Forming an instant high-performance powerboat rigging and drive service, repair and rebuild powerhouse, Grant’s Signature Racing and Offshore Outdrives have teamed up and are now under one roof at the Grant’s Signature Racing facility in Bradenton, Fla. The move of all Offshore Outdrives equipment and tools from the company’s former home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was completed this week.

The move also means that Grant Bruggemann of the company that bears his name and Brian Jackson of Offshore Outdrives will once again be working side by side.

Longtime friends and colleagues with complimentary skills, Grant Bruggemann (left) and Brian Jackson are now working under the same roof.

“Before I came to Bradenton, Brian and I worked together for 10 or 11 years,” said Bruggemann. “I moved here four years ago, and since then I’ve been telling Brian how much high-performance boating there is here and how much demand there is for good service. In talking together, we eventually figured out he should just make the move over here.”

“So we moved him into an 8,000-square-foot shop in our building and now we’re working under the same umbrella,” he continued. “Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. Bravo drives, M8s, No. 6s, Sportmasters—anything that’s hanging off the back of a boat, he can rebuild. We are going to be partners in the business. We have worked together forever. It’s simple move and a smart move.”

Earlier this year, Grant’s Signature Racing became a Mercury Racing dealer, which means the shop can handle warranty work such as prepping and sending Mercury Racing engines back to the company’s facility in Fond du Lac, Wis., for refreshment and in-house drive service. Now that he’s working with a Mercury Racing dealer, Jackson plans to renew his multiple Mercury Racing/Mercury drives certifications so that he can take on warranty work.

One of the most respected and experienced drive service, repair and rebuild men in the industry, Jackson started his career with Doller Offshore Marine in 1989 and eventually moved onto to TNT Custom Marine before striking out on his own. In addition to handling drive work on countless high-performance catamarans and V-bottoms and working closely with well-known South Florida full-service dealerships such as FB Marine Group, he has tackled those chores for multiple offshore racing teams including STIHL, Cintron and Talbot Excavating.

Jackson has more than 28 years of outdrive service, repair and rebuilding experience (click image to enlarge).

“I told Grant, ‘One day I’m going to move here,’” said Jackson. “I think this is a better place for our business—there are a lot of performance boats and events here and it’s growing. We worked well together before and we’ve been friends forever. So we teamed up.”

Said Bruggemann, “Every month there is a poker run or some other kind of high-performance boating event here. Now, with help from Mercury Racing and all the great products they’re building and Brian of Offshore Outdrives being here, I think we can satisfy a lot of people’s needs for their boats.”

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