Highwater Marine Sells Polar Kraft Brand

Highwater Marine has announced that the company has sold its Polar Kraft aluminum fishing boat line to private investors.

The new owners, Andy Cripe and Scott Tuttle, are former RV industry executives based in northern Indiana. Cripe, the former president of trailer manufacturer Crossroads RV, is said to have an ownership stake in Main Channel Marina, located in Syracuse, Indiana. Syracuse is also home to Polar Kraft.

Scott Tuttle is a co-founder of Elkhart, Indiana-based Heartland Recreation Vehicles and founder of Livin’ Lite Recreational Vehicles, located in Wakarusa, Indiana. No terms of the sale were disclosed, other than to say that it involves the Polar Kraft brand along with “certain assets and liabilities.”

Polar Kraft was one of several boat brands acquired by Bennington Marine last fall when it purchased the assets of Nautic Global Group. Highwater Marine was was formed by Bennington in the wake of the acquisition to operate the brands, which include Godfrey, Hurricane, Rinker and Sweetwater. According to a statement, the decision to sell the Polar Kraft line was made as part of a strategic decision to refocus on the company’s remaining properties.