New management structure at Scout Boats

Scout Boats has made several changes to personnel at its South Carolina-based headquarters. Co-founder and owner Steve Potts moves full time to CEO of the company; Dave Wallace has been named as president; William Ferguson has been promoted to vice president of manufacturing; Courtney Guice is now administrative vice president; and Stevie Potts is vice president of product development and engineering.

“I’ve always seen myself as a visionary, and my role as CEO will allow me to focus much more on that aspect, but in no way does it take me away from Scout,” says Potts. “It allows me to focus on what the next three, five and ten-year plans are for the company. Dave [Wallace] has been my right hand for 22 years running the day-to-day operations, and it’s only fitting that he assumes the role of president for the company he’s been so crucial in helping grow for more than two decades.”

The company is currently expanding its manufacturing headquarters campus which is set to be completed this coming spring. Costing US$3 million, the new building will provide a dedicated product development and engineering facility.

Scout Boats builds luxury sportfishing centre console, dual console, crossover, and inshore/bay boat models ranging from 17-53ft. The company was founded by Potts and his wife Dianne in 1989. Along with Potts’ son Stevie, and daughters Sherrie and Stephanie, who also have key roles in the business, Scout now employs nearly 450 employees, with plans to hire an additional 100+ employees over the next 12 months.

“I’ve been a boatbuilder all my life, starting in my teens,” says Potts. “For 50 years I’ve had my hands on my craft, and on building a successful business. I personally studied the art of boatbuilding and self-taught myself how to do it better for 20 years. I spent the next 30 years driving Scout to new levels, not only self-teaching myself business and management along the way, but learning that surrounding yourself with like-minded, driven individuals was crucial to continued success. We have always been a family-owned and operated company, and I’m proud to say our Scout family is comprised of both blood and non-blood individuals.”

“We’ve built a team here that will continue to take us into the future,” continues Potts. “I’m proud to see our family of employees grow over the years, and proud to see them grow within the company.”