Yamaha Sells Off Century Boats Assets, Century Poised for Comeback
OutdoorHub Reporters 03.18.12
Those passionate about Century boats got some great news today. After being put on the back burner by Yamaha a few years ago, the company has been sold to Allcraft Marine, which is prepared to begin churning out Century boats immediately. Brain Lucas, president of Allcraft Marine had this to say: “We are very excited about restarting production of Century brand boats. Strategically, Century will give us a presence in the larger offshore market.”
Original Press Release From Yamah Marine Group on March 16, 2012
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. announced today it has sold a majority of the assets of Century Boats and the Century brand to Florida-based Allcraft Marine. The new owners plan to resume production of Century brand boats at their Dade City, Fla. facility.
“We are very pleased that the Century brand will live on,” said Dean Burnett, Vice President of Yamaha Marine Group. “Century has a long and rich history in the marine industry, and we believe that Allcraft Marine will be a great steward of the Century tradition. The brand’s new owners clearly have a passion for producing high-quality products.”
Century was known for a high level of customer satisfaction and was consistently recognized for achieving high CSI index scores.
Allcraft currently builds and markets two fiberglass lines, Allcraft and Stumpnocker™. The company notes there may be opportunities for growth.
“I love the history of the Century brand,” said Lucius. “It’s been such a solid name for so long. Its brand awareness was extremely appealing to us. We want to get the Century name back to the forefront of everything we do. We are working toward getting the assets moved and getting production started for the 2013 model year, but it is business as usual for our existing lines.”
The sale of Century to Allcraft included the brand and all remaining molds and equipment. It did not include the former Century production facility in Panama City, Florida.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. purchased the Panama City-based Century in 1995 as part of a strategic plan to grow market share for its outboard motors in the offshore category. Annual sales for Century peaked in 2007 at over 1,000 boats annually.
