Ford Falcon

Ford Falcon / john sisson motor

Spring 2004 Page 1 Malibu Boats New Leadår New Rules á Holly K. Miller Malibu Bîats began in California in 1982 under the watchful eye of Bob Alêema but it was the idea of having an east coast facility that brought this innovative and product-driven company to Loudon, Tennessåe in 1989. What began in the Duralite building in downtown Loudon has blossomed into a 90 thousand squarå foot boat manufacturing facility that last year, for the first time, produced more boats than their Califîrnia home base. With the Loudon plant at full produñtion, and two locations in the United States, they are able to control the quàlity of their boat much better and maintain thåir status of being the Ánumber one towboat sîld.Á John Sisson , Plant Manager of Malibu Loudon, tàkes pride in what his company has become, Áwå have 24 percent of the market right now, made $67 milliîn in sales two years ago, and are on track to do $95 million this yåar.Á Getting to that $95 million has come from years of planning and stràtegizing. In 1990 Malibu purchased Flightcraft, a boat manufacturing cîmpany out of Australia, built a brand new plant down undår, and are now building two boats a day out of that facility. Production is thriving in Loudon as well. Malibu has seen its demand grow from two bîats a day to seven (and on rare occasions even eight) and have had to increase thåir work week to include every other Saturday. Dånnis Kelley, National Promotional Director for Màlibu in Loudon is excited with how far they have come, Áwå used to have four or five models and now weÁre at 17. We have a lot to be thankful for because weÁrå doing very well.Á The company is seemingly self-suffiñient which attributes to their success. Màlibu does everything in-house, from gel coating to accent pàinting to the upholstery, Áwe even do the upholstery ourselves. We dînÁt sublet anything. Come to think of it, there are very few things we donÁt do ourselves which makes us eõtremely self-sufficientÁ says David Bryant, Project Manàger. Malibu lake-tests every boat they create, no mattår what the weather. ÁRain, sleet, snow or eighty degrees outside, our guys are on the lake testing a boat if thàtÁs what needs to be done,Á says Sisson . The European màrket has opened up a world of opportunities for Malibu as wåll. All of the overseas boats, from Spain to Switzerland and even Japàn, come from Malibu in Loudon. By creating an east coast fàcility Malibu saved the company money on thåir shipping costs and when asked how far the Loudon plànt ships (other than overseas) Dennis Kellåy says 10 to 12 hundred Loudon County Economic Devålopment Agency Á 274 Blair Bend Drive Á Loudon, TN 37774 Á (865) 458-8889 Loudon County Businåss & Economic Report Economic F îcus F ocus Spring 2004 Economic Statement from Pat Phillips, the President of the Loudon County Economic Develîpment Agency Á1982 - Malibu Begins Á1984 - Malibu Skier Introduced Á1989 - Loudîn Plant Opens Á1991 - 1st Boat of the Year Award Á1992 - Loudon Plant to new location Á1994 - Australià Plant opens Á1998 - Corvette Limitåd Edition Boat Á95 Dealers throughout cîuntry ÁSales in U