The company was founded by Potts and his wife Dianne in 1989. We had the business going from February 1989 and had a handful of dealers seven or eight in the Carolinas. Its a neater, cleaner operation. We had the scale model being 3-D-printed. The yacht Scout was built by Hakvoort in 2019.The 83m (209ft) yacht is designed by H2 Yacht Design.. The challenge is to make it look clean when its down and when its up. There are very few disadvantages that you see with the big stay-in-the-water-type boats. Its a much cleaner process. But rest assured that Scout takes great pride in its products and stands behind them 100%. Dubbed "Project Everest" by Scout's staff, the boating behemoth will arrive amid a 35,000-square-foot expansion at the manufacturing site along U.S. Highway 78. COLUMBIA, S.C. - Scout Boats Inc., a manufacturer of sport fishing boats, is expanding its Dorchester County facility in response to increased customer demand - both domestically and overseas. 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. Over 400 hours were put into testing the epoxy-infused double stepped hull developed for this model. Thats just the opposite here. And then Hurricane Hugo hit, on the 22nd of September 1989. Has that given companies like yours an edge that it will be difficult for others to catch up with? 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. Bill Springer September 4, 2018. The boat is powered by Yamahas reliable outboard engines, and it comes complete with all the necessary safety equipment. Scout Boats continues to up the ante. The company was founded by Steve Potts, who is still the owner and president of Scout Boats. You take the whole room thats completely done and drop it into the liner, drop the console on top, and tap it all together. Scout Boats are known for their quality construction and innovative design, and they have won numerous awards over the years.The company offers a wide range of models to suit different budgets and needs, from small skiffs to large offshore fishing boats. He and his wife, Dianne, began building 14- and 15-foot boats out of a brick barn in 1989. Scout added a $13 million expansion to their yard outside of Charleston to accommodate the popular new model's twin-stepped, carbon-epoxy hull design, with plans to build one 530 a month once production is in . We basically as a family, brick by brick, unloaded what was underneath the building that was leveled and we salvaged what we could. Having 30 switches on the dash on your boat is cool. Underwater deck and bow cameras are available as well as underwater LED lights. Epoxy-infusion provides more stability in the hull while reducing the overall weight in the boat, countering the long term industry belief that a larger boat has to be heavy to perform. By using the any of our websites and/or making online requests of products, you agree to the terms and conditions of EPGs Policy. Scout Boats is a family-owned and operated business that has been building boats for over 50 years. Logistically, its been a challenge to make our facilities a safe place to work. Youll find a two burner glass stove cooktop, microwave, flush mount 32 flat screen TV, DVD player, galley sink, drawer refrigerator, enclosed shower area with sump and an enclosed head area with a full size toilet and sink with hot and cold water. This article originally appeared in the December 2014 issue. Want to know when we have important news, updates or interviews? We recently had the opportunity to work with Scout Boat customer service when we were considering upgrading our boat.We found them to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and they made the entire process easy and stress-free. It started with sweeping the floor to grinding molds outside a lot of the nasty work, but I certainly appreciated a job. These bigger boats we build, we work with Molly Ditzler at Vectorply. How much are you growing? Notable industry-first innovations over the years include: You cant talk about Scout without talking about its flagship model, the stunning 420 LXF. The company is building an additional 30,000 square feet onto its 182,000-square-foot facility. Their first boat was a simple, quality skiff. Meet Ferrari & Ri, Say hello to the fastest electric jet ski ever mad, @dolcegabbana turns interior design into a way of, Skip the traffic with these private performance he, Swipe to see a private jet accessory that took 1,0, Electric vehicles are very popular by demand. Today, were taking a look at where Scout boats are made. 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. Scout models arent just stunning to look attheyre also packed with many first-to-market innovations and features. When youre infusing something, youre not getting spray guns out and rollers and suiting up. In 1989, Potts began building boats again in earnest and revived the Scout name in a small shop with his wife and a couple of workers. I had worked and struggled too long not to continue on. In 1989, Potts and his wife, Dianne, took a leap of faith and started Scout Boats with their $50,000 savings. Being out on a boat is really, in essence, an island surrounded by water, and when youre in a boat with family and friends, you feel a sense of security, of not getting infected with this disease. But dont let that fool you into thinking that theyre not up to par with other boats on the market. Required fields are marked *. 