An 11,000-square-metre addition to the Kaunas yard
Marex announced the project in June 2026 as an expansion alongside its existing 28,000 square metres of production space in Kaunas. The new building is scheduled to open in winter 2027 and is intended to increase capacity while changing how components, testing and customer-facing functions are organised.
For a builder whose range includes compact family cruisers, factory investment can affect buyers indirectly through production consistency, lead times and the ability to develop new models. The expansion also gives Marex room to build larger boats, although much of its current range remains relevant to ordinary owner-operated cruising.
Automation and energy systems are part of the plan
The new building is planned around automated component delivery using vertical warehouse systems that bring parts to production staff when required. Marex also specifies a 350-kilowatt solar installation supported by a 222-kilowatt geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling the expanded site.
Those systems do not by themselves determine boat quality, but they indicate where the builder is directing capital: material flow, energy use and production infrastructure. Better organised parts handling can reduce unnecessary movement around a factory, while on-site renewable generation may lower the energy demand associated with routine manufacturing operations.
A second 50-metre test pool and dedicated showroom
Marex says the expansion will include a 50-metre testing pool, the second at the factory, sized to accommodate its largest models. Testing facilities within a production site can support leak checks, systems commissioning and other controlled inspections before a boat reaches open-water sea trials.
A dedicated showroom is also planned for dealers, customers, partners and media, allowing the builder to present more of the range at the manufacturing site. For buyers, factory visits can be useful when they reveal construction details and quality-control procedures that are difficult to assess from a finished display boat.
What the investment signals for the leisure-boat market
Marex expects the project to create up to 100 jobs in the Kaunas region, giving the expansion a significant local manufacturing dimension as well as a commercial one. The company says the new infrastructure will allow production of three-deck vessels approaching 55 feet alongside its established smaller cruisers.
Leisure Boat Guide will continue to focus on models within its size limit, but the investment is relevant because those boats share the same wider manufacturing organisation. Owners should still judge each model on its own construction, warranty and service support rather than assume that a larger factory automatically translates into a better individual boat.
Official sources: marex.no.