Palmer Johnson plans further expansion
STURGEON BAY, Wis. — Luxury yacht-manufacturer Palmer Johnson plans to begin construction on a new paint building in the near future, the company said in a story on the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s Web site today.
Chief Executive Officer Mike Kelsey told the newspaper the new addition will be used for painting its yachts. In its current facility, Palmer Johnson hangs large plastic sheets to separate yachts that are being painted and restricts other types of work to avoid contaminating the air during a paint project.
For better results, Kelsey said, recently completed yachts have been shipped to another company in Virginia for painting.
“You’re seeing us launch boats now that have to be painted on the East Coast just because we don’t have a dedicated paint shop,” Kelsey said. “Our experience shows that we need a paint shop to stay competitive.”
The company is also in the midst of a 15,750-square-foot expansion to make more space to build more boats. The addition “will give us two more construction bays,” Kelsey told the newspaper. “We’re going from a four-boat shop to a six-boat shop.”
“We feel very confident we will be able to utilize the new addition in its full capacity very soon,” he said.
One-half is expected to be ready in March and the other half in April. The addition will allow Palmer Johnson to start laying the keels for three boats on order in addition to the four already in various stages of construction in the shop, Kelsey said.
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