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. The salon is bright and airy, thanks to large windows and skylights.The galley is well-equipped, and theres plenty of storage throughout the boat. The guy I was renting the brick barn from rebuilt and we moved back in February or March of 1990. In fact, Scout Boats have won numerous awards for their design and performance.So why Thailand? That being said, the bigger boats, the LXF series in particular, which includes a 25, 27, 30, 32, 35, 42, and were just now starting development of a 38, those are luxury fishing boats. Scout Boats, Inc.has made a number of personnel changes at its South Carolina-based headquarters. Scout was one of the early companies to build creature comforts into fishing boats. Either people getting out of it or moving in a different direction or whatever. Again, Ive learned what not to do. Thats a very unique-looking boat. In fact, some of the smallest companies grew share the most. Blue Compass Divers . Scout Boats, Inc. warrants to the Original Purchaser that the hull and deck of the boat will be free from manufacturing defects for a period of FIVE (5) YEARS from the date of purchase by the Original Purchaser.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'boatingbuddy_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-boatingbuddy_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Yamahas Scout Boat is a versatile watercraft thats perfect for both fishing and recreation. A: Today were right at 850 a year. Steve Potts Email Address . 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. For more information on Scout and any of its innovative model lineup; to request a brochure, quote or test drive; or to build your own Scout model, visit www.scoutboats.com today. Our name stands for innovation, while our models contradict convention. The 420 LXF is the sixth model in this category to date, headlining the 255, 275, 300, 320 and 350 LXF models. A: Thats right. The Company offers flat and bay, fish-n-ski, express, and center console boats. It will be interesting to see what happens. From that point forward, even to this day, our challenge has really been to manage [the growth of] a business with people and training and hiring, the facility and new designs, so it was a different kind of challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. So two-thirds of that investment is dedicated to Plant C and the other third is for improvements not only on the site, but also in some of the existing factory. Potts Jr.: I started at Scout in high school, after school and during summers or spring break. I think theres a lot of brands that create a glut of late-model used stuff. Table of Contents. 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. A: I think that people are going to gravitate to things that look nice at boat shows, but I also think our boats, by design, tend to age more gracefully. One of the things thats unique about Scouts is the fit and finish. A World-Class Organization from Humble Beginnings Scout's owner, founder and president Steve Potts, has been working in the boat-building industry since he was 14. Nikki Haley About Scout Boats: Scout builds sportfishing, fish 'n ski, walk around, flats and bay boat models ranging from 15' to 35'. I personally studied the art of boatbuilding and taught myself how to do it better for 20 years. Scout Boats 251 XS. For instance, Scout boats are designed with fishing in mind.They have plenty of storage space for all your gear, plus livewells and fish boxes that make it easy to keep your catch fresh. Timeless styling, sleek aesthetics and technology are three main pillars of this flagship. Structural Info Filmography Profession Actor, Composer, Soundtrack Actor Composer Soundtrack Self Known for movies Thats who we are. Dave has been my right hand for 22 years running the day-to-day operations, and its only fitting that he assumes the role of president for the company hes been so crucial in helping grow for more than two decades.. Those designs are very versatile. The couple, along with a helper, started building 14- to 15-foot boats out of an old brick building in Summerville. The company was founded in 1989 by Steve Potts, who is still the CEO and owner today. We worked with an Italian company that helped us design the interior. Steve Potts doesn't reflect a lot on the history of Scout Boats, but the Mount Pleasant, S.C., builder's 25th anniversary this year prompted him to take a look back at what has led to Scout's double-digit post-recession annual growth. Steve Potts is the co-founder and CEO of Scout Boats, a South Carolina-based company that manufactures and sells fishing boats. We started sculpturing the seating and introducing some new contrasting colors and doing a lot of things like that. The fact is that we as boatbuilders cant expect consumers to think like we think. Back in 2007, we came up with the idea on our 262. Share by Email, Copyright 2007 - 2022 Jetset Magazine 15220 North 75th Street Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (877) 538-5738, A few pics from last week's @doshombres x @popcorn, Presented in an assortment of styles, platforms, a, January 15, 2023, the annual @motorcarcavalcade we, Happy New Year to all! Potts Sr.: Thats Stevies baby. 10/15/2021 12:00:00 AM | General Government Relations. What, Engineered to travel off the beaten track in total. 