Nick Williams, President of Smoky Mountain Jet Boats and Needmore Trailers, wouldn’t operate his business anywhere other than Western North Carolina.

With the help of Hall Marine Designs and Naval Architect Rob Schoefield, Williams and his team of 10 manufacture custom aluminum boats and trailers in Bryson City. “We’ve been working with Hall Marine Designs out of New Zealand for over a decade,” Williams said. “They are truly at the forefront of designing small aluminum boats.”

Once the boat design work is completed, it must be sent to the US Coast Guard for approval. The next step, according to Williams, is for a company in Slidell, LA to cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick aluminum into “puzzle pieces,” which then are shipped to Bryson City to be welded into the actual boat.

One of the benefits aluminum offers is the ability to create one-off designs. Williams said fiberglass boats must be built using a mold, but with aluminum, it’s easy to change designs. To date, he and his team have built over a dozen differently designed boats.

Williams also said aluminum is much more lightweight than fiberglass or steel, which when paired with a powerful engine, allows for really fast-moving boats. He said his company is the only one in the country that makes these types of passenger jet boats.

“It’s a thrill ride,” Williams said. “Clients don’t come to us looking to buy a boat; they come to us looking to start a business.” He said he and his team will help create a business model and plan, as well as discuss necessary items like fuel, insurance, and navigating Coast Guard regulations.

Before the pandemic, cruise ship companies were some of the company’s biggest clients. Williams said they use these boats at the ships’ destination ports and offer rides as excursions for passengers. These and other clients have brought Smoky Mountain Jet Boats all over the world including India, Korea, Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska. “I even sold a boat to the King of Bhutan,” Williams said. “I’m a royal boat purveyor.”

A recent project included constructing two Albemarle Class Catamarans — asymmetrical foil-assisted Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessels that will provide a smoother and faster ride between small towns around the Albemarle Sound.

“These boats are 45 feet long and have to go 28 knots with 32 passengers at an 80% engine load,” Williams said. “The Sound is really shallow, and it’s hard to go fast over a short fetch. The client needed the catamaran style for stability and efficiency — it will ride on top of the waves instead of struggling and bumping along through them, allowing a smooth ride between towns for the passengers.”

Needmore Trailers, a subsidiary of Smoky Mountain Jet Boats, is one way that Williams is branching out to reach more customers. “It will take a while for people to realize aluminum boats are amazing in the recreational market,” he said. “It seems more industrial and ‘less blingy’ than fiberglass, and the jet boat market is a fairly small one. Trailer-making offers a much larger market.”

Williams’ trailers are also custom-built, offering a lightweight and strong product allowing customers to easily haul kayaks, motorcycles, side-by-sides, bicycles, construction project materials, or a combination of those and more.

Williams said the future looks amazing for business growth in Bryson City. Despite the focus on boats, he will always keep his company here in Western North Carolina. “I’ve been in Bryson City for a while now, and my business is well-established here,” he said. “There are great quality people here, and the cost of living and operating my business is affordable. Plus, the coast is too hot and flat. I just love living in the mountains.”