Pursuit Boats yesterday broke ground on the first phase of a three-phase expansion. The company said in a statement that the expansion will allow it to increase production to meet growing market demand.
The first phase will be a 182,115-sq.ft. manufacturing facility. Eventually, there will be three new facilities that total 569,430 square feet of manufacturing space with three manufacturing and support operations complexes. Pursuit’s current manufacturing space measures 213,000 square feet on its 100-acre campus. The company plans to increase its employee base from its current 400 to 600 with the new additions.
Pursuit President Bruce Thomson, who spoke at the groundbreaking yesterday, said the company has been building boats in Fort Pierce since 1983. “After 37 years here, we are a multi-generational employer. We, and our 400 current employees, are thrilled to be able to stay and expand here at home, something we’ve wanted for a long time,” said Thompson.
The new facility is being supported by the county’s economic development fund. “Manufacturing has and will continue to be at the core of our business development efforts,” said Howard Tipton, St. Lucie County Administrator, in the statement. “Anytime you have a great company like Pursuit looking to expand, we know we have to earn the opportunity for them to expand here.”
Pursuit was launched in 1977 by S2 Yachts in Holland, Michigan, and acquired by Malibu in 2018. The complex is on a 111.42-acre site, with a 42-acre scrub jay habitat area. Pursuit is donating 32 acres to the county as a preserve for threatened and endangered species. It also plans to allow the county to acquire an additional ten acres as part of its Environmentally Sensitive Lands Program.
“Our environmental preservation partnership with St. Lucie County will help match our legacy on the water with our environmental stewardship on the land,” said Thompson.
