Tige' Boats Breaks Ground On New Corporate Headquarters
PRESS RELEASE:
ABILENE, TX – Tigé Boats Inc. formally broke ground today on a new, state-of-the-art
manufacturing facility that will triple the company’s production capacity.
Located in Abilene, Texas, the new Tigé headquarters will include a 105,000-square- foot manufacturing plant and office facility on more than 25 acres adjacent to Abilene Regional Airport. The plans feature a 12,000-square-foot contemporary style corporate office complex and an adjoining 18,000-square-foot product development and engineering facility. This expanded research and development area will allow Tigé to continue to design cutting edge technology, innovative design and a new generation of family watersport boats.
Tigé will benefit from a linear design in the new factory that will allow them to both begin and finish one boat every hour. When employing two work shifts, Tigé will be able to produce 16 boats per day. The assembly line is also calculated to produce boats in a more efficient manner while preserving the overbuilt quality that has become a Tigé trademark.
When designing the facility, Tigé took the needs of its dealers, customers and suppliers into consideration. The new headquarters will benefit all of Tigé’s constituents.
The manufacturing facility is designed to make plant tours safer and more informative for customers, dealers and other visitors. A portion of the hallways in the manufacturing facility are built with large glass windows, so Tigé can showcase its new factory while maximizing comfort and enjoyment for visitors.
Tigé will utilize a state-of-the-art conference center for training and other sales and dealer-related activities.
Additionally, the vacant 100 acres surrounding the manufacturing facility will present expansion opportunities for Tigé’s suppliers who are interested in building regional satellites in Texas in the near future.
Tigé is currently operating at maximum capacity at its 48,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, located in north Abilene.
“We have outgrown our current facility and are now looking forward to being able to dramatically expand our production in the coming years,” remarked Charlie Pigeon, president of Tigé Boats. “The streamlined production line and new technology we are bringing to the new facility will also help us maximize the quality of our product.”
Tigé relocated its headquarters from Merced, Calif., to Abilene, Texas, in 1995. It has been a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties for over 10 years.
“The new Tigé corporate headquarters a synergistic project between the city of Abilene and Tigé,” Pigeon stated. “We currently have approximately 180 employees. By 2010, Tigé plans to increase boat production by over 200 percent and raise employee numbers by 70 percent.”
Tigé Boats Inc. manufactures eight direct drive and sport V inboard models ranging from 20 to 24 feet in length and all are backed by the Tigé LifePlus lifetime replacement warranty. Each boat features the patented Tigé ConvexV hull and TAPS2 technology. Tigé has more than 80 dealers in 10 countries.