Spotlight: Premier Marine up in a down market
Premier Marine is a modern-day success story of a family-owned business making it in an industry dominated by large corporations. That’s the scenario being played out on the lakes, waterways, and marine dealerships across North America as the company, located in Big Lake, Minnesota, is succeeding in a market where others are not.
Over the past year, Premier has expanded its dealer network by more than 25 percent, operating with focus, heart, and putting people and relationships first.
In 2021, Premier was a brand on the brink of collapse before being purchased by the Carlson family. The marine industry had been facing stiff headwinds for some time; the kind of headwinds that led many manufacturers to either close their doors or sell to large corporations.
Chris Carlson, the family patriarch and current Premier Marine CEO, saw something in Premier that appealed to his entrepreneurial spirit. It was a brand that at one time led the industry in both innovation and quality, and in many ways redefined what a pontoon was capable of. With a proven manufacturing track record and a love for boating, Carlson believed Premier could lead the industry once again.
“I was looking for a business where I could leverage the lessons and success we gained over 25 years with Sportech (Carlson’s previous business) and combine that with something I was passionate about,” he said. “Premier was the perfect fit.”
Business culture
After purchasing Premier in the spring of 2021, Carlson began developing a winning culture within the company by building the right team, developing and implementing strong core values, completing a new world-class manufacturing facility, and rebuilding Premier’s dealer network.
“This has been the hardest business challenge I’ve ever faced, by far,” said Carlson. “Initially, I thought we would find success sooner, but as I look back at the past four years, it’s clear there was no way to accelerate or rush Premier’s recovery. Building trust takes time, and we’ve had to prove ourselves to our internal team, to our dealer network, and to the industry.”
At the foundation of that rebuilding process is Premier’s operational philosophy of putting people first. That core purpose, which drives Premier’s relationship with its customers, dealers, and partners, has proven to be the key differentiator.
“We build trust-based relationships with our customers, with our employees, and with our dealers,” said Carlson. “At the end of the day, it’s all about people. I’ve never seen a world-class business that didn’t have great people associated with it. We’re not willing to settle for average. We want the best people on our team, and the best dealers who align with our customer-first values.”
Product lineup
As some Premier team members worked to build the right dealership partners, others focused on customers and returning Premier pontoons to the forefront. Over the past four years, 100 percent of Premier’s core lineup has been redesigned, and with it has come a slew of award-winning innovations including Revolution Seating, the Sunsation Angler, Troll & Stow, Open Water Panels, and the recently launched Sunscape.
Premier engineers also set out to completely redesign the brand’s hallmark innovation – the Performance Tritoon Experience, more commonly referred to as PTX. The original PTX tritoon design, first introduced in 2002, took the marine industry by storm and propelled Premier to the forefront with a pontoon that blurred the lines between the comfort and stability of a traditional pontoon and the handling and performance of a deep-V runabout. Premier introduced an all-new second-generation PTX in 2024, and once again, it has redefined how a pontoon feels and what a pontoon can do.
Premier has a renewed focus on quality and customer service, and was recently awarded the NMMA CSI award for the second straight year. Premier has also announced its 10-year bow-to-stern warranty and a new Summer Saver Line – a factory direct customer helpline available on weekends throughout the summer.
“Our entire trajectory has changed over the past year,” said Carlson. “We’re now seeing significant growth and it’s coming at a time when the industry continues to struggle. It’s evidence that our dealers believe in what we’re doing, and customers are loving our new pontoons.”
2025 growth
In the first five months of 2025, Premier has seen sales growth of over 27 percent, while the industry is down more than 13 percent. Premier’s dealer footprint is growing rapidly in key boating markets outside its Midwest roots. States like Georgia (+81.3%), Michigan (+48.1%), Tennessee (+42.6%), and Alabama (+37.9%) have all added established dealerships to the Premier fold.
“I can honestly say that for the first time in nearly four years, we’re starting to have some fun,” said Carlson. “We’re winning, and our recipe for success is really very simple. We treat people just as we like to be treated, and we’re working to build the best boats on the water and backing them up with world-class customer service and the best warranty in the industry.”
Premier is expecting the company’s most profitable quarter when Q2 comes to a close, and the outlook for the entire year shows continued growth.
