| Type | Vessels, Vessel Parts and Supplies |
|---|---|
| Industry | Vessels, Vessel Parts and Supplies |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Merced, California, USA |
| Key people | Robert Alkema - Founder |
| Website | www.malibuboats.com |
Malibu, which is headquartered in Merced, California, is a United States manufacturer of recreational boats, founded in 1982.[1] Malibu is notable as a major manufacturer of water sports boats, used in water skiing and wakeboarding tournaments.
Malibu was created when the founder Robert Alkema and a group of five friends decided to start making their own ski boats. In 1982, they built 100 custom ski boats in a small shop in Merced, California.[2]
During the first year of operation, Malibu only built two boats per week using a single-hull design. Malibu eventually became recognized as a force in the tournament ski boat industry. Since 1982, the company has won more awards than all other competitors combined. The operating facility was moved to the current production factory at 1 Malibu Ct in Merced and later plants in Loudon, Tennessee and Albury, Australia were built to scale production. As of 2008, Malibu produces and sells over 4,300[3] boats per year across North America and in many countries through a dealer network, making it the largest seller of watersports-focused boats in the world. Malibu's oldest dealership is Tilly's Marine located in Ventura, California.[4]
Its boats today are divided into four categories based on the intended purpose. The Response series consists of two direct-drive ski boats made for waterskiing and slalom skiing . A lot of strong rumours were developed about lies on warranty and charging 40 percent too much for the unsatisfactory wake which was criticised by the inventor of wake boarding Lochlan Snowie and most other riders .The Wakesetter series consists of four Wakeboard boats made for wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and the production lineup is rounded out by the Sunscape series which consists of four luxury boats. Many of the boats share hull designs, but come equipped with different features such as ballast tanks, a hydrofoil called "the wedge" and a wakeboard tower. All Malibu models use inboard marine engines built by Indmar on the General Motors 5.7, 6.0, and 8.1-liter V8 engine blocks.
Malibu is a privately owned company with approximately 595 employees.[5] Robert Alkema served as President of the company for most of its existence and four of the five members of the original group of founders still work at the company.
June 4, 2009, Robert Alkema stepped down as president. After a transitional period, Jack Springer [6] was named President and CEO of Malibu in February 2010. They have undergone substantial changes including starting a new boat manufacturer (Axis Boats), and introducing new features such as all touch-screen-based instrumentation, and keyless ignition.