Since establishing its factory in Florida just over four decades ago, Pursuit Boats has enjoyed a long and illustrious history. Boaters have always appreciated the luxury, craftsmanship, and rugged refinement of Pursuit's range of boats.
Today, Pursuit's catalog of boats spans three categories, including the Sports - or S - series of center consoles, the Dual Console or DC series, and the increasingly popular Offshore or OS series. But while you might be quite familiar with Pursuit's boat portfolio, how much do you know about the company that builds them?
In this article, we take a brief look at the history of Pursuit Boats and reveal some secrets about its production plant.
Where are Pursuit Boats Made?
Pursuit Boats are manufactured at the Pursuit factory located in Fort Pierce, on Florida's East Coast.
The company was established in Michigan in 1977 but it relocated its entire operation to Fort Pierce in the 1980s, where it remains to this day. Meanwhile, the Fort Pierce and Treasure Coast area has become home to a growing cluster of well-known boatbuilders and marine manufacturers. With over 30 different brands of boats now being manufactured in the area, it has been nicknamed, 'The Fiberglass Belt'.
Close to Suppliers
Fort Pierce has evolved into a critically strategic location for us. When we build your new Pursuit Boat, all of the resources we need are readily available nearby, given that all of our equipment suppliers, subcontractors, and other industry resources are based in the area. This reduces, or altogether eliminates, the risk of long logistics routes, and it puts skilled, experienced labor within arm's reach when we need it.
Who Owns Pursuit Boats?
In 2018, the Malibu Boat Group (MBUU), under the umbrella of Malibu Boats Inc (MBI), acquired Pursuit Boats, bringing together both companies' manufacturing and design expertise.
Malibu Boats Inc. is the parent company of Malibu Boats, Axis Wake boats, Cobalt Boats, and now also the Maverick Boat Group, which includes the Cobia, Maverick, Pathfinder, and Hewes boat brands. MBI's stated mission is to create the ultimate on-the-water lifestyle and Pursuit Boats is proud to say that we are part of this prestigious, industry-leading group.
Who Makes Pursuit Boats?
Pursuit Boats are built to the highest quality standards by a large team of very skilled employees at our Fort Pierce factory. As of the time of writing this article, Pursuit Boats employed more than 600 staff members and is a multi-generational employer, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to our staff, their working environment, and their overall well-being.
Roster of Experts
The Pursuit teams encompass a wide variety of experts in various fields ranging from specialist fabrication in various materials, to upholstery, electronics, electrical work, engineering, outboard installation and maintenance, marine design, project management, quality control, and much, much more.
If you are wondering why we need so many different, highly skilled people to build our boats, then we encourage you to read our blog article detailing the development of one of our newest Pursuit models - the OS 405. That article takes you behind the scenes on all the people and processes that go into building a Pursuit boat. Spoiler alert: It's as complex as some much larger yachts!
Meet a Pursuit Staff Member
In 2023, we had the privilege of interviewing our Production Supervisor of Trim Assembly, the legendary Matthew Clark. If you have ever wondered what it's really like to work at Pursuit and build some of the world's most luxurious boats, you definitely need to read his interview here.
Originally from Georgia, Matthew joined us in the early 2000s having had almost no prior exposure to boatbuilding. He gradually worked his way up to increasingly senior roles and is now an indispensable member of the Pursuit plant team. We hope you enjoy meeting him as much as we enjoyed chatting with him!
Own a Boat from an Award-Winning Manufacturer
Pursuit Boats has received numerous awards and accolades over the years, including prestigious NMMA awards for customer service and innovation within its manufacturing processes.
Perhaps more importantly, Pursuit's commitment to excellence is recognized every day by our thousands of satisfied customers who choose to buy into or remain within the Pursuit brand, boat after boat.
The fact is that our customers love their boats and they love Pursuit. But don't just take our word for it. Right here in our blog section, you can find many interviews with our customers and read their opinions of their boats in their own words. Whether they prefer fishing, cruising, family time spent together, or even swimming with the sharks, they all agree on one thing: Pursuit Boats are unlike anything else out there.
So if you are ready to discover the meaning of Pure.Pursuit for yourself, head over to our Build a Boat tool, and start designing the boat of your dreams. When you're ready to take the next step and arrange a test drive or a personal tour of your dream Pursuit model, our convenient Dealer Locator tool will find your nearest authorized Pursuit dealer within seconds.
See you on the water!
