Barletta to build new pontoon boat factory, add 200 jobs in Bristol
BRISTOL ― Even with the announced closing of two RV plants in Goshen at the end of September, other manufacturers continue to expand operations in Elkhart County.
Barletta Pontoon Boats said it plans to start construction later this summer on a 184,000-square-foot expansion to meet demand for its upscale products. Completion of the plant is slated for late spring or early summer next year.
“This expansion is needed for the growth of the business,” said Jeffrey Roth, vice president of marketing for the company. “We don’t have the room to be totally efficient anymore.”
There was record-high demand for boats and RVs during the pandemic, but that the surge seems to be waning and demand is returning to pre-pandemic levels, Roth explained.
Barletta’s plant expansion is the result of its expanding market share, Roth said, adding that the company is now challenging to become one of the nation’s top five pontoon manufacturers.
The company’s current lineup of boats sticker for just over $50,000 to more than $130,000, but a new product line that will likely be introduced later this year could approach $200,000, Roth said.
With about 241,000 square feet under roof on its campus, Barletta already employs about 400. With the new plant and product line, it expects it could need an additional 200 workers, Roth added.
Earlier this year, Godfrey Marine, a division of Polaris Industries, announced an expansion of its manufacturing operations in Elkhart. It plans to add 50 new jobs over the next 18 months to help meet increasing demand for its products, the company said.
Keystone, which operates the two RV plants in Goshen that will be shuttered, didn’t provide an explanation for the closures. But RV dealers have reported that sales have slipped compared to the height of the pandemic and shipments of completed products are expected slowdown slightly in the second half.
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Meanwhile, Barletta is building boats to meet current demand. “We’re having problems keeping boats in dealerships,” Roth said.
Barletta was founded by Bill Fenech, a veteran of the RV industry who also helped start Grand Design in 2012. After Grand Design was sold to Winnebago Industries, Fenech started Barletta pontoons in 2017.
In 2021, Fenech sold Barletta to Winnebago Industries, but he remains president of the business.
“We established Barletta with the goal to redefine the pontoon segment with boats of unrivaled craftsmanship for boaters throughout North America,” Fenech said in a release.
“This expansion exemplifies the continued progress we have achieved with the commitment and dedication of our team, and the support of Winnebago Industries,” he added.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Pontoon boat factory to add 200 jobs in Bristol
