Jacobsen operations begin move to Augusta

Leaders from the Textron Specialized Vehicles team provided GCI with a sneak preview of the new facility that will host Jacobsen Turf production as the company moves operations to Augusta to synchronize production with E-Z-GO and other brands.

The move from Charlotte to Augusta means a lot of changes but the goal is to bring all manufacturing and operations for the golf and industrial business under one umbrella. “There’s a real cost when you have duplication in so many areas,” Textron Specialized Vehicles CEO Kevin Holleran said. “When there are two different entities and two different P&Ls, it just doesn’t work as well as it should.”

Holleran and his team are preparing for the move of production lines which will be staged throughout 2017. The transition will be made easier by the fact that at least 70 employees from Charlotte have accepted offers to relocate two hours south to Augusta.

The plan is to combine what had been done with nine assembly lines in Charlotte into three modern, adaptable lines for Jacobsen’s golf and turf equipment. Holleran is very cognizant of the problems that plagued Jacobsen after the last move and they're employing a cautious, phased-in approach to the manufacturing shift. Parts will move last and they made it clear they would have their 10 service/parts centers fully stocked before the transition.

Holleran paid tribute to David Withers, who will end his tenure with the company Dec 31. “I just want to recognize David for his 24 years of service with Textron,” he said.

One point the new team hammered home: They're still 100 percent committed to the turf business. They recognize that moves like this raise some eyebrows but they made a compelling case that this is a smart move that will allow them to be more competitive overall and improve manufacturing quality and efficiency.

“I don’t much care that the golf market is shrinking,” Holleran said. “It’s still a strong business and we’re going to grow within the segment.”