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. Along with Steve's 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. So it isnt for lack of creativity. 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]. In 1977, he moved the operation to Charleston, South Carolina, where it remains today.Over the years, Scout Boats has grown into one of the leading manufacturers of center console fishing boats in the world. Scout Boats broke ground this week on an all-new 120,000-square-foot manufacturing plant at its Summerville, South Carolina facility. Ralph O. Obviously our revenues going to grow quite a bit because of the introduction of the 42 and the 38 and some of these other bigger models. However, Potts picked up the pieces and kept moving. The running surface is second to none. The 277 LXF follows suit. My feeling is that in a lot of those cases its somewhat of a bean-counter mentality. But people wanted to live for the moment. Were going to continue to build a very diverse model mix. Scout Boats has grown steadily for the last 22 years and now builds fishing and day-cruising boats from 14 to 35 feet. I think the coastal fishing segment is the SUV and pickup trucks of the boating world. SCOUT BOATS, INC. Steve Potts doesnt reflect a lot on the history of Scout Boats, but the Mount Pleasant, S.C., builders 25th anniversary this year prompted him to take a look back at what has led to Scouts double-digit post-recession annual growth. I was really trying to earn money to buy a car. Founded in 1989, Scout is a relative newcomer to the world of boating. Special attention was given to the interior design of the 330 Dorado. Potts Jr.: A lot of things we did on that boat came from listening to customers, and some of the things they like or dont like about their boats. We formed a partnership with Garmin and Power Products, which at the time was making the CZone systems, and went digital with our bigger boats. That boat was built for five or six years. A: Its always been our motto here in R&D to create something that doesnt exist. Fortunately, weve only had four positive tests, which is beating the odds in our county and state. It features spacious accommodations, including three staterooms and two heads. Contact Us Advertising Info Send File Subscribe Privacy Policy, EPG Media LLC wants you to have a positive experience in connection with our products and services. A: Were right at 240 employees now, and my five-year plan going forward thats going to take us to 2019 is to be at 500 employees. Weve built a team here that will continue to take us into the future, said Potts. 0 for charter 2 for sale. Photo Left to Right: Alan Lang (Scout Boats), Steve Potts (Scout Boats), Rep. Nancy Mace, and Russ Tomlinson (Sportsman Boats) Membership . So I made up my mind in the mid-80s to start working hard besides raising a family and coaching soccer and doing all the other things dads do to start working toward saving money and starting my own business. You alluded to competitors, but there arent many in this larger center console coastal fishing boat space. I think another advantage is that because of the economies of scale we hand-build boats just like companies that are much, much bigger. Dave has been my right hand for 22 years running the day-to-day operations, and its only fitting that he assumes the role of president for the company hes been so crucial in helping grow for more than two decades.. He has served on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations, including the Coastal Conservation Association and Take Stock in Children. I personally studied the art of boatbuilding and taught myself how to do it better for 20 years. In a lot of cases our industry goes back two and three decades in technology, even so much as analog wiring. I dont know that consumers want to labor over a boat. Heres what you need to know about the Scout 42:The Scout 42 is a luxurious cruising yacht that was designed with comfort in mind. They began here in our state, and they continue to grow and strengthen our economy. 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 That makes Scout something of an outlier in the boat building business, government data shows. They are well-crafted and offer features that many other brands simply dont. 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. Even though we add the plushness to them, you can still hose them out and not have to baby them. The Volvo Penta parent posted FY22 sales of $45.2 billion, with the marine segment delivering 17,924 engine units. Thats how we got started. Steve Potts Owner, scout boats inc . 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