Leisure Pools Group Inks Deal To Purchase Groupe Beneteau Manufacturing Facility In Marion, South Carolina

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leisure Pools Group, one of the world's largest composite fiberglass swimming pool manufacturers, announces it has entered into an agreement to purchase the Groupe Beneteau manufacturing facility in Marion, South Carolina.

The 225,000 square-foot facility located on 40 acres has been home to Group Beneteau's North America yacht manufacturing division since its opening in 1986. Groupe Beneteau is a worldwide leader in the boating industry and has been building sailing yachts and powerboats since 1884. 

Groupe Beneteau, owner of the manufacturing facility, announced in June it would cease operating the facility by the end of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The Groupe announced it would begin reducing operations in mid-September with an eventual closure by the end of the year. 

"It was a tough decision for us to discontinue activities at this plant however, for our future success and out of respect to our dedicated employees, we sought other options. Leisure Pools Group approached us with an innovative solution which allows the plant to remain open while taking advantage of the incredible skills our team has developed over the past thirty years," said Groupe Beneteau Americas Chief Operating Officer Yannick Madiot.

David Pain, CEO and Co-founder of Leisure Pools Group, echoes this sentiment and adds, "This entire idea is focused around finding a way to meet the growing consumer demand for our product. We required more capacity in manufacturing space and people to build more of the world's finest inground composite fiberglass swimming people to meet the growing demand and we're eager to access the talents of many of the current Marion team members."

The facility anticipated shutting down in mid-September, but those plans are shelved once the purchase is complete. CEO and Co-founder David Pain is leading the team to manage a rapid conversion of the plant from boat building to swimming pool manufacturing. 

The current schedule calls for the Marion facility conversion and equipment transfers to go into place during September 2020. Training will follow with the goal of having production of quality fiberglass pools rolling during October. 

"Our team is proud that Leisure Pools Group is a private, family owned and operated company," explains Chuck West, executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer. "However, the greatest impact for the community is we anticipate retaining around 70 employees, look forward to putting them to work right away and we expect this number to increase in future years. Current opportunities will be in production, operations, engineering, logistics, warehouse, accounting and administration."

Leisure Pools Group plans the facility's official debut during a "Grand Opening Showcase" in the Spring of 2021and looks forward to hosting dealers from around the world at the Marion, SC manufacturing facility.

ABOUT LEISURE POOLS GROUP
Founded in the year 2000 by the father and son combination Kerry and David Pain in Yatala, Australia, the company has grown from a small manufacturing facility into an international company which sells high-quality, one-piece, in-ground composite fiberglass swimming pools in 23 countries. It has helped more than 60,000 families enjoy a well-deserved "Life of Leisure" by offering a swimming pool product built with 100 percent epoxy vinyl ester resin and complimented with additional ingredients such as Kevlar®, basalt and carbon fibers and additional components for structural strength. The company's success has allowed them to launch Imagine Pools™, a private-label brand in partnership with POOLCORP, the world's largest distributor of swimming pool products and services. The company also launched AVIVA POOLS™ featuring contemporary designs for homeowners and dealers seeking to make their "dreams come true" and has expanded into complementary categories with the introduction of Integra Pool Covers™, a manufacturer of automatic swimming pool safety covers. The company's North American Headquarters are in Knoxville, Tennessee with additional manufacturing facilities in New Braunfels, Texas and a planned location in Marion, South Carolina.) For more information, visit www.leisurepoolsusa.com, www.imaginepools.com, www.avivapools.com, and www.integrapoolcovers.com.

Contact: Alex Gonzalez, Leisure Pools Group Chief Marketing Officer, (865) 308-1829, [email protected]

SOURCE Leisure Pools Group

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