Aug 22, 2022

Established in 1947, Canadian boat builder Campion Marine manufactured a diverse range of fibreglass boats at its British Columbia plant, with distribution in more than 30 countries worldwide

By Craig Ritchie

Canada’s largest fibreglass boat builder closes the door on its Kelowna plant while owners explore contract manufacturing options for future operations.

Kelowna, British Columbia-based Campion Marine has issued a letter to dealers confirming the company will wind down all boat production at its central British Columbia manufacturing facility by August 31.

The firm’s 104,000 square-foot production plant is currently listed for sale on MLS with an asking price of $14.9m. The firm’s production equipment – including CNC machines, paint booths, overhead cranes, forklifts, fibreglass application tools, rack storage and pallets of upholstery, vinyl and lumber – is simultaneously being auctioned off by Grasswood Auctions as a “complete industrial plant dispersal.”

Campion’s 104,000 ft2 manufacturing facility is currently listed for sale with an asking price of C$14.9m

Established in 1947, Campion Marine earned a global reputation for manufacturing boats of high build quality that incorporated innovative engineering. At its peak, the company won a Best Environmental Initiative award at the 2017 METSTrade Boat Builder Award for Business Achievement, in recognition of its efforts to develop sustainable manufacturing practices. Campion was acquired by current owners KV Private Equity the following year.

In its letter to dealers, the company says most of its staff have been able to secure new jobs at other manufacturing businesses in the Kelowna area, including its Northern Lite sister company, which manufactures fibreglass truck campers.

According to the company most of Campion’s staff have found other employment at other local manufacturing concerns

Moving forward, the ownership group says it plans to re-locate the business and resume building boats under the Campion nameplate through a contract manufacturing arrangement with an as-yet undetermined partner.

“We remain in active commercial dialogue with several potential production partners who could masterfully contract manufacturing on our behalf, and are we confident that process will culminate in positive outcomes soon,” reads the letter. “Upon coming to terms with the right contract manufacturing partner, you can look forward to Campion’s next chapter in production officially beginning in early 2023.”