MasterCraft buys dedicated factory for Aviara day boat brand
MasterCraft adds another US factory to its portfolio as it tries to keep up with demandUS tow sports brand MasterCraft has continued its cash splash by buying a complete factory in Florida to exclusively start building its more premium Aviara-branded day boats.
According to MasterCraft, the move is aimed at supporting the long-term growth of the recently launched sub-brand, which now runs to three models – the AV32, AV36 and AV40.
MasterCraft plans to have the new factory turning out boats from early next year. Importantly, the new factory site gives MasterCraft access to saltwater, something the company lacks at its Tennessee manufacturing line 700 miles inland on the Tennessee River.
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The move will also free up production capacity for MasterCraft-branded boats at the Tennessee factory.
Best experience
“The Aviara brand is a critical component of the company’s long-term strategy to deliver our customers and their families the best experience on the water,” MasterCraft chief executive Fred Brightbill said.
“The purchase of a well-established boat manufacturing plant will allow us to increase overall capacity and productivity for our Aviara brand, while simultaneously providing increased capacity and productivity for our MasterCraft brand.”
According to MasterCraft, both boat brands have experienced “strong retail demand” as recreational boat sales boom across the US in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Brightbill said MasterCraft would continue to look at ways it could “make investments in high-return initiatives”.
Open chequebook
MasterCraft has launched an aggressive push to diversify beyond just tow sports boats, buying saltwater fishing brand NauticStar in 2017, and pontoon boat maker Crest in 2018.
Aviara was launched last year as a luxury day cruiser brand with the first model revealed the AV32, a Targa-roofed fibreglass model featuring a stepped bow, featuring European styling combined with US layout and engineering.
The brand is meant to capture traditional MasterCraft customers who have moved on from purely tow sports as the children grow up, and new owners whose “boating preferences evolve over time”.
Aviara was earmarked for an Australian debut but is yet to announce its arrival here.
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