Striking it big February 18, 2005 Miami Beach * Bigger boats and technological marvels were among the highlights of the opening day of the 64th Miami International Boat Show. The show, which opened Thursday at three sites and runs through Monday, has more than 2,200 powerboats and sailboats on land and in the water. Several boat companies debuted king-size models while others featured old favorites with new layouts and amenities. SeaStrike has its new 360 center console at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the biggest boat ever offered by the venerable company. The 360 is 35.5 feet long, has three 250-horsepower Yamaha outboards and is priced at $152,036. With twin 250s the price is $130,360. Until now, SeaStrike's biggest boat was its highly regarded 240 center console. The company also has a new 32-footer, and a 26- and a 28-footer are on the drawing board. The expansion of SeaStrike's line is part of the business plan devised by CEO Tom Thies, who bought the company a little more than a year ago. "When we came in, we knew the market was for bigger boats," Thies said. "SeaStrike had a loyal following, and we knew we had to start expanding the model line in the 30-foot range." Previously known as Seasquirt before changing its name to SeaPlus and then to SeaStrike, the company was founded in 1973. The boats, which were 16-24 feet, were known for being well built with a smooth-riding hull. SeaStrike's 20-footer, the 205, is the company's biggest seller. It's on display at the boat show, along with a 22- and a 24-footer. The company's biggest dealer is in Mobile, Ala., and it has dealers all along the east coast, from the Keys to Cape Cod. The original owner of the company did little in the way of marketing or advertising, something Thies and his wife, Melissa, SeaStrike's marketing director, changed when they took over in January 2004. Another change was moving the manufacturing of the boats from Hialeah to First Derivative in Stuart, which builds Sonic performance boats and also owned Dakota. "Dakota wasn't doing anything," said Thies, who works out of Wilton Manors. "The SeaStrike 320 and 360 are both former Dakotas. We plan on marrying the old SeaStrike line with the Dakotas." One difference between the Dakota 36-footer and SeaStrike's version is that the SeaStrike model has vacuum-infused construction, which makes it lighter, stronger and more uniform. All SeaStrikes can be tailored to meet a customer's specific needs. "Our big thing is to make people happy with the boat," Melissa Thies said, "and everybody wants something a little different." Thies, 34, of Oakland Park, learned about taking care of customers through his family's beer distribution business, William Thies and Sons. He also worked for Miller Brewing Co. for five years in the regional sales office out of Atlanta. After getting out of the beer business, Thies worked in real estate for a few years. "I found that wasn't to my satisfaction, so I looked for something a little more engaging," he said. "I had heard of Seasquirt, and I heard from a friend that SeaStrike was for sale. The price was right, it had a lot of potential and it sounded fun, so we went from beer to boats." A South Florida native, Thies said he "grew up on boats" ranging from Boston Whalers to Vikings. In addition to increasing the size of SeaStrike boats, Thies also plans to build some cuddy cabins and put in more features that appeal to families that fish, dive and cruise together. Excerpted from Sun-Sentinel |
