Voice of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie & Superior The company was founded by Steve Potts, who is still the owner and president of Scout Boats. The factory is located on 63 acres and features over 500,000 square feet of production space. Since its inception, back in the 1980s, the name Scout has become renowned for its innovation, attention to detail, and exceptional quality. His son, David Potts, is the vice president and chief operating officer.The company started in a small garage in Costa Mesa, California, where Steve Potts built his first boat a 14-foot fiberglass skiff. It was something better than that. Steve Pottsmoves full time toCEOof the company, Dave Wallacehas been namedPresident, William Fergusonhas been promoted toVice President of Manufacturing,Courtney Guicehas elevated toAdministrative Vice President andStevie PottsisVice President of Product Development & Engineering. This site has features that require javascript. Scout Boats president and CEO Steve Potts launched the South Carolina company with $50,000 he managed to scrimp and save while working a night job repairing fiberglass bathtubs, and a day job as plant manager at American Sail. If youre in the market for a new boat, you may be wondering about the Scout 42. A: It was a very humble beginning just myself, my wife [Dianne] and a helper, literally in a brick barn or a garage. Theres one hydraulic spinner that makes it do four or five different things. The sold-out NMMA boat show will feature more than 400 boats on display, an increase of 40% over last years event. Already a subscriber? Theres a specification for each build that is unique to that build. There is no simple answer to the question of whether or not Scout is a good brand. In 1989, Potts and his wife, Dianne, took a leap of faith and started Scout Boats with their $50,000 savings. Theyve got a 3- by 5-inch smartphone that can do 10 times more than you got on a boat, so the boat seems antiquated and dated because its not condensed and user-friendly. Scout Boats was founded in 1989 by Steve Potts, who to this day, continues to maintain his presence on the shop floor working on Scout models. Theres no question that today theres as many shapes and colors of fiberglass floating around as ever before. Weve got nearly 400 employees, so we furloughed them for two weeks paid them to stay home and had management staff come in and make our facility Centers for Disease Control compliant. We are very transparent and very inspirational. But people wanted to live for the moment. The man behind the company is president and CEO Steve Potts. Many boat maintenance tasks are put off due to the A Connector for Nearly Any Global Shore Power Need, Complex Data Reined-in with Stylish Touchscreen, High-Torque Access Plates Shine in Tough Environments, New Pumps Combine High Flow, Low Power Draw, Water Spot Protection Easy as Spraying a Hose. That makes Scout something of an outlier in the boat building business, government data shows. Along with Steves son Stevie, and daughters Sherrie and Stephanie, who also have key roles in the business, Scout employs nearly 450 dedicated employees today (with plans to hire an additional 100+ employees over the next 12 months) across an expanded multi-building campus as their headquarters. Scout Boats, Inc.has made a number of personnel changes at its South Carolina-based headquarters. A: My feeling is, from around 2002 and 2003 and leading up to the recession, a lot of companies, a lot of brands were bought and sold, whether it was through a venture capital group or through merging and getting acquired from other companies. Thats who we are. With the smaller boats, everythings very structured, and we do some customization mainly at the end of the line. The company initially operated out of a small garage, but it has since grown into a major operation with over 200 employees and annual sales in excess of $50 million. $1 Million - $5 Million. Complaints Of 'Porpoising.' I personally studied the art of boatbuilding and taught myself how to do it better for 20 years. If you prefer gear that looks stylish and modern, then Scout might not be the best choice as their designs are fairly traditional.However, if you value function over form then Scouts products could be exactly what youre looking for. That boat was built for five or six years. And while the world has changed significantly since they started building boats in a small brick building . The boat also comes standard with a Garmin helm Wi-Fi router, Fusion stereo with eight seven inch speakers, amp, forward deck remote control and Bluetooth compatibility, a JBL Sound Bar in the cabin, AGM glass-pack batteries with two chargers, and dimming courtesy under bolster and hardtop lights. We know you have a choice. We do a lot of things that are unique. You are responsible for regularly reviewing this Policy and any changes thereto. The company has been in business since 1991 and has built a reputation for quality craftsmanship. Preparing Steve's profile View Steve's Email & Phone (It's . . Scout Boats was founded by South Carolina-resident Steve Potts a man that continues to this day to be on the shop floor daily working on the models back in 1989. Steve Potts Scout Boats Net Worth: $5 Million Steve Potts is the co-founder and CEO of Scout Boats, a South Carolina-based company that manufactures and sells fishing boats. Apart from this, being the co-founder and CMO of a company, Gupta naturally has a profit share as well as a fixed salary that helps his net worth of Rs 10,500 grow bigger by the year. But in the 30 years since theyve been around, theyve made a big splash in the industry.So where are these impressive boats made? Meaning, once the founder has moved on and is in their twilight years, they step away from it and theres not the youth behind them. Epoxy is a different animal in that its got to be post-cured. When our first building initially got wiped out, we found one of the very few buildings that survived Hurricane Hugo not far away. We started sculpturing the seating and introducing some new contrasting colors and doing a lot of things like that. Scout Boats CEO & Founder Steve Potts will unveil the company's new flagship and LXF fleet leader - the 420 LXF - at this year's Miami International Boat Show. 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved, Annual Branded-Content Special Advertising Sections. Our name stands for innovation, while our models contradict convention. We have one or two that are even longer than that. The Connecticut Marine Trades Association will accept nominees for the Jeanne Czel Person of the Year Award until March 15. Scouts were a well-known quality fishing boat in the Charleston, South Carolina area, but time and change in direction ended the boats' short run. Im proud to see our family of employees grow over the years, and proud to see them grow within the company. Length 7.50 m 10 Passengers. Soundings Trade Only caught up with Potts to ask him about starting his boatbuilding business with the $50,000 he was able to squirrel away in the 1980s, and working a night job repairing fiberglass bathtubs and during the day as plant manager at American Sail. Scout Boats continues to up the ante. The 330 LXF is a new model that stands on its own, Steve Potts says. Software Engineering Manager and Technical Lead of cross-functional full-stack software engineering teams with responsibility for delivering, maintaining, and operationally supporting systems that are the backbone of ultra high visitor volume websites (+25M unique/day). Scout was founded with a handful of employees and a couple of molds in a small brick building back in 1989 by Steve and his wife Dianne Potts. Steve Potts, Scout Boats, Inc. Thomas Slikkers, S2 Yachts Jack Springer, Malibu Boats Jeff Stone, Skeeter Boats Inc. Rick Tinker, Skier's Choice, Inc. Peter Truslow, Bertram, LLC John Ward, Everglades* The EMD Board is comprised of: John Pfeifer (Chair), Mercury Marine Ron Huibers (Vice Chair), Volvo Penta of the Americas Fort Worth, TX. Q: How do Scouts hold up for resale? It has more of a sporty look. I dont know that consumers want to labor over a boat. Steve Potts has been working as a Owner at Scout Boats for 34 years. I started in lamination, worked there for a few years starting with small-part lamination, and then went to consoles and decks and hulls. Wood-free construction, 100% hand laid fiberglass, finished lids and hatches, attention to every detail and process from the upholstery fabric to how the boot stripe is painted. Boatbuilding is very passionate. Steve Potts Owner, scout boats inc . In a lot of cases our industry goes back two and three decades in technology, even so much as analog wiring. In that building we have what we call Plant A and Plant B. The Volvo Penta parent posted FY22 sales of $45.2 billion, with the marine segment delivering 17,924 engine units. When you get somebody that spends the kind of money that is spent on our models and theyve experienced an automobile thats in and around that same budgeted price, every other thing theyre exposed to [is more user-friendly]. Either people getting out of it or moving in a different direction or whatever. It was really myself, my wife, and at the time my 12-year-old son, who today is the vice president of development, and my 9-year-old daughter. Early on, we were scrutinized, especially by our competition, that it was too pretty. "There seems to be two center console worlds - the hardcore fishing world and the