“ It speaks to the power of belief and just how contagious belief can be ,” Clouse says . “ At first , the core group believed ; then additional employees believed ; then reps believed , and dealers believed ; and with each boat , more and more customers believed .”
Johnson likened seeing the 10,000th boat to the day she saw some of the first Phoenix boats leave the plant back in 2008 . Starting a boat company doesn ’ t happen overnight , and it took nearly three years from the day she left her job until the day the first boat rolled out of the Phoenix factory .
“ I was walking through the parking lot to my car and saw a hauler with two boats loaded on it for delivery ,” she recalls . “ That moment in time stopped me in my tracks .
“ To see three years of blood , sweat and tears loaded on a truck as finished product , ready for delivery , was a very special moment for me . When number 10,000 was finished , I had that same feeling ; it brought so many flashbacks of all that we have been through to make this happen over the last 15 years .”
AND THE WINNER IS …
When a Phoenix boat is ordered , there ’ s no way to tell which customer is going to get which boat number until the boat is near completion . As the 10,000th boat made its way through the manufacturing process , it was only fitting that the final product would go to Mark McCaig of Oxford , Alabama . McCaig is a well-known regional pro who has been with Phoenix since 2008 and boat number 10,000 is the 10th Phoenix he ’ s owned .
McCaig qualified for the Elite Series several years ago but opted to keep his day job as a construction superintendent and fish around home in the ultracompetitive tournaments of northern Alabama . He ’ s won a slew of local and regional events in various tournament trails in that area , including multiple BFLs and a Toyota Series event in 2020 . His 14-year relationship with Phoenix started with a factory tour in 2008 .
“ When I toured the Phoenix factory , I noticed everyone that worked there was that kind of person , from the craftsmen who lay glass , to the technicians who run wiring and plumbing , to
the people who work in sales – everyone takes pride in their job ,” McCaig says . “ They ’ re a special group of people all the way around . Before I left that day , I met Gary Clouse personally and put in an order for my first Phoenix .”
Over the years , McCaig has become increasingly impressed with the quality and innovation that continues to come from the Phoenix factory .
“ Everything on the boat is in a perfect place and has a purpose ,” McCaig says . “ Just when you think they can ’ t improve a bass boat any more , they do .”
Shortly after picking his special edition number 10,000 Phoenix , McCaig offered some insight on Clouse and why the company has taken flight .
“ Gary is so many things ,” McCaig says . “ He truly listens to people , whether it ’ s criticism or praise about his boat – without being offended or arrogant – and he uses that input to constantly refine the Phoenix product .”
Ten thousand boats in , Clouse has plenty of datapoints with which to continue refining his product , looking ahead to the next 10,000 boats worth of improvement and innovation .
PHOTO COURTESY PHOENIX BOATS
Alabama angler Mark McCaig was happy to take possession of Phoenix No . 10,000 from Clouse .
54 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2023