We traveled 80 miles to Neodesha, Kansas to take a tour of the Cobalt Boat company. General Joe Crawford provided plush transportation (and a beer or two) in his new 35' Southwind motor home.

Along the way the Chiefs (Chief Quint, Bidwell, Hayworth and Packard) discussed virtually all the problems of the world...and solved most of them.

General Joe drove us directly to the facility (thanks to superb navigational assistance by Chief Kohl) where Cobalt employs 460 people in a facility covering 216,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

Alex Barry, Western Regional Manager, briefed us on the history of the 30 year old company, the leader in the industry, and personally conducted the 2 hour tour.  We were very impressed with his detailed knowledge of the entire manufacturing process.

The tour began with the mold process where molds of both the upper and lower sections of the fiberglass boat are prepared for use.  The quality of the mold is critical to the quality of the finished product.  Fiberglass is then applied in layers and in some cases sprayed on along with the resin.

Minor imperfections in the outer gelcoat are critically screened out and repaired by Debbie and Darcy in the repair section before proceeding to assembly.  We were impressed with the fact that the average employee tenure is 10 years.  Employee satisfaction is an acheived goal of the company and it was apparent at each work station.

The company manufactures virtually the entire product in this facility excluding motor, instruments and radios.  The cockpit paneling and seats are fabricated to order depending on customer requirements.  These employees pay rigid attention to detail to ensure customer satisfaction.

Finally the sections are joined and finishing touches are made.  The Cobalt boat is regarded as the top domestically produced boat in a survey conducted by Marine Matrix of over 60,000 boat owners and it is a reputation that is justly deserved.  One just needs to step aboard to experience luxury and real quality.

We appreciate the opportunity to have toured the facility.  Alex Barry (left) and Pack St. Clair, the Chairman & CEO, were superb hosts.  Chief Hayworth enjoyed a refreshing "soft" drink as we journeyed back to Wichita ... well the drink may not have been "soft" but the seat was.