Australia’s leading aluminum boat manufacturer locates U.S. operations in Charleston Region

April 8, 2004, Moncks Corner, SC – Quintrex Boats, Australia’s largest and leading aluminum boat builder, is moving this week into its main new U.S. headquarters: a boat-building production facility in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, as part of the company’s extensive launch into the American market.

Quintrex plans to start production of its award-winning line of high-performance fishing boats in late April at the 35,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the Charleston region of South Carolina. The company has made a $5 million capital investment in the new location that will employ 15 people in its first year and serve as Quintrex’s main U.S. base of sales, manufacturing and administrative operations.

Ten boat builders have been hired to produce a wide variety of Quintrex aluminum all-water boats for saltwater and freshwater applications, featuring specialty fishing boats and center consoles, including bowriders and utilities, ranging in length from 10′ to 20′ feet. In addition, five administrative and sales executives will be working at the Moncks Corner facility.

“We expect to produce 350-400 boats in our first year and we anticipate a very
rapid growth within the next two or three years,” said Tim Atkins, U.S. general manager.” The U.S. plant in South Carolina will enable us to be more flexible
and to more rapidly adapt to changes and the demand and needs of our U.S. customers.”

The new South Carolina boat-building plant will dovetail with Quintrex’s ongoing campaign to expand its boat dealer network throughout the U.S. The company’s goal is to add 12 boat dealers within the next year to manage anticipated growth.

Quintrex will provide specialized welding training for its new boat builders via the Center for Accelerated Technology Training (CATT), South Carolina’s nationally recognized workforce training program. In addition, a team from Australia will be on hand to teach the new builders the company’s innovative methods for design and construction.

Atkins says Quintrex was attracted to the Moncks Corner, South Carolina location due to its geographic accessibility and convenient transportation to key marine saltwater markets along the entire eastern seaboard coast as well as to freshwater marine markets in the Midwest.

Atkins also said company executives appreciated the beauty and quality of
living readily available in Moncks Corner and the historic Charleston region. “Charleston is such a lovely city and if we recruit people from other regions, we want to be able to offer them a high quality place to live and work,” Atkins said.

In addition, Quintrex leaders valued the expert advice and support from the Charleston Regional Development Alliance and South Carolina economic development officials in assisting the company with its move to Moncks Corner.
“The help and support that Team South Carolina and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance have given to us has just been phenomenal,” Atkins said. “We already feel that we’ve been given a warm, hospitable welcome to our new American home.”

South Carolina leaders are thrilled that Quintrex selected Moncks Corner as the company’s new base of operations. “In undertaking this strategic expansion into the U.S. market, Quintrex was able to consider numerous locations,” said Bill Youngblood, chairman of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance. “The company’s selection of the Charleston region proves the attractiveness of our competitive business environment and world-class lifestyle amenities.”

Berkeley County Supervisor and County Council Chairman Jim Rozier said, “Not only do we have the workforce to make this a winning decision, we have a love of boating and sportfishing that will bring tremendous energy to the Quintrex operation here.”

South Carolina Commerce Secretary Bob Faith said, “Landing high-end international companies like Quintrex indicates our state’s ability to remain competitive in a global marketplace. I love nothing more than to be out on the water in a high-performance fishing boat, really pulling in the big ones. I’m thrilled that Quintrex has chosen South Carolina for their launch in the American market and I’m personally looking forward to having them in the Charleston area.”

For more information on Quintrex or the complete line of Quintrex boats, please contact Quintrex Boats, Tel: 843-761-6430, Fax: 843-761-6435 or visit www.quintrexboats.com or email: [email protected].

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MEDIA: To download high resolution photography of any of the Quintrex boat models and/or press releases, please visit the secured Quintrex FTP website: http://ftp.telwater.com/ Please type in username: Quintrexftp and type in password: axd118. Choose International – USA, then Quintrex – USA & Canada. To download images or logos, click through to the required image stored under boat name, then open the image, right click and follow the instructions.