Mercury Marine was named Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year by the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce organization during an awards ceremony last night in Milwaukee. The news announced in a press release from the Fond du Lac, Wisc.-headquartered marine engine and accessories company.

Mercury Marine president John Pfeifer: “Wisconsin is our home and we are proud of our impact in the community, but we are also grateful for what the community has done for Mercury.”

The WMC Manufacturer of the Year awards are presented annually to Wisconsin-based companies that “produce world-class products and create employment opportunities for the communities in which they are located.”

“We are honored to win the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award for the third time,” said John Pfeifer, the president of Mercury Marine, in the release “We have invested more than $1 bill in expansion and research and development over the past 10 years and in 2018, we had the largest product launch in the history of our company. Although Mercury has unveiled many new innovations and has amassed many successes through the years, 2018 stands out as a particularly remarkable year of achievements that will help to shape the future of both Mercury Marine and the entire boating industry and it is gratifying to be recognized for this honor by the WMC.”

Last night’s honor marks the third time that the company, the largest division of publicly traded Brunswick Corp., has won the award. Mercury Marine, which also was named Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year in 2006 and 2014, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

Highlights from Mercury Marine’s record-setting year include:

•The largest major new-product rollout company history, including the introduction of 19 new V-6 and V-8 outboard engines and 26 new engines in total (on average, Mercury has released one major new product every six weeks for the past six years) setting the pace for marine innovation.

•Starting and finishing construction of, a 20,000-square-foot research facility, and making major upgrades to other facilities.

•Acquiring Wisconsin-based Power Products, a major manufacturer of parts and accessories, to integrate with Mercury’s product portfolio and to enhance consumers’ overall boating experiences.

•Expanding its workforce by 12 percent to support increased production in response to unprecedented product demand.

• Surpassing $3 billion in sales for the first time in company history.

“This award is for the more than 6,000 employees at Mercury Marine around the world and the tens of thousands who have been a part of our growth over the past 80 years,” said Pfeifer. “Their tireless work and passion for the company has allowed us to continue to set the pace for innovation for the entire marine industry.”

Mercury Marine was founded 80 years ago in 1939 by engineer Carl Kiekhaefer in Cedarburg, Wisc., expanding to Fond du Lac in 1946. Acquired by Brunswick Corporation in 1961, Mercury continues to support the largest global distribution network with service points in 140 countries and has now surpassed 7,000 employees globally.

“Wisconsin is our home and we are proud of our impact in the community, but we are also grateful for what the community has done for Mercury,” said Pfeifer. “We will continue to be good stewards to every community in which we live and work and will proudly share this award with all of our employees that helped build Mercury Marine from its early beginnings to the present.”

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