Malibu Boats

Malibu, which is headquartered in Loudon, Tennessee, is a United States manufacturer of recreational boats, founded in 1982. Malibu is notable as a major manufacturer of water sports boats, used both recreationally and in water skiing and wakeboarding events.

History

In 1982, a group of six friends who shared a common passion for water skiing decided to start building custom ski boats in a small shop in Merced, California. Robert Alkema founded the organization. During the first year of operation, Malibu built two boats per week using a single-hull design and each boat, with its blended gel coat design had California flare. By 1984, Malibu had repaid its initial loan and was building over 400 boats a year. Financially conservative, Alkema had directed the company to turn a profit in just over two years. By 1988, with a nine percent share of the market, the California plant was at full production. To satisfy increased demand, the company opened a second plant in Tennessee. By the end of the year, Malibu had built almost 1,000 custom ski boats and had been awarded their first Product Excellence Award for Value by Powerboat Magazine. By the end of 1992, Malibu had built a new production facility in Loudon, Tennessee to accommodate the increased demand east of the Mississippi. They removed all wood from the construction, and introduced the new, patented, Fiberglass Engine Chassis System (FibECS) which eliminated vibration and noise associated with the drivetrain.