Swedish marine conglomerate Nimbus Group is increasing its investment in the North American market.
The group, which includes brands like Alukin, Edgewater, Flipper, Paragon, and Nimbus, will now add Aquador Boats to their American portfolio. Nimbus was founded in 1968 under the singular Nimbus brand before expanding rapidly in recent years.
The move comes on the heels of Nimbus acquiring Florida's Edgewater Powerboat in early 2023.
The move will be in collaboration with PowerTime Boat Club, a US company that specialized in fractional ownership of recreational boats. The company is known as "the world's first fractional boat club."
The initial plan will bring Aquador boats to eight states in the U.S. The boats will be sold into the PowerTime fleet for the shared usage programme and to retail buyers each location. PowerTime currently has locations in 10 U.S. states, including California, New York, Florida, Oregon, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, Washington, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.
“We’re thrilled about our partnership with Nimbus Group, introducing Aquador boats to our fleet. These cabin cruisers are a perfect addition to our fleets, premiering at PowerTime Charlotte Harbor, in Punta Gorda, Florida”, said Todd Hess, CEO of The SailTime Group LLC, in a company statement.
The Aquador brand has traditionally been focused in northern Europe. Nimbus Group, which has made inroads in North America with their Alukin brand, particularly in Canada, will now look to position Aquador to fill a hole in the North American powerboat market. The move is also part of a larger trend that's seeing Scandinavian brands including Axopar, Saxdor, Virtue Yachts and others make significant investments in the North American market.
In 2022, Aquador launched a new generation of boats which marked their most extensive product renewal in 20 years. The Scandinavian-inspired cabin cruisers offer a stylish blend of big water capability with cruising and overnighting amenities. Their fleet ranges in size from 25 to 38 feet.
“The collaboration with SailTime is mutually advantageous, as it allows PowerTime to exclusively feature a boat that complements their fleet perfectly while simultaneously providing Aquador with a swift and extensive market entry across significant regions of the USA,” said Michael Bohm, Nimbus Group CMO.
The debut of Aquador in the U.S. is expected to be the St. Petersburg Boat Show in Florida, which runs January 18-21, 2024.
You can get a full walkthrough of the Aquador 250 HT in the video below:
