Company Profile

In 1962 Saf-T-Mate Company began production of fibreglass boats in Cadillac, Michigan. The company was bought by the Winn family in 1975. By 1976 the product line consisted of the Nassau, Admiral II, Captain, Cutlass, Mazda and the Cordova. In 1978 the Marquis Line was introduced. The Catalina line of tri-hull models, as well as the Santara line of cuddy cabin models was introduced in 1979. In 1980 they expanded their engineering and production capabilities and their dealer organization grew. The Candia deck boat line was introduced in the same year. 1984 saw the introduction of the Horizon line of open bow boats , the Sundowner line of cuddy cabin models and the Vista cruiser series. In 1985 the Four Winns cruiser plant opened to handle larger craft. Today the cruiser facility builds all Four Winns products larger than 23’. 1986 was a big year for Four Winns. The On-the-water test and Technical Center opened. Four Winns remains one of the few boat builders today with an on-the-water test facility. The Four Winns trailer division also opened that year, today Four Winns is the only leading manufacturer to build its own custom built trailers. Also in 1986, Four Winns became part of Outboard Marine Corporation. OMC was one of the largest producers of marine products and propulsion systems in recreational boating. The Freedom Model was introduced in 1986. In 1988 a new line of cruisers was introduced: 285 and 315 Vista and the 325 and 365 Express, both with inboard power. The Four Winns opened a new engineering and research center with 30000 sq. ft in 1989. In 1993 they introduced the Stable-Vee hull design to recreational boating. Popular Mechanics awarded it the prestigious Product Engineering Award. In 1998, both the “Next Generation” Horizon open bow and Sundowner cuddy cabin models and the Funship deck boat were introduced. 2000 saw the introduction of a number of advancements to make boating more fun and easier to enjoy. In 2001 Four Winns was purchased by Genmar Corporation, the largest marine producer in the world.