The success of Premier Marine is not simply found within the aluminum, fabric, and features that comprise our world-class luxury pontoons. Instead, it is within our people; from those who design and manufacture our boats to the front office staff and everyone in between. Its people who embody our core values and put them into action daily.

The moment Chris Carlson acquired Premier Marine, he knew he couldn’t make the business a success without the people: from those who manufacture the product, to front office staff and everyone in between. He wanted to surround himself with people who embody Premier Marine’s Core Values:  

Integrity – Doing the right thing every time

Excellence – Relentless pursuit of improvement

Attitude – Contagious optimism that fuels a powerful can-do culture 

Collaboration – Leveraging teamwork to achieve world-class results

It’s having the integrity to do the right thing every time, even when nobody is watching. It’s the relentless pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement. It’s an attitude of contagious optimism that fuels a powerful can-do culture. And it’s a collaboration of leveraging teamwork to achieve world-class results.

The PTX Award was established under Premier’s new leadership and recognizes employees who exemplify these values. Candidates are nominated by their peers and then reviewed, and hand selected by a leadership team. In addition to company-wide recognition and receiving a plaque, selected employees and those who nominated them also receive a monetary prize. Recipients of the PTX Award to date include:

Kaitlin Mueller

In just two and a half years, Kaitlin Mueller has progressed through five roles—embracing each step with determination and a problem-solving mindset. In her current role as Master Scheduler, she oversees the complex production schedule, aligning materials, labor, and customer demand while proactively managing shortages and shifting priorities to keep operations running smoothly. Though much of her work happens behind the scenes, her contributions are vital, and her journey reflects how initiative, adaptability, and consistent effort drive growth and opportunity at Premier.

Josh Groen

It’s said actions often speak louder than words, and for Josh, nothing could be more true. While soft-spoken, Josh speaks loudly by getting things done…period. No excuses, no questions, just complete commitment to excellence.  For Josh there is no task too large or small and is often found working “behind the scenes” to make everyone else’s job possible. He brings a positive, and contagious attitude, operating with the highest integrity to everything he is part of. His peers describe him as one of the most trustworthy people they know and can count on him in every situation.

Steven Thomalla

Steven has an exceptional pulse on the production floor.  He sees things clearly, understands the dynamics of the team, and is often the first to recognize when someone is truly living out our core values, as well as bringing awareness when we are not upholding our expectations. This level of awareness and courage is invaluable and strengthens our culture every single day. Over the past year, Steven has played a significant role in improving processes, reducing costs, and supporting the development of new models such as the Intrigue series. The quality of their work shows up in every detail – whether they are leading a meeting, providing clear guidance, or offering their time to ensure others have what they need to succeed.

Joe Jurgensen

Joe brings an unmatched knowledge of the break press to the production team and his contributions impact every boat we build. As the engineering team brings new designs that the software says are not possible, Joe finds a way to make them happen, and despite the constant work arounds, he always finds a way to stay positive.  He is patient with those who don’t understand the equipment’s limitations and works closely with engineering to help design parts, in the midst of working in one of the busiest departments. Joe’s efforts have contributed to massive cost savings and critical new products to help Premier be a leader in the market. He embodies Premier’s core values in all that he does.

Hunter Karnik

Hunter’s knowledge of Premier’s products, specifically the PTX, welding, and his ability to make critical decisions is incredibly valuable for to the production team. He fully understands the technical details of the PTX structure and implications of key welds and design changes. His problem-solving skills and design suggestions have saved hours of engineering effort, repeatedly sharing new ideas and methods to improve.  Hunter’s team rallies around him, and he makes meaningful contributions on a regular basis in both product improvements and new innovations.

Don Baron

Don’s outstanding teamwork, dedication, and contributions to the Premier team embody our core values. He goes the extra mile and especially steps up when it counts, with a positive attitude and strong work ethic.  Don takes on many projects outside his regular responsibilities and fosters collaboration across many teams. He continually looks for ways to improve, from getting supplies to streamlining processes.  Both on the line and behind the scenes, his strong character, leadership and commitment make him a true team player who inspires everyone to do their best.

