HOW GARY CLOUSE DEFIED THE ODDS TO CRAFT A BASS-BOAT SUCCESS STORY FROM THE ASHES OF A GLOBAL RECESSION
By Rob Newell
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
I n October of 2022 , Phoenix Boats rolled its 10,000th bass boat out of the company ’ s production facility in Winchester , Tennessee . With that milestone came a celebration for Phoenix employees and anglers at their annual company picnic . There were no billboards , dazzling lights or firework shows . The picnic centerpiece was a simple display of just two boats : Phoenix No . 1 – the very first production Phoenix built 15 years ago – and Phoenix No . 10,000 .
Between those two boats lies the story of how Phoenix Boats became what it is today , despite its inception just months before the bottom fell out of the global economy .
The story starts with president and founder Gary Clouse , who left the security of another boat company to start his own operation from scratch . Clouse assembled a core team of people who shared his same spirit and commitment to the new company .
To hear him tell it , it ’ s an inspiring story . While Clouse admits that seeing number 10,000 made him well up with emotion , it ’ s the 9,998 boats between the boats on display at the picnic that regularly reminded him why he was so proud of what he ’ d built .
“ Anytime I walk through our factory , I ’ m truly humbled ,” Clouse says . “ I ’ m honored that people spend their hard-earned dollars on something we ’ ve created ; that ’ s something I never take for granted . It ’ s been gratifying to see my original vision become a reality , and I ’ m so fortunate to have people who truly believed in that vision from the beginning .”
PASSION AND PERSISTENCE
Growing up on a farm in rural Missouri , Clouse learned the meaning of work early and often . By age 11 , if he wasn ’ t at school , he was working on the farm .
In high school , Clouse became interested in two things that would mold his future : cars and bass fishing – cars because he liked to make them go fast and bass fishing because tournaments had a competitive element to them . His penchant for auto mechanics earned him a spot in his high school ’ s work-study program , where he would go to school in the morning , then go to work at a mechanic shop in the afternoon . He spent what little spare time he had casting for bass in the farm pond at home . When he picked up his first edition of Bassmaster Magazine in 1975 and discovered the world of professional fishing ( which involved fast boats and catching bass for money ) Clouse was captivated .
Clouse graduated from high school on a Friday and went straight to work at a Chevy dealership as an auto
PHOTO COURTESY PHOENIX BOATS celebrating 10,000 Phoenix ’ s 1st and 10,000th boat sit side-by-side at the company ' s production facility in Tennessee .
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