Century Boats names new director of research and development

Century Boats, a classic American boat company established in 1926 and based in Zephyrhills, Fla., announced that it named Joel Scott McLaughlin its new director of research and development. In this new position with Century Boats, McLaughlin’s primary responsibilities will be the research, design and development of new models for the company.

“With more than 30 years of industry experience in high-production boat building, Scott has stepped right in and become an integral member of the Century Boats team,” said Bryan Lucius, president of Century Boats. “We are familiar with his work – and with the boating marketplace headed in a positive direction, our entire management team is excited to have him onboard and filling this important R&D role.”

McLaughlin brings more than 33 years of experience to his position at Century Boats. Most recently he served as departmental manager at Marine Concepts in Sarasota, Fla., where he oversaw several departments including the plug-finish department, mold detailing, parts build and assembly. Prior to Marine Concepts, McLaughlin was with Hunter Marine (now Marlow-Hunter) in Alachua, Fla., for 30 years – most recently serving as the director of operations where he ran the research and development program for more than 10 years. McLaughlin started in the marine industry with Hunter in 1983 as a laminator.

Today with Century Boats, McLaughlin’s primary responsibilities include new model research, design and development. His boatbuilding expertise and hands-on experience also allow McLaughlin to assist the production team with daily operations needed to meet current market demand for Century Boats models.

“I’ve known the Lucius family for more than 15 years,” McLaughlin said. “They are a seasoned group of Florida-based boatbuilders, and their involvement with Century Boats is very exciting. The concepts and platforms that Century is producing today are well-regarded throughout the industry – and I look forward to working closely with the entire team to deliver even more innovations to our customers in the very near future.”

For more information, visit www.centuryboats.com.