New boat company announced in Flippin

BusinessManufacturingNews Briefs

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) December 1, 2017 12:43 pm 11,834 views 

A new fishing boat manufacturer was announced Friday (Dec. 1) in Flippin.

Vexus Boats, under the parent company Advanced Marine Performance LLC, will produce both aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats as well as custom-matched trailers. The company’s facilities at 727 W. Industrial Park Road, including an 115,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, are currently under construction with an anticipated move-in date of spring 2018.

“The Vexus brand represents more than a new line of fishing boats,” company president Keith Daffron said in a statement. “Today marks a historic time in our industry as we continue our revolutionary commitment to product excellence. We’re extremely fortunate to have a great group of industry veterans already working with us. With so many talented craftsmen and committed dealers, and even customers vying for the first completed models, it’s a humbling and exciting time.”

In addition to advanced technologies, proprietary designs and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes, Daffron said the new company will have the benefit of several employees who’ve spent decades working in the marine industry. Flippin and Marion County is the longtime headquarters of Ranger Boats, founded in 1968 by Forrest and Nina Wood and one of the nation’s premier manufacturers of fiberglass and aluminum fishing boats.

Ranger Boats, along with brands Stratos and Triton, has been owned since December 2014 by Bass Pro Shops.

Daffron is the former vice president of sales and marketing at Ranger Boats and the grandson of Forrest and Nina Wood. Friday’s news conference was held at the Forrest L. Wood Outdoor Sports Gallery in Flippin, which commemorates the history of Ranger Boats.

“Sportsmen have long relied on the talent and success of the industry professionals behind the new Vexus brand,” Arkansas Economic Development Commission executive director Mike Preston said. “We’re excited that the experts behind Vexus are making Flippin the home of their new corporate headquarters.”