Powerboaters will soon have another option when it comes to putting a new trailer under their boat. Agility Custom Marine announced plans to enter the high-end trailer market for catamarans, center consoles and V-bottom boats.
While the McFarland, Wis.,-based company is a startup, it is loaded with trailer manufacturing experience including founder and CEO Troy Zurbuchen. Agility Custom Marine will build for boat manufacturers and people looking for replacement trailers.
Longtime friend Johnny Bauer talked to Zurbuchen about going into trailer manufacturing. Bauer is leading the development and product of a new Performance Powerboats cat series in Osage Beach, Mo. The more Zurbuchen looked into the idea, he realized the trailer industry can’t keep up with current demand.
“The response from the industry has been mostly from the higher-end customer,” said Zurbuchen. “I think where we’re best served, and the industry, is for us to work on the higher-end products where we can provide validation and analysis.”
Agility Custom Marine designed the trailer from scratch and will feature an industry-first E-Beam siderail construction. The proprietary design increases load capacity, reduces harmonic flex caused by road vibration and easier trailer maneuverability, Zurbuchen said. The trailers will be built from 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum alloy and manufactured in the U.S.
Zurbuchen will build trailers for catamarans and V-hulls from 28 to 60 feet and widths up to 138 inches. Standard features include torsion-type axles, hydraulic disc brakes, three-point ladder for all tilt trailers and sealed electric and lighting packages. The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers is working with the new builder.
Agility Custom Marine made the announcement during the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in August and Zurbuchen said the company is already producing trailers for smaller boats.
Agility acquired a 6-acre parcel north of Plainfield, Wis., and plans to open next year a production facility next to a 47,000-square-foot building they already own. They are looking at automation to increase manufacturing.
While the industry has established trailer manufacturers such as MYCO and Extreme Custom Trailers, Zurbuchen said boatbuilders are waiting a year or longer for a completed trailer. The long lead times is one of many supply-chain issues builders have been dealing with over the past two years.
“One of the reasons we started Agility was because of deficiencies in the high-performance marine market,” Zurbuchen said. “When you have boat manufacturers and boat dealers inquiring because they’ve been waiting so long for trailers, the market isn’t working the way it should and there is opportunity.”
