Genoa City-based
Grand Craft Boats, a manufacturer of luxury wooden boats that have been sold to celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Kid Rock, has already seen growth in its first year since relocating to Wisconsin – and it’s targeting more.
Grand Craft relocated to the Walworth County village of Genoa City from Holland, Michigan at
the end of 2021. The company leased a 20,300-square-foot space at 1021 Williams Road and unveiled plans to hire 20 workers in the village within three years.
Grand Craft ended 2022 with nine employees, an increase of six employees since the company first relocated. Grand Craft sold a total of eight luxury mahogany wooden runabouts in 2022 for customers across the U.S.
The company’s two main models, the Burnham and Winchester, start at $450,000 and $840,000 respectively.
“We have high aspirations for the coming 12 months and beyond,” said
Patrick Gallagher, co-owner, president and chief executive officer of Grand Craft. “The more who experience driving or riding in our boats or admiring our models as ‘art on water’ like they are, the more momentum Grand Craft will gain.”
The company also added three new strategic sales partners across the U.S. in 2022. Those partners include Gage Marine, covering Wisconsin and the Chicago area, Gull Lake Marine, covering Michigan and northern Indiana, and Hansen Marine Sales, covering Upstate New York. Gallagher is pursuing additional partners to cover Austin, Texas, and portions of Canada and Europe.
In 2023, Grand Craft plans to manufacture 10 boats, hire additional staff and seek strategic alliances in new markets.
“My wife, Rose, and I purchased the company in early 2021, so 2022 was not only our first full year in our new facility and headquarters, but it was also our first full year as owners of Grand Craft,” said Gallagher. “We laid a lot of groundwork, while also having great successes, and we can’t wait to see what 2023 brings.”
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