Vernon's KingFisher Boats a Gold Standard winner among Canada’s best managed companies

Photo: KingFisher

Vernon's KingFisher Boats has been recognized as a Gold Standard winner among Canada’s best managed companies.

The family-owned aluminum boat builder on Swan Lake has been one of Canada’s best managed companies since 2018.

“We are very proud to be a Best Managed Gold Standard company,” says CEO Byron Bolton. “Being recognized year after year demonstrates our senior team’s strong leadership, strategy, and focus on our people and community. In 2020, we have seen record demand as new boaters are propelling sales as they find ways to recreate locally.”

The Canada's Best Managed Companies program is a mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies. Applicants are evaluated by an independent judging panel.

KingFisher is a world leader in the design, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of heavy-gauge aluminum boats. The local company builds 31 models of offshore, sport, fishing and river jet boats.

Its boats are sold by dealers from California to Alaska and Quebec.

The manufacturing facility employs 162 people.

“This year’s Best Managed winners demonstrate the organizational grit required to thrive in these increasingly uncertain times,” said Kari Lockhart with Deloitte, a co-leader of the program. “By putting their people first, and showing the courage to experiment and take risks, they were able to overcome some of today’s most pressing challenges. This year’s winners were able to succeed because they weren’t afraid to fail.”

Every year since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of companies have competed for the designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices.

Gold Standard winners have successfully retained Best Managed status for four to six consecutive years.

The program is sponsored by Deloitte Private, CIBC, Canadian Business, the Smith School of Business, and TMX Group.