What fuels Powerboat's annual Awards for Product Excellence?
Boatbuilders with vision, and the good people around them who bring it
to life.
By Matt Trulio
It's easy to see a high-performance powerboat as a commodity—an
expensive adult plaything—because at its most rudimentary level that's
what it is. But a fine performance boat is much more than that. It
begins its life in drums and rolls, foundries and machine shops, and
through the efforts of many it becomes a luxury item for the few.
A high-performance powerboat is a labor of love that starts with the
owner of the company, often big on dreams and mechanical ability and
fearless when it comes to financial risk. The owner of the company also
know he can't do it alone, so he attempts to transfer the same passion
and commitment to his team.
That's why builders such as Reggie Fountain of Fountain Powerboats
and Mike Fiore of Outerlimits have more similarities than
differences—much as neither would probably care to admit it. Ask either
of them the secret to their success, and the first thing they'll do is
credit their employees. Same goes for Nick Barron of Hallett Boats and
Dave Hemmingson of Dave's Custom Boats and every other builder who has
won an Award for Product Excellence this year. They all know that
without dedicated people on their teams, the products wouldn't exist.
This year's Awards for Product Excellence are dedicated to the
laminators and riggers and the painters and upholsterers and everyone
else in the boat-building business who makes it happen. So ladies and
gentlemen of the industry, take a bow.
