Yamaha US Marine Business Unit has opened a new Marine Innovation Centre in Kennesaw, in the US state of Georgia.

The new 75,280 square-foot facility houses the Yamaha Marine Connected Division as well as Yamaha US Marine Development, Yamaha Marine Product Management and Yamaha Marine Technical Marketing.

Yamaha says its new centre will provide new job opportunities as well as broaden Yamaha’s presence in the State of Georgia.

“We believe Georgia is an exceptional location for business growth and development,” says Ben Speciale, president of the Yamaha US Marine Business Unit. “The Marine Innovation Centre represents the fourth major Yamaha facility in the state, joining Yamaha’s Marine headquarters in Kennesaw, the Yamaha Motorsports and Intelligent Machinery Group headquarters in Marietta, and the Yamaha Motor Corporation manufacturing facility in Newnan.

“Yamaha employs approximately 2,300 team members in Georgia. We plan to add more as we partner with local education institutions to hire engineers for our new facility in Kennesaw, where we’re developing exciting, innovative products that will deliver more exceptional experiences for Yamaha customers across the globe.”

Products currently under development within the Yamaha Marine Innovation Centre include DockPoint, the newest feature of Helm Master EX Full Maneuverability, and new Yamaha WaterCraft vehicles and accessories.

“I know this [Yamaha] Marine Innovation Centre is another great win for our state, and this is an example of why I believe we continue to remain the number one state in the country for business, which we’ve done for nine years in a row now,” says Governor Brian Kemp, who attended a ribbon cutting ceremony on 12 April 2023. “According to the Outdoor Industry Association, recreational businesses bring over $27 billion to Georgia’s economy every year and employ around 238,000 people, which is a lot. Certainly, Yamaha is a big part of that industry and we’re just so thankful that Yamaha continues to choose to build and grow as they’ve done over the past several decades.”

In March, MIN reported that Yamaha Motor is establishing a second Yamaha Motor Exploratory Fund, L.P. II. The company-financed ten-year fund based in the US has a total investment purse of $100 million.

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