Is The Hunter Yacht Factory Still In Alachua Florida?

In October, AM Manufacturing acquired the nearly empty Marlow-Hunter building in Alachua, Florida, after its sailboat production had dwindled over the last 15 years. The company plans to build Hunter Sailing Yacht manufacturing on a 38-acre parcel in Alachua, Florida, with an aggressive research and development program to position Hunter as the number one manufacturer. The transition began in early September with plans to be fully operational by the end of October.

The former Marlow-Hunter plant was started in 1973 as a sailboat manufacturer in Alachua, Florida. The early Hunter boats were designed by John E. Cherubini. In 1988, the company closed down, and the Alachua facility was purchased by AM Manufacturing in September 2021. The company is now ramping up production and is now launching fewer than 20 boats a year. Hunter Marine now launches fewer than 20 boats a year at a modern shipyard located in Alachua, near the University of Florida research.

A Palmetto yacht builder is buying Alachua sailboat manufacturer Hunter Marine and other assets of Morgan Industries through bankruptcy. The power boat operations, which included a trawler manufacturer called Mainship, ceased operations temporarily. The transition began in early September with plans to be fully operational in Alachua by the end of October.