Century Acquires Vanquish Boats

Century Boats has purchased Vanquish Boats, a builder of custom, classic runabouts and dual- and center-consoles. They are designed by Doug Zurn, who is known for his Downeast-style offerings and will be re-introduced as the Century Coronado series. This signals a return to Century’s 95-year-old roots when the company built traditional-looking runabouts.

Making Moves

The addition of Vanquis comes days after Century was acquired by investment firm Sofram Capital. Century will remain at its headquarters in Zephyrills, Fla., where the Vanquish tooling will be moved to.

“Vanquish is known for producing stunning designs in the New England tradition, rooted in timeless quality and craftsmanship,” said Lloyd R. “Skip” Sorenson, CEO of Century, in a statement. “This merger represents a natural expansion of our portfolio which will be mutually beneficial across our line of fishing and family boats.”

Morgan Huntley, former owner of Vanquish Boats, will become chief operating officer of Century Boats and will lead product development for the company. “Becoming a part of Century Boats is the best next step as they have the experience, production capability and legacy brand recognition that will ensure more boating families will be able to experience and enjoy these amazing boats,” said Huntley.