With more than four decades of experience in the boating industry, Jerry Barron—the son of the late Southern California boat-building icon Nick Barron of Hallett Boats—is taking the leap into boat manufacturing for himself under the banner Barron Boats (site will be live soon).

Barron Boats is expecting to have its first 290 Sport in the water in May.

“I’ve spent the entirety of my business career involved in all facets of the marine industry,” Barron said regarding his decision to carry on the 50-plus-year Barron tradition of building award-winning custom recreational sportboats. “I believe I still have the ambition, skills and experience necessary to make this new venture a success.”

In a press release from the company, Barron strategically forecasts a staggered rollout of four all-new models over the next 18 months.

“We’re on target to debut our first new boat this coming May,” Barron said. “It will be a 29-foot family deckboat with fresh, contemporary styling and unique amenities unlike anything else currently on the market. Not far behind the introduction of the 290 Sport will be a smaller 25-foot 6-inch 255 Sport deckboat version, which is ideally suited to deliver fun-to-drive performance with moderate-sized propulsion options.”

Jerry Barron said the company designed the 290 Sport tooling with versatility in mind to accommodate outboard applications.

In 2019, Barron said Barron Boats plans to unveil two more models—a pair of stepped deep-V-hulls configured as versatile center consoles.

“You can’t deny that the large lake and offshore recreational markets are trending aggressively in favor of center console V-bottoms, especially catering to the outboard buyer,” Barron remarked. “I’m banking on the fact that the West Coast market is hungry for West Coast-style center consoles with features and interiors that address our type of boating on the Pacific Coast.”

With models being derived from completely new and original tooling, Barron said the company is afforded the opportunity to break from the past and establish its own identity. (Hallett Boats was purchased by Nordic Boats and moved to Nordic’s Lake Havasu City, Ariz., facility in September 2017.)

“We’re not copying or using anything from previous designs,” Barron said. “I’ve had these ideas and concepts in my brain for a long time. I have a good idea of what boat buyers want and expect from their new boat. This is my chance to put those things into practice and raise the bar with an entirely new product line. I’m anxious to get started and get the first model wet. We are actively booking orders on the new 29-footer right now.”

For loyal Hallett customers, the new home of Barron Boats in Azusa, Calif., might be familiar territory—although a dramatic renovation to a building that was once Hallett’s tooling, lamination and R&D headquarters has little resemblance to what it once was.

“You can’t operate a business for that many years and not become identified with a neighborhood,” Barron said. “To move out of the San Gabriel Valley just wouldn’t seem right. We’re here for the long haul in a stunningly refurbished building that has a lot of great Hallett history. We’re ready to build a new brand and reputation that will only embellish what has been accomplished in the past.”

Editor’s note: To contact Barron Boats, call 626-633-9000, email [email protected] or visit www.barronboats.com (the website should be live soon).

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