Beneteau Shuttering Michigan Plant, Divesting from Four Winns, Scarab, and Glastron

Groupe Beneteau has announced it will close its Cadillac, Michigan, manufacturing facility in the third quarter of 2026, a move that will affect 232 employees and lead to the divestment of the Four Winns, Glastron and Scarab Jet brands.

The Cadillac facility has been home to Four Winns since 1975 when it was founded by Bill Winn Sr. and his three sons, John, Bill Jr. and Charlie.

Groupe Beneteau, which purchased Four Winns in 2014, described the decision in a June 15th press release as a targeted adaptation of its U.S. operations amid continued weakness in the American market.

Layoffs are expected to begin Aug. 24th and continue through Sept. 6th. Production will halt in August.

The Cadillac plant manufactures multiple models for the Four Winns, Glastron and Scarab Jet brands.

"After the closure of production in Cadillac in the third quarter of 2026, the Group is launching a process to divest this site and the Four Winns, Glastron and Scarab Jet brands," Groupe Beneteau said in its announcement.

The company said the three brands represented less than five percent of group revenue in 2025 but generated cumulative operating losses of approximately €30 million (34.7 million USD) over fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Orders for the three brands were down nearly 30% since last year, producing only 474 boats in 2025 compared to 2313 in 2022.

Beneteau attributed the decision to prolonged weakness in the bowrider and jet boat segments. The conflict with Iran in March 2026 also “closed off any near-term prospect of recovery across these already weakened segments" it said in its statement.

"While this difficult decision is rational, we are aware of what it represents for each member of the Cadillac site team. The teams have demonstrated exemplary commitment. What we owe them today is clarity, respect and support worthy of what they have given the Group," said Yannick Madiot, General Manager of the Dayboating Business Unit.

The company said it will continue to focus on seven strategic brands: Beneteau, Jeanneau, Prestige, Lagoon, Excess, Wellcraft, and Delphia.

Bruno Thivoyon, chairman of Groupe Beneteau's management board, said the restructuring was intended to strengthen the company's long-term position.

"This adaptation will enable us to refocus our resources on the brands and segments offering the greatest development potential, while preserving our ability to support customers and partners over the long term," Thivoyon said.

The Cadillac facility has played a significant role in Groupe Beneteau's North American manufacturing since their acquisition of Rec Boat Holdings in 2014. The facility underwent several expansions and became one of the Group's principal U.S. boatbuilding operations.

Despite the turmoil, Beneteau said it will continue with plans to launch 24 new models across its portfolio in 2026, following the success of 23 new launches in 2025. They cited the "increase in retail sales in the first quarter and nearly 10% growth at constant exchange rates at the end of April in the order book for 2026" as confirmation of the strategy. They added that the "targeted decision made in the United States is specifically intended to support the Group's innovation and commercial development capabilities."

Founded in France 140 years ago, Groupe Beneteau reported revenue of €849 million ($983 million USD) in 2025 and employs more than 6400 people worldwide across 16 production sites. #news #beneteau #beneteaugroup #glastron #scarab #fourwinns