Barletta Pontoon Boats President Bill Fenech to Retire; Jeff Haradine Promoted to President

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Aug. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO), a leading outdoor lifestyle product manufacturer, today announced the planned retirement of Bill Fenech, President, Barletta Pontoon Boats, effective August 26, 2022. Bill Fenech founded Barletta in 2017 with a focus on innovative products, superior quality and a relentless passion for customer satisfaction and quickly built the company into a significant presence in the popular pontoon boat market segment. Barletta was acquired by Winnebago Industries in August 2021, joining the family of premium RV and marine brands including Winnebago, Grand Design RV, Chris-Craft, and Newmar.

Under Fenech’s leadership and with the strong contributions of the extended team and dealer partners, Barletta Pontoon Boats has continued to grow market share and aspires to be a top three pontoon brand in the U.S. in the future. To enable further product line growth, Barletta recently announced a major capacity expansion project in Bristol, Indiana that will come online in mid-2023.

“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 Industries President and 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.”

Fenech will be succeeded by Jeff Haradine, who is being promoted to President, Barletta Pontoon Boats, from his current role as Vice President of Sales. Haradine will report to Chris West, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Operations and Barletta, who has driven successful results as the lead integration manager for Barletta’s first year under Winnebago Industries ownership. All other Barletta senior leadership team members will remain in their current roles.

Haradine has been a key member of the Barletta leadership team since the brand’s inception and has played an instrumental role in the tremendous growth of the business over the last five years. He brings nearly two decades of business and marine experience as the former president and owner of WakeSide Marine in Elkhart, IN, with previous roles in residential land development and homebuilding management.  

“I am extremely pleased to appoint Jeff to lead the Barletta business with the support of Barletta’s proven leadership team,” Happe stated. “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. Jeff’s demonstrated ability to lead others and his deep knowledge of the Barletta business will enable him and the Barletta leadership team to continue Barletta’s growth trajectory to be one of the industry’s top pontoon brands. Dealers and retail customers can look forward to the same unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and service they have come to expect from Barletta for years to come.”  

About Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is a leading North American manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products under the Winnebago, Grand Design, Chris-Craft, Newmar and Barletta brands, which are used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company builds quality motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth-wheel products, pontoons, inboard/outboard and sterndrive powerboats, and commercial community outreach vehicles. Winnebago Industries has multiple facilities in Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Florida. The Company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and traded under the symbol WGO. For access to Winnebago Industries' investor relations material or to add your name to an automatic email list for Company news releases, visit http://investor.wgo.net.

Investor Relations Contact: Steve Stuber - 952-828-8461 – [email protected]  

Media Contact: Chad Reece – 641-585-6647 - [email protected]