Saunders Yachtworks, renowned as the foremost marine service provider on the northern Gulf Coast and esteemed presenter of "Cultivating the Coast with Kitti Cooper," has unveiled a strategic initiative to centralize the company’s service operations at its Gulf Shores location.

Starting June 1, the team at Saunders Marine Center, including the outboard division, ship store and boatyard staff, will transfer permanently to Gulf Shores.

“This decision to consolidate Saunders’ company assets to one location creates an opportunity to provide better service for our customers,” CEO John Fitzgerald said. “We are committed to offering a full-service experience, and that commitment increasingly includes high-horsepower outboard engine services. It will be great to offer these outboard services from our primary location in Gulf Shores.”

Saunders Engine & Equipment Company began in 1959 as a commercial diesel engine service provider in Mobile. In the early ‘90s, the company branched out into the recreational yacht sector, and Saunders Yachtworks was born. A few years later, Yachtworks leased the boatyard inside Orange Beach Marina where it operated exclusively until 2009. The company then expanded to Gulf Shores by building a brand-new full-service yacht facility with 150-ton lift capacity on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). In 2017, Yachtworks rebranded the Orange Beach location to Saunders Marine Center and added an outboard division.

“As we move to one location, we will continue to offer field service and parts delivery to our customers in Orange Beach,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a significant moment for our company. We are grateful to Orange Beach Marina and the Long family for giving us a place to foster our yacht service business for the last two decades.”

In addition to consolidating the company to one location, Saunders has plans for a facility expansion. In 2022, Saunders partnered with Two Harbors Property Partnership to purchase a 30-acre parcel with frontage on the ICW adjacent to Saunders’ existing 14-acre yacht repair facility. Saunders is considering various development opportunities and plans to expand its current service operations into that property.

About Saunders Yachtworks

Saunders operates a full-service yacht repair facility in coastal Alabama, managing projects ranging from routine maintenance to major refits and repowers. Saunders Yachtworks is located in Gulf Shores and offers a 150-ton lift capacity. For more information, please visit www.saundersyacht.com.

This report was contributed by Ashley Rainer Andrews, marketing manager for Saunders Yachtworks.