Mike Brendel can get pretty excited about boats… about how they look, how they’re built, how they handle and move. The new “Boss 2000’s” once again set the standard for all serious boat enthusiasts demonstrating a new level of design, and technology. Mike Brendel took over the family boat building business some years ago, founding MB Sports. Careful planning, exhaustive tinkering, loving experimentation and hard work has given birth to the most respected boat building company in America. Today MB Sports is recognized for the finest quality/designing ski boats throughout the world. MB Sports takes pride in acknowledging that growth has not come at the expense of quality, but in fact has made superior results even more attainable.
MB SPORTS MANUFACTURER PROFILE OVERVIEW Mike Brendel is an icon in the central California boat building world. Brendel has made boats under the Brendella, Hondo, Ski Brendella, Centurion and now MB Sports names. His dad had been involved in the boat business since 1950, and naturally Mike followed suit. His father gave him some advice upon leaving the family company, “He encouraged me to stay in the boat business, stay small and build a product that no one else would be able to attempt to make.” That, he said, is the underlying philosophy of his company, MB Sports, which came to life on August 1, 1993. CONSTRUCTION Over the years, Brendel has honed its innovative construction techniques. Brendel takes extreme pride in all aspects of the boats that bear his initials, but he is particularly proud of the gelcoat and attention to details. “Since we are a low-volume builder, we choose to use the most expensive vinylester resin available for our gelcoats. It costs us $600 to $700 more a boat to use, but it is worth it. It’s a true vinylester.” Plus, he claims one of the best, most skilled gelcoaters in the country, who has been with the company exclusively for 17 years, creates the intense, in-gel graphics without patterns or stencils. On the details side, Brendel points to his company’s billet hardware, grills, steering wheel, shift knobs, bezels, “and all the little detail things we do that no one else will consider doing.” DEALERS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE Brendel says he has learned over the years that the boat is only as good as the person who sells it, so he says his company has really tried to train its dealer network. “They, in turn, have helped us to realize that service is probably the most important aspect of our business,” he adds. Under careful scrutiny, MB investigates potential dealers for experience and financial viability. Once selected, they are required to carry 40 percent of the dealership’s yearly commitment on their showrooms at any time. Brendel explains this means each of his approximately 15 dealers will always have a good representation of the MB line on hand. Dealers also are required to send their sales staff and mechanics to the MB factory every year to participate in an in-house seminar so they can learn how the boat is manufactured. MB Sports uses PleasureCraft Marine as its engine manufacturer of choice. PCM also hosts required dealer seminars, and all dealers have certified PCM engine mechanics. Brendel knows his company isn’t one of the biggest, but he views being small as a huge benefit. “Our reaction time is a lot quicker than a larger company,” he notes. Plus, both the factory and his dealer network are committed to a maximum 72-hour time table to get the boat back on the water in the unlikely event of a warranty issue. WARRANTY MB offers one of the most comprehensive warranty coverage policies available in the industry. MB directly covers the boat’s components, instrumentation, upholstery, carpet and even blistering on the gelcoat for five years. Additionally, there are three years of coverage on the PCM engine and drive train and a limited lifetime warranty covering the hull, deck and stringer. STANDARD WARRANTY COVERAGE • Deck/Hull/Stringer Limited lifetime • Gelcoat 5 years blister free • Engine/Drive Train 3 years PCM engine • Components 5 years • Instrumentation 5 years • Upholstery 5 years • Carpet 5 years • Labor Book rate COMPONENTS GELCOATS: Lilly paints vinylester gelcoat – one of the best, most skilled gel coaters in the country. RESINS: Alpha Owens Corning Hydropel, a true vinylester resin. BULK LAMINATES: 3-stage, all consist of 3-ounce mat with 1708 tri-axial composite base. REINFORCEMENT: 1/2-inch 6061 T-6 aluminum reinforcement. MOTOR MOUNTS: 1/2-inch 6061 T-6 aluminum. FLOORS: Wet layup of 100-percent hand-laid fiberglass to unitize chassis and stringers. STRINGERS: Made in a mold and put into a wet laminate into the hull with 6-and 9-ounce triaxial and one layer of 1708 struts. ASSEMBLY: Butt fit sealed with 6-ounce and 2-inch 1708 Triaxial overlays. DRIVE TRAIN: Shaft is 1-1/8-inch K-monel twin-tapered. Struts, rudder and skegs custom designed manganese by S.E Foundries. OJ four-blade prop. CONTROLS: Teleflex shifter and throttle controls. STEERING WHEEL: Custom Billet wheel of own design. GAUGES: Faria-5-inch with paddle-wheel pickup, Perfect Pass compatible. CARPET: R and R textiles 40-ounce with five-year unconditional warranty. UPHOLSTERY: Nautolex 52-ounce woven-back vinyls with Prefixx™ treating. Multiple stage, multi-density foam.
