American Magic’s Chief Operations Officer, Tyson Lamond, provided a behind-the-scenes tour for the local media of the team’s nearly completed 63,000-square-foot headquarters at the Port of Pensacola yesterday, revealing that the operations have expanded beyond being simply a training facility for the next America’s Cup.
American Magic will begin moving into Warehouse 10 in November, but already has 44 employees onsite working on composite manufacturing in Warehouse 9.
- “When we started off this organization, everything was about the America’s Cup, but we want to make sure at the same time that we’re growing out the manufacturing arm of the team,” Lamond explained during the media tour.
For the first time, American Magic will have all facets of its operations in one location. The new facility features cutting-edge technology, including advanced CNC machines, a clean room for composite manufacturing, and a high-tech simulator for testing million-dollar racing foils prior to production. A massive 45-foot door will allow the team’s foiling yachts to roll directly onto Pensacola Bay.
Consolidation
“What we’ve done in the past is we’ve sailed here, but we’ve built all the boats in Rhode Island,” Lamond told me. “So, whether it’s us traveling up there to have a look at the boat, get updates on the build, the sailor didn’t have the luxury of being able to get in the boat and feel it. In the past, a lot of that has been done in VR (Virtual Reality), but now, having sailing, design and build all under one roof, we can do it all in the same facility, which for sure helps the efficiency a lot.”
- He added, “I think what’s really important is being able to tie the whole organization together and not having half the team in Pensacola, half the team in Rhode Island and having everyone to be able to have that discussion around the coffee machine or in the hallway about what they’re working on and what they’re seeing at the time.”
Local Workforce
American Magic has forged partnerships with the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College, creating pathways for local students through internship programs. Lamond said, “We’ve got four full-time team members now from UWF, we’ve got four from Pensacola State College, and we’ve got two interns in there right now.”
The internship program allows students to work for six weeks to determine mutual fit before potentially receiving full-time job offers.
- Lamond shared, “I’ve really enjoyed this relationship with UWF and Pensacola State because it’s been so good to go out there and talk to the students and say, ‘This is an opportunity. We are going to give you an internship project. You are going to come in here, and you’re going to work for six weeks, and we’re going to sit down, and hopefully it’s a good match for both of us. And if it is, we’re going to give you a long-term career with the team, and you’re able to stay at home in Pensacola and work in high-end technology.”
New Revenue Stream
Currently operating 44 employees in the adjacent Warehouse 9, the manufacturing division works on projects ranging from sailing yachts for private owners to aerospace components. One high-profile project involves a sailing yacht that will launch in Pensacola waters next week. Lamond projects that the manufacturing operation could eventually represent 40% of the organization’s revenue, with sailing comprising 60%. “The composite manufacturing organization is providing its own revenue stream, which is amazing.”
- He added. “Ultimately, we’re working with 120 employees. And we’ve had amazing support from the city and from Triumph to get here. And this year was all about, ‘Okay, let’s take on some small projects and see how it grows.’ So realistically, once we move into this facility, we believe that this building will be able to accommodate up to 150 to 160 people before we need to grow.”
For Mayor Reeves, the project represents successful economic diversification. “This isn’t just job creation; it isn’t just sailing; it’s all of those things,” he said. “To take a building that has tried and not become something two different times, and that the third time’s a charm and you see it in here now to turn what really was kind of a sign of not being able to get something off the ground and for it to be now the most transformational project going in the city is certainly personally fulfilling.”
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