Rossanna Rodriguez Escudero

Rosa’s ability to persevere through challenges with a positive attitude is not only admirable, but also impacting the efficiency of making design improvements, launching new products, and dialing in on quality concerns.  She takes her role to heart and you can see this by the way the decking team is able to overcome any challenge – no matter what. Rosa is an incredible leader and has stepped up into her role as decking lead in an impressive way.

Susie Rothbauer

Susie is willing to lend a hand helping whenever needed and radiates positivity every day. She wears multiple hats on the sales and operations teams, doing it all with a big smile on her face and with a great attitude. ​Susie helped launch our world-class dealer boat building tool that has been well received by our dealer network, is one of the first points of contact for our dealers, and does an outstanding job of holding others accountable while being a great business partner. ​She has a wealth of knowledge in everything Premier and consistently displays all four of our core values, making her an excellent member of the team.

Alex Schumacher

Alex embodies our core values and through his actions and head-down, get-stuff done work ethic is one of the leaders on the assembly line. He is at the front lines of integrity and showed that when he took over the lead role for inspection. He has been a driving force in the improved quality our dealers and customers are receiving. Alex is powered by a can-do attitude, and his excellence and collaboration are evident in final assembly’s most successful cost-out initiative; where he jumped at the opportunity to learn vinyl repairs and implement a program saving thousands of dollar in just a few months.

Mindy Kelley

Mindy’s passion and integrity for the business is unbelievable. She is committed to answering every call, every email and every claim as quickly and thorough as possible. Part of several improvement projects, Mindy constantly thrives to make things more efficient internally and offer the best experience for our customers. Her willingness to make Premier a better business never waivers.

Paula Vettrus

Paula embodies integrity in every aspect of her work and her dedication to excellence drives her to seek and implement innovative solutions that benefit not only her team, but the entire organization. Paula’s attitude, infectious positivity and resilience are a source of inspiration for everyone. She also has a remarkable ability to rally the troops from all over the organization to accomplish any task.

Lexie Hartl

Lexie consistently displays Premier’s core values day in and day out. Her attitude is always positive and she strives to make Premier the very best it can be. If you look closely at most of Premier’s past successes, you will find that she has a hand in it from behind the scenes. Her ability to maintain composure and approach difficult situations with a rational, composed, and can-do mindset is a valuable asset to Premier. It fosters an environment where clear thinking and sound decision making prevail, even in the most demanding circumstances. Her passion for excellence within herself is contagious and motivates excellence from her peers to strive for better results and a stronger organization.

John Cain

John consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication, leadership and work ethic, setting an example for not only his team,  but for everyone they work with.  John has shown remarkable initiative and resourcefulness among all departments and his strategic thinking and positive approach have lead to noticeable improvements. He is always willing to go above and beyond, demonstrating his commitment to ensuring every job is completed successfully and on time. He is highly respected for his professionalism, reliability and positive attitude.

Matt Olson

Matt embodies the core values daily, giving credit for great ideas his team members have and empowering them to execute.  He always find time to help with anything that comes up and has a fantastic way of keeping things light as the team works through solutions. Additionally, Matt’s collaboration and excellence were on full display as he spearheaded a recent project.  His leadership, guidance and tireless effort drove immediate positive results for Premier.

Dan Clemens

Dan is constantly demonstrating unwavering integrity in every aspect of his work. No matter the challenge thrown at him, even if it is something urgent, Dan keeps a level head and approaches the problem with a can-do spirit, which in return inspires those around him. In terms of excellence, he is the epitome of dedication and high-quality performance. He consistently goes above and beyond, setting a standard for achievement and delivering outstanding results.

Gabriel Arzola

Gabriel demonstrates integrity everyday in all he does. His commitment to excellence is evident in his commitment to quality and attention to detail. He is always bringing a great attitude to work each day and is a great problem solver, pushing the can-do culture we need. Perhaps most notably, he excels in collaboration by always being willing to help anywhere at anytime.

