GENOA CITY — Gov. Tony Evers today visited the new production facility of Grand Craft Boats, a manufacturer of custom-built mahogany boats in Genoa City. The governor announced last year that Grand Craft Boats would be moving from Holland, Michigan to Genoa City.
“Grand Craft Boats joins a growing list of iconic, world-class brands that call Wisconsin home,” said Gov. Evers in a news release. “We have seen so many businesses like Grand Craft moving to our state in the last few years and it shows Wisconsin is headed in the right direction. Wisconsin is not only an exceptional state to grow a business, but it’s a great place for workers to live, work, and raise families.”
For more than 40 years, Grand Craft has been designing and handcrafting luxury mahogany boats for celebrity actors, professional athletes, industry leaders, and wooden-boat aficionados alike. With an acute attention to detail and old-world artistry, Grand Craft boats also utilizes advanced manufacturing processes, contemporary functionality, and technical innovation. Previously, the company would produce a handful of boats a year, but now, according to Patrick Gallagher, Grand Craft’s President and CEO, that number will grow over time under his ownership at the Wisconsin facility.
In early 2021, Patrick and Rose Gallagher purchased Grand Craft Boats and moved it from Holland, Michigan to Genoa City in Walworth and Kenosha counties. The Gallagher’s are expanding the production line with plans to produce up to 35 boats over the next three years. The first Wisconsin-made boat was recently completed and has already made its way to Florida. The company is producing its next few boats in its leased 20,300 square foot facility located at 1021 Williams Road in Genoa City, which serves as the company’s headquarters and houses its production operations. Grand Craft expects to employ 20 workers in Genoa City within three years.
“Our past few months in Wisconsin have been fantastic and we’re proud of the growth and direction that Grand Craft is heading in for the future,” said Grand Craft President and CEO Patrick Gallagher. “We’re thrilled to have welcomed Governor Evers to our facility today so he can witness first-hand the unparalleled hard work of our employees and we look forward to a long and successful manufacturing history in Wisconsin.”
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is supporting Grand Craft’s move to Wisconsin by authorizing up to $125,000 in performance-based state tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of tax credits Grand Craft will receive depends on the number of jobs created and the capital invested in the project.
The Milwaukee 7 Regional Economic Development Partnership (M7) also assisted WEDC in bringing Grand Craft to Wisconsin.
“The bespoke boats produced by Grand Craft add to our region’s reputation for making technologically sophisticated products that are also beautiful,” said M7 Executive Director Jim Paetsch. “We are so pleased that Grand Craft decided to relocate the company to Genoa City and look forward to working collaboratively with Patrick and Rose Gallagher in the years to come.”
