Stamford, CT, June 2026: TrueNorth Capital Partners LLC is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, TNCP, LLC (“TrueNorth”) acted as exclusive financial advisor to Whisper Marine, LLC (“Whisper Marine”) on its acquisition of Crownline Boats. (“Crownline”).

Crownline is an American manufacturer of sport, deck and cruiser boats headquartered in West Frankfort, Illinois. This is Whisper Marine’s second acquisition in six months, following the December 2025 purchase of Qwest Pontoons.

Whisper Marine is part of Whisper USA, LLC, an American manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products founded and led by CEO Dave Hatley. Headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, Whisper USA designs and manufactures hot tubs, swim spas, cold plunges, luxury golf carts, utility terrain vehicles and boats at facilities in Tennessee, Michigan and now Illinois.

Crownline has delivered more than 90,000 boats to dealers and customers worldwide. The brand is widely recognized for its industry-leading gelcoat cosmetics, precision build quality, and rigorous quality assurance, including water testing on Lake Crownline prior to every shipment. Whisper Marine plans to invest in product innovation and expanded capacity at the state-of-the-art Southern Illinois facility, and to grow the Crownline dealer network, building on the brand’s strong dealer relationships and reputation for American craftsmanship.

“Crownline is one of the most respected names in American boatbuilding, and we are excited to carry it forward,” said Dave Hatley, CEO of Whisper USA, in a news release. “The team in West Frankfort has built something special over 35 years, and we plan to invest in its continued growth as Whisper Marine adds sport, deck, and cruiser boats to its portfolio.” Mr. Hatley went on to “…thank TrueNorth once again for their support on this most recent acquisition. TrueNorth provided help originating this opportunity and navigating us to a successful closing, as they have done in the past on a number of our previous acquisitions”.

The Crownline acquisition is part of a multi-year strategy by Whisper Marine to build a portfolio of American-made marine brands serving distinct segments of the recreational boating market.

“These discussions have been ongoing for some time, but the time is now right to take the next step into our future,” added Kevin Riem, VP and General Manager of Crownline. “This announcement marks a point in time in which we are pivoting from “defense to offense” in the market, as we look towards a bright new future. Whisper Marine brings with it a commitment to manufacturing excellence, advanced innovation, and expanded digital marketing expertise, from which everyone on our team will benefit.  Our entire Crownline team is embracing this next chapter, and we will remain here to help in every way we can.  We would like everyone to know how strongly we feel that this is a “good thing” for everyone involved with the Crownline brand!”

TrueNorth’s professionals supporting Whisper Marine are Fred Rossetti, Ani Vajjah and Evan Shelton.

Further inquiries should be directed to TrueNorth at the contact information provided below:

Fred Rossetti, Managing Director
Direct Dial: (203) 817-0276
E-mail: frossetti@truenorthcp.com

Ani Vajjah, Vice President
Direct Dial: (203) 817-0285
E-mail: avajjah@truenorthcp.com

About TrueNorth Capital Partners LLC:
TrueNorth provides advisory services to companies seeking advice for middle-market M&A and financing transactions. With offices in Stamford CT, Charleston SC, Central NJ, Tokyo Japan, and London UK, TrueNorth is a boutique investment bank comprised of senior bankers providing a full complement of financial advisory services. Our focus on the middle-market enables us to provide independent, value-added advisory services to privately held middle-market companies, private equity and family office groups and corporate clients, both domestic and international, across a broad range of industries. TrueNorth conducts its securities related business through its wholly owned subsidiary, TNCP, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.