Chris Camire, president of Lavey Craft Motorsports, tells Speedboat that he plans to close his factory in Corona, CA—at least for the time being—while riding out the global pandemic that has eviscerated so many other businesses.

“The pandemic simply halted a major amount of planned service, restoration, and new boat sales,” he said. “At the end of the day, when you look at the facility costs, this property doesn’t make sense at this time.”

Having made it through the 2008 economic crisis, Camire said it makes sense to scale back now and find a more suitable home for the business. So he’ll be putting his numerous molds into storage and will seek a smaller location so he can continue to service his existing customer base. “I plan on being in this industry for years to come,” he said. “This is more of a hibernation, or a hiatus.”

Camire said his strategy of transferring to more modest digs is a way of biding time until an economic rebound leads to a future resurgence for his company. “We were on the verge of launching a new project that is incredibly exciting and we have world class IP to license or build with a number of longtime partners and industry friends, so there will be plenty of opportunities after the move.”

Founded in 1952, Lavey Craft was founded by flatbottom racer Al Lavey, whose legacy was enhanced and perfected by the Camire family. The builder has been virtually synonymous with success and innovation, and it’s practically unthinkable that a rebirth won’t be far down the line.

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