Malibu Boats, Inc. began in Merced, California, in 1982 when a group of six water-skiing friends decided to build their own high-performance ski boats. Over time, the company relocated its corporate base to Loudon, Tennessee—where its executive leadership, engineering, and many operations now reside. This origin in enthusiast-driven design set a lasting tone: innovation born from passion.
The company is primarily focused on designing, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing fiberglass recreational powerboats. It sells under several brands, but two of its most defining are Malibu, known for premium performance wake- and ski-style towboats, and Axis, which offers more accessible wakesports models without sacrificing core surf and wake dynamics. Besides boats, Malibu develops integrated systems like its own Monsoon engines, retractable platforms, surf-gate technology, and custom towers to optimize both performance and owner experience.
On the manufacturing side, Malibu maintains several high-precision production facilities. Its Loudon, Tennessee site handles much of the Malibu and Axis boat production and related vertically integrated parts like trailers and engines. To support growth in other segments, the company is expanding into a second Tennessee plant in Roane County to make some of its Cobalt-brand boats. This network gives Malibu tight control over quality and cost while preserving scalability through integration.
Malibu Boats is widely recognized in the recreational marine market for being a technological leader, particularly in wakesports. Its innovations—like custom surf-wave systems, adjustable wake-shaping devices, and in-house powertrains—have helped define performance benchmarks. Its reputation is reinforced by a disciplined vertical-integration strategy, which enables it to bring critical components in-house and improve both margins and product reliability.