Barletta Pontoon Boats president to retire
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Minnesota-based Winnebago Industries Inc. (NYSE: WGO) has announced Bill Fenech will retire from his role as president of Bristol-based Barletta Pontoon Boats later this year. Winnebago, which acquired Barletta last year, says Jeff Haradine will be promoted to president from his current role as vice president of sales.
Fenech, who founded Barletta in 2017, will officially step down August 26.
“I would like to thank Bill for his incredible insight and leadership at Barletta and his service as a valued member of the Winnebago Industries Executive Leadership Team,” said Winnebago Chief Executive Officer Michael Happe. “Bill’s demonstrated commitment to quality, innovation, and service in addition to developing strong dealer relationships fueled Barletta to become the fastest growing pontoon boat manufacturer in the industry.”
In 2020, Barletta announced plans to invest $7 million to build a production facility on its Bristol campus. The nearly 145,000-square-foot facility is intended to allow for increased production and provide new office space, as well as additional storage capacity. The project is expected to wrap in mid-2023.
“I am extremely pleased to appoint Jeff to lead the Barletta business with the support of Barletta’s proven leadership team,” said Happe. “Jeff has been a key contributor to Barletta’s success, having built an industry-leading sales team and dealer network from scratch, as well as playing a significant role in product development and marketing.”
Winnebago says Haradine brings nearly two decades of business and marine experience as the former president and owner of WakeSide Marine in Elkhart. He has also held previous roles in residential land development and homebuilding management.
Haradine will report to Chris West, senior vice president of enterprise operations at Barletta. Winnebago says all other Barletta executives will remain in their current roles.