Volvo Penta begins production of Seven Marine outboards in Tennessee
by Volvo Penta 12 Feb 2020 06:30 AEDT
A Seven Marine engine produced at the Volvo Penta facility © Volvo Penta
Today Volvo Penta announced the start of production and assembly of Seven Marine outboards at the organization's wholly-owned facility in Lexington, Tenn. As of January 2020, the entire lineup of Seven Marine engines has been incorporated into the Volvo Penta production process.
"It's with great pride that we add the Seven Marine outboard range to our portfolio of marine gasoline solutions that are produced in Tennessee," said Martin Bjuve, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas.
"With this step, we are better positioned to leverage the full scope of Volvo Penta assets from the deep expertise and competencies of our team, to our robust manufacturing capabilities and high production standards," said Peter Hertinge, senior vice president of global operations and quality for Volvo Penta. "We are proud of the journey that's led us to this integration and see great opportunity ahead."
Transitioning production of the Seven Marine engines into Volvo Penta's established manufacturing facility is part of the overall strategy to further develop the company's outboard offering. Since acquiring Seven Marine in 2017, efforts have focused on expanding the impressive Seven Marine product lineup and integrating proven Volvo Penta solutions. In 2018, through close collaboration with the Volvo Penta team, Seven Marine was able to extend its horsepower range to include 527 hp and 577 hp models and enhance its 627 hp flagship model.
Another key milestone came in 2019 when Volvo Penta integrated all Seven Marine outboards with the company's proven Electronic Vessel Control (EVC) and associated Easy Boating solutions such as DuoProp, joystick docking and driving, Glass Cockpit and more. The Volvo Penta Integrated Outboard Experience debuted first on a Tiara Sport 38LS and earned the NMMA Innovation Award in the outboard category at the Miami Boat Show.
In addition to the Lexington operations, an outboard engineering office has been established in Germantown, and Rick Davis, founder of Seven Marine, will continue to work together with the Volvo Penta team.
"As we continue to develop our outboard offering, the Volvo Penta team will learn from and build upon the wealth of market knowledge shared from the Davis family," said Bjuve.
The 210,000-square-foot facility in Lexington houses Volvo Penta's production of all gasoline engines and drives for worldwide distribution. It also houses a final assembly line for production of industrial off-road engines. Adhering to the Volvo Production System (VPS), the facility operations place emphasis on high levels of precision through the use of advanced production techniques.
Aligning with the Volvo Group's commitment to VPS practices, the factory holds several ISO certifications in the areas of production process management, environmental management and occupational health and safety.
A Seven Marine 627 will be on display in the Volvo Penta booth and available for test drives on Pier 1, slips 125-128 at the Miami International Boat Show, taking place February 13-17, 2020.