The south Bradenton company makes windshields and canvas products for a variety of boat builders locally, including Donzi and Chris-Craft.
"Revenues have been impacted by a downturn in the economy, but ours have not been impacted as much as some others,"said Ken Pyle, general manager. He explained that the type of boats his customers sell have made them less vulnerable to the effects of the downturn.
The business has not suffered significant layoffs as a result of the economy and is still in the process of incorporating 20 employees who moved here from Castleberry in central Florida after Taylor Made purchased a competitor, Waterbonnet, last year.
Its combined workforce now numbers about 100. The employees are focused on efficient manufacturing methods in a 170,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art plant.
Taylor Made Bradenton is a division of the Taylor Made Group, based in Gloversville, N.Y. The company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It remains a private, family-owned business with facilities in New York, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia and in many foreign countries.
Its Manatee plant builds thousands of different products, different styles and sizes of windshields, along with some canvas products, such as Bimini tops and boat covers, ranging in price from $150 to about $3,500, said Mike Curtner, manufacturing manager.
Glass for the windshields comes from Ireland or Colombia, then is fashioned into the correct size for each boat manufacturer's models. The customer also may choose what type of trim will surround the windshield.
Even though one of its clients, Wellcraft, announced last winter it would move production north, closing its Manatee plant, Taylor Made is not expecting much change in its business relationship, said Pyle. It will simply ship its products to Wellcraft's new locations.
And though Pyle has heard rumors that Chris-Craft may be moving its entire operation to North Carolina, he expects his company to remain its supplier no matter what happens.
He cites as evidence what happened when Chris-Craft shifted a portion of its production to a new plant in North Carolina. The company continued to order from Taylor Made.
"We have a good record for our quality and technical support," Pyle explained.
Chris-Craft, however, said it has no plans to close its facility in Manatee County. "Despite a down economy, Chris-Craft is doing well," said Meghan Stout, director of marketing for the company. "In fact, we will be adding a new model to the production line in Sarasota and continue to run at 100 percent capacity."
Customers are concerned about three things: Top quality, speedy delivery and competitive prices, Pyle said.
"Competition is keen enough, you can't let yourself slip on any of those," he said.
Sara Kennedy, Herald business reporter, can be reached at (941) 748-0411, ext. 4500.
About Taylor Made Systems
Founded: Parent company, 1908
Employees: 100
Keys to success: Top quality, speedy delivery and competitive price
Earnings: Not disclosed, private company Taylor Made Systems sails through economic storm by keeping watercraft manufacturers happy
