Washington boatbuilder opens new showroom
By IBI Magazine
Defiance Marine has opened a new US$1m showroom and service centre in Port Orchard, Washington. Owner Stan Palmer says he plans to build a new production facility for the brand nearby. The 6,000sq ft showroom is the first building in the South Kitsap Industrial Area, a newly built industrial park for distributors and manufacturers in Kitsap County. "We're kind of the pioneers here," Palmer told The Kitsap Sun. The showroom, opened to the public last weekend, houses two 22ft Defiance sportfishing boats and fishing and water-sports equipment. Palmer owns the Defiance brand and builds the boats locally. Palmer expects to manufacture 30 boats this year, which would amount to about US$1.5m in sales. He said the brand's primary markets will be in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. "Because of the economy, boat sales are smaller than in past years," he told the paper. But he expects sales to grow as the economy recovers. Palmer said he hopes to eventually build and operate a 10,600sq ft production facility for Defiance near the new showroom. Palmer also owns one of Washington state's largest construction companies. The paper reported that company has done US$25m worth of business in each of the last two years. Save up to 30% on IPC Media's entire marine portfolio
(7 September 2010)
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