Thomas Degasperi Factory Visit

Malibu skier Thomas Degasperi, who is currently #2 on the Elite Slalom Rankings, came by the factory in Loudon, Tennessee to check out his new Response TXi. 

He also had a chance to check out the boat building process, where he showed a genuine interest. Degasperi also got to hang with CEO Jack Springer, Lani Farmer and Ritchie Anderson. Later that evening, Drew Halford (Director of International Sales) took him out on the town. "We had a great time and left a trail of broken hearts in our wake," Halford said. "I think Thomas is still receiving texts from a few local women who want to be the next Mrs. T-Gas."

Here is a recent excerpt from WATERSKI Magazine's Leading Edge about Degasperi:
There are few skiers on the planet who have the confidence to perform their best when it really matters. Thomas Degasperi is one of those skiers. This season, he took first place in slalom at Global Championships and Worlds, not to mention third at Moomba, fourth at Masters and fourth at the Malibu Open. It takes a clear mind to consistently ski well, he says. “If I start to look at the people on the banks, if I listen to music or the announcers, if I look at other skiers to see what they’re doing, then my concentration level decreases.”
So how does the two-time world slalom champion stay on his game? His aunt Mariella, a therapist who studied sports psychology, talked through several relaxation techniques, which she recorded for him to use before he competes at tournaments. “Her techniques help me relax both my mind and my body, so that I’m ready to compete when the time comes,” he explains.


Tags: Malibu Boats | Thomas Degasperi | Malibu TXi | World Slalom Champion | Malibu Open | Worlds | Global Championships | Elite Slalom Rankings | Loudon Tennessee | Jack Springer | WATERSKI Magazine

Holman Fam Chooses Malibu Boats Over Corvette Factory

David and Kelly Holman from Clarksville, TN called the Malibu Boats Factory (@MalibuBoats)in TN while traveling to see about a tour. The Holmans planned to stop in Kentucky at the Corvette Factory, but then realized the Malibu Factory was not far and decided a Malibu tour would be their first choice. Kerri Johns, who works in Customer Service and Warranty for Malibu Boats, took the call and encouraged David and Kelly to stop by the plant.

David, Kelly and their five children have always had a love for boats. They are between boats right now, but have thought for a long time that their next boat would be a Malibu. David explained to us how choosing the Malibu Factory tour over the Corvette Factory came about. "When we realized that the Malibu plant was only two hours further than the Corvette Factory, we thought we would call and see if a tour was possible." David continued, "Kerri was so pleasant and willing when I spoke to her. We knew then that the Malibu plant was the best choice and we were right."

Kerri met David and Kelly in the front office at the Malibu Boats Factory in Loudon, TN and they were off. One of the first things they did was check out the Malibu Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V at the factory. The Holmans told Kerri about their love for Corvettes and since they wouldn't have a chance to visit the museum she thought seeing the Corvette that runs on water would be fun for them. And as Kerri put it, "They killed two bird with one stone and got their Corvette fix."

Then Kerri and Dennis Kelley, Quality Assurance Manager for Malibu Boats, gave them the detailed Malibu Boats tour. They started with mold-prep and worked their way through gel coat, lamination, assembly, rigging, upholstery install, lake test, QC and detail, explaining each step thoroughly along the way.

We asked David what he enjoyed most about the Malibu Boats tour and he immediately replied, "The amount of detail and effort taken to make each boat and grasping the concept of how the gel coat goes on first and the shell of the boat is made from the outside in." David went on to say, "We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves more than we could have imagined. The staff at the plant was so kind and treated us as the most important people in the world. Everyone was so willing to answer our never-ending list of questions."

The last question we asked David was what he thought of Malibu Boats now that he and Kelly had a chance to take the tour. "The level of customer service and patience for explaining details exceeded our expectations and the tour affirmed that craftsmanship, detail and innovations have placed Malibu Boats at the top of our list." David answered.

Kerri told us, "Dennis and I had the best visit with the Holmans! Kelly even hugged me on her way out. This type of personal contact with customers is the absolute best part of my job!"

If you are interested in taking a tour at Malibu Boats Factory in Loudon, TN like the Holmans please call (865) 458-5478 or fill out the Malibu Boats Contact Us form online. Make sure to include your desired tour date and time in the comments section. We would love to see you at the Malibu Boats Factory.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Malibu Factory | factory tour | Tennessee | Loudon TN | Corvette Factory | David Holman | Kerri Johns | Dennis Kelley | Corvette Boat

Malibu Boats TN Factory Tour with the Miller Family

Kerri Johns head of Customer Service at the Malibu Boats Tennessee Factory had a great plant tour a couple of weeks ago and thought it would be fun to share this photo.

This is a photo of Christopher Miller learning some boat building fundamentals from Sonny Lowe in the Malibu Boats TN Plastics Shop. Young Mr. Miller was accompanied on a plant tour by his dad, Chris, his mom, Traci, and his younger sister, Shelby Grace. The Millers have a 2001 Sunsetter LX and made the trek from Ohio to tour Malibu Boats TN facility. Thanks for coming to Miller Family!

If you and your family are interested in taking a tour at the California or Tennessee Factories, let us know.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Christopher Miller | Miller Family | Sunsetter LX | Ohio | plant tour | Malibu Boats TN | Tennessee | Kerri Johns | customer service