Yamaha Marine opens new MIC in Georgia
Yamaha Marine formally announced the grand opening of a new Marine Innovation Center (MIC) in Kennesaw on April 12, which will provide new job opportunities and broaden Yamaha’s presence in Georgia.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and Mayor Derek Easterling of Kennesaw attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new 75,280 square foot facility, which now houses the Yamaha Marine Connected Division as well as Yamaha U.S. Marine Development, Yamaha Marine Product Management and Yamaha Marine Technical Marketing.
“We believe Georgia is an exceptional location for business growth and development. The Marine Innovation Center represents the fourth major Yamaha facility in the state, joining Yamaha’s Marine headquarters in Kennesaw, the Yamaha Motorsports and Intelligent Machinery Group headquarters in Marietta, and the Yamaha Motor Corporation manufacturing facility in Newnan,” said Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “Yamaha employs approximately 2,300 team members in Georgia. We plan to add more as we partner with local education institutions to hire engineers for our new facility in Kennesaw, where we’re developing exciting, innovative products that will deliver more exceptional experiences for Yamaha customers across the globe.”
Products currently under development within the Yamaha Marine Innovation Center include DockPoint, the newest feature of Helm Master EX Full Maneuverability, which automatically docks a properly equipped boat at the touch of a finger, in addition to Siren Marine products, which allow customers to monitor and control the functionality of their boats from mobile devices, as well as new Yamaha WaterCraft vehicles and accessories.
“I know this [Yamaha] Marine Innovation Center is another great win for our state, and this is an example of why I believe we continue to remain the number one state in the country for business, which we’ve done for nine years in a row now,” said Governor Kemp. “According to the Outdoor Industry Association, recreational businesses bring over $27 billion to Georgia’s economy every year and employ around 238,000 people, which is a lot. Certainly, Yamaha is a big part of that industry and we’re just so thankful that Yamaha continues to choose to build and grow as they’ve done over the past several decades.”
Yamaha U.S. Marine markets and sells fiberglass, jet-drive sport boats ranging from 19 to 27 feet, and personal watercraft. Yamaha Marine Group is a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., based in Cypress, California.
