa Rollins called the marina a “critical asset that attracts residents and visitors to the area.”