Small boat builder finds a large following

It's an industry where the cycles of the economy routinely bankrupt $100 million companies.

Yet, somehow, tiny Young Boats, built in a factory about the size of a basketball court in the woods just north of Inglis - which is just north of just about everywhere - has managed to hang on and even thrive.

The company keeps food on the table for its 10 employees, as well as for Chopper the office cat, who can generally be found draped over the computer monitor in a Morris-like contemplation of all things marine.

Founder Robb Young - one of the few fishing boat builders you'll meet with a master's degree in naval architecture - has been at the helm for 13 years, since he came out from under the wing of his mentor, Charlie Morgan of Morgan Yachts in St. Petersburg. Morgan was adviser on his master's thesis and was the guy who suggested that Robb try creating his own company.

"I took his advice - and didn't sell the first boat until I had been in business eight months," recalls Young. "That was a tough time, but eventually we got a few boats on the water, and people started to see them and want them, and we were on our way. We sold five in 2000, and by 2005 we were building 18 a year."

He managed by building only made-to-order boats and by selling factory direct.

"There are a lot of companies building flats boats and bay boats," says Young. "It's a very competitive field, and yet it's a big market here in Florida - we've tried to fill a niche with a custom-built boat that people who know boats will appreciate. A lot of our buyers come to the factory and make suggestions and changes while their boat is being built."

The company started with a 20-foot center console sporting an 8-foot beam and a depth of 20 inches - considerably more than many flats rigs. The boat weighs just 1,400 pounds thanks to decks and hatches made of light but stiff closed-cell foam. Many of the parts are "vacuum-bagged," a process where they are wrapped in plastic sheeting to allow the resin injected into the fiberglass to be vacuumed throughout the mold.

"The process gets rid of excess weight and optimizes the resin-to-glass ratio for maximum strength," says Young.

He says the boats are built with no wood parts, assuring there will never be any deterioration in the stringers and bulkheads.

The company introduced a 24-footer in 2006 - and instantly sold a nine-month backlog despite a base price of $60,000.

"The 24 floats in only 13 inches of water with the motor and a load of fuel," says Young. "So it's a true bay boat that can be used to fish the shallowest flats, and yet with a lot of V in the bottom so that it's a good boat to chase grouper and kingfish off the beaches."

The company offers 175 hull colors and more than 50 options in layout, construction and factory-installed equipment. Every potential customer is provided a test ride on the nearby Cross Florida Barge Canal.

Like all boat companies, says Young, there have been some valleys along with the peaks in the company's life span.

"We've had a slowdown in the current recession - we went from building 36 a year back to 18 a year, but we're still in business, and that's a lot more than some much bigger boat companies can say."

To take up the slack and keep his employees working, Young started a boat repair business and also builds custom fiberglass parts for motorcycles.

"At first, these were sidelines, but they've grown and become an important part of our company now," says Young.

He says that for the last several years, most of his sales have resulted from Internet advertising as well as recommendations on chat rooms and forums.

"It's changed the marketing a lot, and it's beneficial to small companies - you don't have to have a million dollars to spend on advertising anymore to make people aware of a good product," says Young.