Thanks to a synergy that has been brewing for several years, two of the most talented minds in the engine-building industry are bringing their businesses together to better serve their customers and the performance boating community in general. On Tuesday, Tommy Hofstetter of Chief Performance in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Ben Wiersum of Precision Power Offshore in Spring Lake, Mich., announced that their companies have come to terms on a long-term agreement, which they expect to strengthen each outfit immensely.

Ben Wiersum, left, and Tommy Hofstetter couldn’t be happier about the opportunity to work together. Photos courtesy Dan Wiersum

Ben’s brother, Dan Wiersum, the sales and marketing specialist at Precision Power Offshore, summed it up best when he said, “We plan on compiling our resources and brain power to create the best products possible and take our customer satisfaction to another level.”

He added that the collaboration between the two companies is more about sharing information and resources rather than changing the way things are done. Before the end of this year all of the engine production, rigging, and service will be moved to Spring Lake.

“I’ve known Tommy for about 15 years—before I even started Precision—and I’ve always tried to model my company after his,” said Ben Wiersum, who spent a few days with Hofstetter in Fort Lauderdale last week. “I have the utmost respect for the products Tommy and his team have built, the service they provide and the way they’ve gone about their business. I always thought it would be cool to work with him—I knew we could create something great if we put our minds together.

“We both have certain strengths we bring to the table, and of course we have plenty of ideas,” he added. “We can’t share anything at the moment, but rest assured our turbocharging knowledge will be emphasized soon enough. The way I look at this deal is that two heads are better than one.”

Wiersum and Hofstetter check out some of the engine management system software Hofstetter uses at his facility in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

While this type of collaboration and information sharing is rare in the performance boat world, Wiersum and Hofstetter only see upside, especially when it comes to the computer development side of things.

“I can’t begin to tell you how energized and enthused I am about partnering with Precision Power Offshore,” said Hofstetter, who is highly regarded for his engine management systems. “What Ben and Dan have going is really addictive; they are so passionate and eager. By working with them, I think we can excel in all of our projects and help progress this industry forward. We have common goals—to make better products, provide superior customer service and have a great time doing it.”

Hofstetter, who started Chief 25 years ago, said he is particularly excited to be able to openly share knowledge with an engine builder like Ben Wiersum “who gets it.” He also feels like there’s plenty to learn from both Ben and Dan thanks to their skill sets.

“We’re combining our resources to make a bigger, better, more efficient company and create products that can dominate and lead our industry,” Hofstetter added. “The word ‘excitement’ is an understatement. I don’t really know how to describe it, but it’s going to be amazing.”

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