With a rich history and unrivaled passion, Cruisers Yachts creates American-made boats for the world. We speak to Josh Delforge, Vice President of Engineering and Operations, about the company’s first-class fleet and commitment to innovation.
HANDCRAFTED AMERICAN LEGACY
The global yacht building industry presents a unique blend of adventure, luxury, and freedom.
It is a vast and diverse sector that attracts designers, engineers, and builders from across the world but has the feel of a much smaller community, and for many, it exists as a lifelong passion.
At present, the US continues to be the main focus of yacht builders worldwide.
Within this expanding market, some builders may only produce one or two bespoke boats a year, whereas others are producing that same quota every hour.
“With the US being a key market, we see a continuous flow of new products introduced which fuels new design trends. As a designer and builder, we’re excited by the challenge of creating unique solutions for clients with each of our vessels,” introduces Josh Delforge, Vice President of Engineering and Operations at Cruisers Yachts.
“The main market trends we are seeing today focus on increasing the ease of water interaction and giving our customers more flexibility with how they can utilize our yachts,” he continues.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003 with a degree in engineering mechanics, Delforge was hired as a design engineer at Carver Yachts, where he was first introduced to the nautical world.
“As a young engineer, I was drawn to the combination of creativity and technical skills needed to be successful.”
Today, time is such a valuable commodity, and with families having less free time, Cruisers Yachts wants to give its customers the ability to cruise, anchor, entertain, overnight, and everything in between on its state-of-the-art vessels.
As such, one of the company’s goals is to find avenues to open up boating to new customers and audiences.
To do this, Cruisers Yachts is constantly looking at new materials, suppliers, building processes, and equipment to improve its products and allow it to offer more boats at a lower price.
“Additionally, in the near future, we predict that technology will grow to the point where we start seeing more electric and hybrid solutions in larger production yachts. Today, we only see this in small pockets, but we are getting closer each day,” Delforge explains.
EXPERTS IN LUXURY
Cruisers Yachts has been building boats for over 70 years in Northeast Wisconsin and today boasts production plants located in both Oconto and Pulaski, with a total of just under 400 employees.
What started as a production base for small wooden vessels has now evolved into the home of multi-million-dollar luxury yachts.
“Our rich boat-building heritage dates back to 1953 and we have since become one of the world’s premier providers of mid-size luxury pleasure yachts.
“Each model is crafted with industry-leading design, manufacturing, and amenities. Every part, texture, and element has been hand-picked to provide our clients with unparalleled comfort and performance,” Delforge prides.
In 2021, the company was purchased by MarineMax, the world’s largest retailer of recreational boats and yachts.
Through this key partnership, and ongoing relationships with independent dealers, Cruisers Yachts distributes its products and interfaces with customers.
“While distribution of our yachts is mainly focused across the US, we ship products all over the globe,” he confirms.
Over the past three years, the company has invested close to $15 million in new equipment, facility upgrades, and expansion, with a focus on employee safety, plant cleanliness, product quality, internal capabilities, and output capacity.
In addition, Cruisers Yachts has recently implemented new systems and processes that are designed to foster a culture that understands the importance of receiving feedback.
This valuable feedback loop allows the company to make changes to improve its end products and increase efficiency.
TOP OF THE RANGE
Cruisers Yachts currently has three key product lines of vessels ranging from 34 to 60 feet (ft) in size.
“Our Grand Luxury Sport (GLS) line-up ranges from 34 to 50ft and is categorised in the bow rider segment. These models have a focus on exterior entertainment with spacious interiors,” Delforge sets out.
Meanwhile, the company’s Cantius models are cabin cruisers that range from 42 to 60ft. These vessels feature a larger enclosed interior volume but maintain a focus on exterior entertainment.
“The newest addition to the fleet is our 57 FLY, which debuted in November 2024. The new FLY series redefines on-water luxury with a bold design, unmatched flybridge entertainment, seamless water access, and an interior created in collaboration with superyacht designer, Luiz De Basto,” he excites.
Elsewhere, one critical element that defines Cruisers Yachts’ portfolio of boats is vertical integration.
“We design and fabricate 99 percent of our own tooling, fiberglass, cabinetry, metal components, electrical wiring, and upholstery.
“This gives us control and visibility of the build process from start to finish, ensuring the highest levels of quality.”
This also gives the company the required flexibility to react to customer requests, changes in market trends, or interruptions in the supply chain without disrupting production.
Another vital differentiator is Cruiser Yachts’ commitment to its customers and their boating experience, which is overseen by a service team at both dealer and corporate level.
“We often talk about how the yachting world is small, yet we have many customers who have owned multiple boats and built a relationship with the service team over time,” Delforge reveals.
With a majority of its customers located in the US, a simple phone call to the factory in Wisconsin provides clients with the answers or parts needed to keep them happy and on the water.
PERFECTING THE PARTNERSHIP
As a yacht builder, the company’s goal is to provide its customers with a wonderful boating experience at all times.
“To do that, we rely on having strong partners when we source parts, many of which we have done business with for decades,” Delforge expresses.
As such, Cruisers Yachts is always striving to find creative solutions and the best possible materials for its vessels.
“It is very easy to find someone to sell you materials, but we value a partner that is focused on getting us the right materials for the applications. We also take into account the technical support services that many of our partners offer,” he tells us.
Across the entire sector, there has been an explosion in the use of new outboard drives, with the technology becoming more accessible and integrated throughout the wider yachting industry.
As Cruisers Yachts develops new features, the ultimate goal is to find partners willing to think outside the box and get creative in finding the best possible solutions.
“For our fold-down beach doors, we partnered with the team at General Hydraulic Solutions (GHS). They have always been great to work with and they embraced this new challenge.
“Their system is extremely robust, which gives our doors a solid feel; at the same time, we achieve a very clean look because of the internal pin mechanism. As a builder, any supplier as open and willing to take on new projects as GHS would be considered a win,” Delforge gushes.
“As a designer and builder, we’re excited by the challenge of creating unique solutions for clients with each of our vessels”
Josh Delforge, Vice President of Engineering and Operations, Cruisers Yachts
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
The primary focus for Cruisers Yachts in 2025 is on new product development and continuous improvement throughout its operations.
“Keeping our product line current and staying on top of trends is a key priority. With a five-year plan to spend over $25 million on new product development, much of our focus is on design and engineering,” Delforge elaborates.
As of today, the company remains in the build phase of three new models with a further two in the concept stage. These new yachts will play a big role in continuing to diversify Cruisers Yachts’ product line going forward.
Furthermore, continued investment into design and engineering shows the company’s resolute commitment to long-term growth.
“Our teams understand the business and have suggested many improvements, implemented methods to enhance and develop our products, found efficiencies in the building process, and curated a culture of pride,” he concludes.
CRUISERS YACHTS PARTNER
