Nor-Tech Boats named Business Partner of the Year by Lee County Schools

Nor-Tech Boats named Business Partner of the Year

by Lee County Schools

Local manufacturer supports educational programs progressing future workforce

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (July 1, 2022) – Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats has been named 2022 Business Partner of the Year by the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and the Lee County School District. Nominated by Cape Coral Technical College for partnering in the planning for a new Marine Service Technologies program and for support of their Electronic Technology program, Nor-Tech is a small company making a huge difference by investing in Southwest Florida’s future workforce and economy.

“We are honored to be recognized for Nor-Tech’s involvement with local education,” said Henrik Margard, COO at Nor-Tech Boats. “Any business owner can tell you it’s been challenging finding employees in the last 24 months. In contrast, our sales have seen a huge increase, so we’re investing some of that into the potential workforce by giving scholarships to students while also collaborating on building programs at institutions that can help further the marine industry and boost the local economy.”

Nor-Tech was recognized at the annual Partners in Education/State of Our Schools Breakfast on May 27, at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, in Fort Myers. At the Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship event a week prior to this recognition, Margard also awarded the first scholarship ever given to a technical college by the Mayor’s Scholarship Fund. Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats, leading the way in innovative custom boat manufacturing and design since the 1980’s, continues to positively impact the high-performance boating industry and Southwest Florida’s economy.

“Nor-Tech is a wonderful business partner for both Cape Coral Technical College and Fort Myers Technical College. They provide scholarships, equipment donations, and paid co-op and internship positions while students are enrolled as well as employment opportunities upon graduation,” said Cape Coral Technical College Director Charlie Pease. “Additionally, as a leader in the boating industry, they are providing consultation for Cape Coral Tech as the school looks to build a new facility that will house Marine Service and Automotive Service Technology programs planned for opening in the fall of 2024.”

Since 2020, the boating industry has soared as consumers seek to get outdoors and onto the water. Boat sales are at a record high across the globe, which means the need for technicians will grow. In addition to partnering with Cape Coral Technical College and Fort Myers Technical College, the company is working with Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI), a division of Universal Technical Institute, to develop similar programs in the Orlando area. This is the only marine program in Orlando, and Nor-Tech is the only manufacturer currently supporting it.

Nor-Tech is expanding its operations with a new 30,000 sq. ft production facility to open in 2023 down the street from its headquarters in Cape Coral. This will create additional jobs, help boost a local economy that has historically been dependent on tourism and hospitality, as well as educate young minds interested in progressing in the marine industry. Nor-Tech has additional production sites located in North Fort Myers and St. Augustine. For more information about Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats, please visit nor-techboats.com.

About Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats

A Legacy of Excellence- When they were first running around boatyards in Norway as youngsters in the 1970s, Trond Schou and Nils Johnsen weren’t thinking about their legacy. They were thinking about — and obsessed with — sports cars and boats. That still holds true today, just on a much grander scale. Thirty years ago, the first Nor-Tech powerboat hit the Gulf of Mexico in Southwest Florida with exceptional craftsmanship, speed, and style like no other. Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats had two employees — Trond and Nils. “If there’s a boat we can dream up, why not build it?” says Nils, Nor-Tech’s chief designer who is often inspired by his cherry red Lamborghini Countach. “If we can build it, we will.” The co-founders can still be found on the production room floor working on boats and designs in one of their four Southwest Florida facilities just as much as they can be found in their offices, handling the day-to-day operations. For more on Nor-Tech Hi Performance Boats please visit, nor-techboats.com.