Travis Ganong

Travis is the perfect example of an employee that not only works by but also lives by Premier’s core values. His moral compass consistently points true north and it shows in his  integrity, reliability, and trustworthiness from his peers. His positivity spreads far beyond himself with his strong collaboration that influences teams to move in the same direction for one ultimate goal.

Engineering Team

From developing a roadmap for the future of Premier to taking in data that will help drive results. Premier’s engineering team delivers excellence, speed, and large cross-functional collaboration within our factory walls. The team as a whole is a tremendous example of what Premier can accomplish with great leadership, passion, and teamwork.

Pete Spoelstra

Pete shows how our core values and determination can help all of us accomplish our goals here at Premier. Ask him a question and he goes out of his way to figure it out. He always jumps in when needed and recognizes the hard work put in by his fellow peers. His forward-thinking solutions and compassionate heart helps his teams daily operations run smoothly.

Travis Rehfeld

Travis consistently exemplifies Premier Marine’s core values every day. His work has been described as excellent with high integrity, a great attitude and strong collaboration with people all around Premier. He leads with focus, humility, and purpose. Acting as the glue that holds his team together, his peers feel like they are making a difference collectively under his leadership.

Cedrik Peterson

Cedrik Peterson earned the honor of being the final PTX Award recipient for 2022. Cedrik has been described as the quiet warrior at Premier by letting his actions on the job speak for him. Immediately following the move to the new Big Lake manufacturing facility, Cedrik excelled in getting the console department up and running at full operational levels.

Erin Streit

Erin is a deserving PTX winner for many reasons. A recent example was our Dealer Meeting. Her attention to detail and follow through were awesome. She not only predicted the problem and challenge, but also had a plan for you to overcome it. Her leadership helped bring different teams together with strong accountability and good attitudes.

Clay Hanson

Clay leads with integrity. He strives for excellence and works hard to do so with a positive attitude while collaborating with other departments throughout the company. When you take into consideration the values of this company, Clay’s name comes to mind quickly. He moves with purpose, is humble, and acknowledges when he makes mistakes. Premier is fortunate to have Clay as an operations leader, and his future growth within the company could foster more opportunities for him moving forward.

Anne Johnson

With the company in rapid growth mode, Anne exemplifies a team player who has championed several major projects with grace. She works well with her teammates and pushes hard for excellence. Anne’s mindset is focused on the betterment of Premier not only for today, but for years to come. We are lucky to have her on the team.

Rick Betsinger

Rick has changed the culture of his department. His leadership is on display through his actions and his positive, can-do attitude. Rick operates with integrity and is a person of character who perfectly reflects our core values. Rick came into a challenging situation and now his department has never operated with more success or efficiency. He not only works well with others, but also entrusts them with decisions and core responsibilities, which is a true testament to his leadership.

The post PTX Award Honors Employees appeared first on Premier Pontoons.

The new home for Premier Marine features a stunning 150,000 sq. ft facility tailor-made to design, engineer, and manufacture premium luxury pontoons 

Big Lake, Minn. August 30, 2022 – Premier Marine announces the grand opening of its new corporate offices and manufacturing headquarters in Big Lake, Minnesota. In just 10 months, the 85-acre parcel went from raw land to the new home of Premier Marine, manufacturer of industry-leading performance luxury pontoons. The new factory has the capacity to produce up to 5,000 boats annually. 

The new 150,000 sq. ft facility features state-of-the-art engineering and fabrication capabilities, and positions Big Lake as home to one of the most respected pontoon manufacturers in the marine industry. Since being acquired by Envision Company in the spring of 2021, the company has experienced a significant makeover with new leadership, an extensive number of new hires, and now, a new home and manufacturing facility.

“Everyone is really excited,” said Premier Marine CEO Matt Homan. “First and foremost, this new facility really shows how much this company values its employees. We obviously wanted a facility with world-class manufacturing capabilities, but we also wanted a work environment that was safer, that offered vastly improved amenities, and a place we’re all proud to call home.”

