EDA Office of Foreign Trade • Riverside County, California • USA
August 2012
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EXPORT
10
By Phil Pitchford
F
ew industries have been hit as
hard during the recent economic
downturn as boat manufacturers,
but Mira Loma’s Eliminator Boats has
stayed afloat in part because of its
ability to sell its high-end products
in the international marketplace.
The company recently sold a
$250,000 high-performance boat
to a buyer in Korea, said Bob Leach,
the company’s president and CEO.
Eliminator makes boats that can travel
more than 180 miles per hour – they look
a lot like floating dragsters. The company,
which is especially well-known for its
Daytona series of boats, also has done
business in Canada, Nigeria, Australia,
China, Japan and throughout Europe.
“
The world economy and the banking
crisis have slowed our exports a bit,
but we are hopeful that they are going
to get better,” Leach said. “There are a
number of boat companies that have
literally not built a boat in a year or two.
It’s by far the worst it has been since
I started the business 43 years ago.”
Eliminator is more fortunate than many
boat builders because of its reputation
for quality and performance, Leach
said. And, he said, even in a difficult
marketplace, there is opportunity.
Eliminator Boats has enjoyed great success
exporting to the African Country of Nigeria
Owner Bob Leach
