MasterCraft announced on October 2, 2017, that it has acquired NauticStar, LLC, a leading manufacturer and distributor of 18’ to 28’ bay boats, deck boats, and offshore center console boats, for approximately $79.8 million. Benefits to MasterCraft includes the unification of two complementary boating brands and a more diverse build portfolio that includes saltwater fishing and outboard propulsion.
“We are very excited to welcome NauticStar to the MasterCraft family. NauticStar is a well-respected, expertly built, and uniquely positioned brand. The company’s outboard bay, deck, and offshore center console boats provide MasterCraft with additional product diversity.
They also provide MasterCraft a presence in saltwater fishing as well as outboard propulsion, two of the fastest growing segments in the broader boating industry,” said Terry McNew, MasterCraft’s President and Chief Executive Officer, in a press release. “Additionally, NauticStar’s year-over-year unit growth is among the strongest in the 18’ to 28’ category and demand domestically currently exceeds supply.”
NauticStar will maintain its current headquarters and manufacturing facility in Amory, Mississippi, approximately 300 miles southwest of MasterCraft. The transaction is expected to be accretive to MasterCraft’s earnings per share in fiscal year 2018.