cruising world," says Scout Boats president Steve Potts. Scout Boats was named for Potts' fond memories of the simple fishing boats he worked on as a teen. The project was re-branded 'Something Cool', a reference to the Heineken family (since Alfred Heineken owned a yacht named Something Cool, which was a reference to his beer brewing company. Can you speak to that? We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Potts Jr.: It makes for a much cleaner environment, too. Having been in the marine industry since I was 14, I knew that one day I wanted to do my own thing and apply all the things Id learned to do and learned not to do. Some of its kind of reversed and gone the other way. Sietse van der Zee has more than 20 years of boatbuilding experience, including stints at Mulder, Verolme, Damen and Feadship. Scout Boats are built using 100% hand-laid fiberglass construction, and the detailed finishing of the bilges and unseen sides of all the doors, lids, and hatches is unsurpassed in this price range. Required fields are marked *. How much are you growing? Ralph O. From the beginning, we made the decision that we were going to hand-lay everything we built. Those designs are very versatile. Ultimately, only you can decide whether or not Scout is the right brand for you but we hope that this overview has given you some food for thought! Scout has revolutionized the coastal fish boat market. Q: There seem to be roughly the same number of builders as before the recession, despite so much hardship, but not all have thrived the way Scout has. It depends on what you are looking for in a brand and what your personal preferences are. It was a brick building with a galvanized roof. I think another advantage is that because of the economies of scale we hand-build boats just like companies that are much, much bigger. I went through pretty much every department learning the ropes and earning the respect from the few employees we had at the time. It wasnt that long ago, I can remember Stevie wanted a hydraulic platform on the side of this center console and I said, That is ridiculous. He has served on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations, including the Coastal Conservation Association and Take Stock in Children. I understand that. Q: And what about the shift into larger boats? And with its large workforce and favorable trade agreements, its an ideal place to build boats for the global market.Of course, some people may be concerned about buying a boat thats made so far away from home. See who you know in common. Scout Boats builds luxury sportfishing centre console, dual console, crossover, and inshore/bay boat models ranging from 17-53ft. A: With some models, as much as six months. reflecting Steve's business interests as presi-dent and CEO of Scout Boats. Same thing with the 215 Dorado. 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization . Which one would you choose? We also got details about the expansion Scout is undergoing to begin production of its largest boats ever a 38-footer and a 42-footer. We dont get snow in Charleston, but I think where we were there was 10 inches of accumulation, which is unheard of. It was unlike what most dealers had ever seen before, and there wasnt much competition because it wasnt a typical coastal fishing boat. Get introduced. We have always been a family owned-and-operated company, and Im proud to say our Scout family is comprised of both blood and non-blood individuals., Ive always seen myself as a visionary, and my role as CEO will allow me to focus much more on that aspect, but in no way does it take me away from Scout, add Potts. When we got to it a couple of days after and saw what was left of what Id worked for for so long, my emotions were really anger and determination. I worked in the rigging department for a few years, and then I worked in warranty. Seven or eight years ago, we started paying a lot more attention to the creature comforts. No one else in the industry has even come close. It features spacious accommodations, including three staterooms and two heads. That mindset should be part of the culture in your dealership, too, especially post-pandemic. For more info contact Gary Hall at (716) 876-5944 Visit the Scout Boats Website Bathrooms & Showers Free Pump out Facility 35 Ton Travel Lift Winter Storage Shrink Wrapping Fiberglass Repair Canvas Repair Detailing Service Electronics Installation Scout was one of the early companies to build creature comforts into fishing boats. Down below, the appointments resemble the elegance of those on a private jet. As it's a serious fishing boat you are certain to want to spend some time trolling and the 345XSF is a perfect platform for the task. 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