The new facility features a throughput manufacturing design, that starts with raw materials at one end and a finished and rigged pontoon at the other. With 32-foot ceilings, dedicated forklift lanes, a combination of LED and natural lighting, enhanced air filtration and circulation, and modern equipment including state-of-the-art powder coating, every aspect of the manufacturing space is focused on safety, efficiency, and comfort. Employees will also enjoy personal locker space, shower rooms, an expansive lunch/break room with outside seating and grills, and a large, climate-controlled all-staff company meeting space. 

“Our partners on this project have been tremendous,” Homan said. “Jack Grotkin and his team at R.J. Ryan Construction have battled through weather and ongoing supply chain issues to meet our deadline and have this place ready for our upcoming dealer meeting. We’re excited to show our dealers the new home for Premier Marine.”

Joining R. J. Ryan Construction on the construction team are partners Northland Concrete and Masonry, Distinctive Iron, Master Electric and COR5, Voson Plumbing, and Lampert Architects. 

With the new facility operational, Premier will continue to seek talented, career minded individuals. The company offers premium incentives and benefits, career and leadership development programs, and even an employee boat club where employees and their friends and family can enjoy time on the water. To apply or learn more visit www.pontoons.com.

About Premier Marine

Premier Marine Inc. is a manufacturer of luxury performance pontoon boats under the Premier brand. Premier Marine holds numerous patents and trademarks on manufacturing elements such as the Premier Ricochet Ladder System, corrosion resistant high strength furniture hinges, and the PTX™ performance package. The 30-year-old, company sells its pontoons through boat dealers located throughout the United States and Canada. Premier Marine is headquartered in Big Lake, Minnesota and owned by Envision Company located in Elk River, Minnesota. 

The post World Class Facility Now Open appeared first on Premier Pontoons.

Big Lake, Minn., September 19, 2022 – Introducing the 2023 SuperSport, the new shape of performance-tuned luxury from Premier Marine. SuperSport redefines pontoon performance by combining our renowned PTX technology with an accelerated, cutting-edge design. The result is a pontoon that performs as good as it looks. 

“SuperSport really emphasizes the advantage of our PTX technology available in nearly all of our pontoons,” said Premier Marine CEO Matt Homan. “It combines premium luxury and comfort with the acceleration, handling, and quick-to-plane performance of PTX all in a dynamic new look.”

The design starts with a sculpted bow and symmetrical side panels that flow from front to back. From there, a full walk-through windshield provides added comfort and style and also encompasses a premium Dual Pinnacle Helm. Spanning above is a sport arch and a full RGB lighting system that includes speaker, rail, underwater, furniture, and toe-kick. Cupholder lighting further highlights the new lean, performance-infused style. 

Premium luxury is also found throughout SuperSport starting with a new 12″ full-color SIMRAD® Display and Superior Wheel with integrated audio controls. Wireless phone charging stations, refrigerated cup holders, and an advanced JL Audio Media Master system add modern amenities for an experience that takes you beyond the expected. 

At the heart of the performance pedigree of SuperSport is legendary PTX technology in 36″ or 42″ hull sizes. With an exclusive Performance Planing Surface (PPS), angled variable ride surface, and dual inward lifting strakes, SuperSport accelerates faster, attains greater top speeds, carves tighter, achieves plane quicker, and delivers a smoother, more stable ride. 

To maximize the muscle SuperSport can accommodate, a dual transom option allows for maximum power options ranging from 450 to a lake shortening 900 horsepower. 

To learn more about the new SuperSport and the entire 2023 Premier Marine lineup of luxury pontoons, visit www.pontoons.com

About Premier Marine

Premier Marine Inc. is a manufacturer of luxury performance pontoon boats under the Premier brand. Premier Marine holds numerous patents and trademarks on manufacturing elements such as the Premier Ricochet Ladder System, corrosion-resistant, high-strength furniture hinges, and the PTX performance package. The 30-year-old company sells its pontoons through boat dealers located throughout the United States and Canada. Premier Marine is headquartered in Big Lake, Minnesota, and owned by Envision Company located in Elk River, Minnesota.

The post New SuperSport Model Announced appeared first on Premier Pontoons.

MATT HOMAN NAMED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF PREMIER MARINE

The post Homan Named New CEO appeared first on Premier Pontoons.