30 years of the Marion factory
On 12 May 2017, the Bénéteau Group organised the anniversary of its first factory in the United States. Annette Roux, President of the Bénéteau Foundation, and Hervé Gastinel, CEO of the Bénéteau Group, were present at the Marion, South Carolina sailboat production site, which was opened on October 20, 1986. In 30 years, it has produced more than 8700 Jeanneau and Bénéteau pleasure boats for the entire American continent.
American ambitions intact
Already marked in recent years by the acquisition of the American motor boat brands Four Winns, Glastron, Wellcraft and Scarab, the Bénéteau Group's industrial policy across the Atlantic remains ambitious. Announced in 2016, the Americas Division, managed from the United States by George Armendariz, is responsible for the entire continent. The anniversary of the Marion plant was the occasion to announce the broad outlines of the group's strategy for America for the period 2017-2020:
- Production at the Angra dos Reis plant in Brazil, which was shut down in October 2016, is repatriated to the United States.
- While in the Bénéteau Group's engine range, only American brands have been produced locally to date, new models of the other brands will be produced in the Cadillac and Marion plants for the American market.
- Training for the group's 700 employees across the Atlantic will be put in place and investments will be made in industrial facilities.
