Brand Testimonial
Born and bred in the bayous of Loreauville, Louisiana, Gator-Tail Outboards are built by, and for, hunters and fishermen. Founded in 2004, the company now manufacturers and sells hundreds of American-made shallow water boats and different types of outboard motors each year throughout the country and overseas. Gator-Tail president Kyle Broussard proudly says that his team builds the most important outboard and boat in the world: yours.
“This all started when I was a mechanical engineering senior at University of Louisiana in Lafayette,” said Broussard. “As an avid boating, hunting, and fishing enthusiast, I was able to design a better outboard as a finals project and later patented it as the first mud motor of its kind to hit the market.”
Gator-Tail invented, manufactured, and perfected the best surface-drive engine on the market today. The logical next step was to design a line of boats that would then allow their engines to deliver the full spectrum of performance. Today the company offers dozens of outboard boats, and blinds for not only fishermen and hunters, but also military, fire and rescue and law enforcement.
“We provide unbelievable customer service. Our employees are highly educated in what they do and always put customer satisfaction number one. We take great pride in our work and strive every day to deliver the best products and service in the market,” added Broussard.
Gator-Tail + NAPA + Martin Senour = Success
The fit and finish of all Gator-Tail boats are all first class – and exactly what an outdoorsman is looking for – as they come with the customer’s choice of paint and non-skid options. These include Martin Senour colors Gator Brown, Natural Gear, Sand Grit, Hydro Turf (a foam matting that quiets the boat and provides a cool stepping area for the summertime), and Kyle’s own color creations, Gator Grass and Gator Tail Timber.
Outboard motors come in a choice of four colors: Standard Gator Black, Natural Gear, Gator Grass, and Gator Tail Timber.
“We strive to use the best materials and products on the market. We have been a NAPA Martin Senour customer for going on two years now and look forward to continuing our long relationship,” said Broussard.
The main Martin Senour products used are its PRISM® high performance, low VOC, two component acrylic polyurethane topcoat. PRISM is an easy-to-use, high gloss, extremely durable, chemical and solvent resistant coating system. As a highly versatile product, Broussard said it fits Gator Tail’s unique requirements perfectly.
“The Martin Senour paint mixes easy, goes on smooth, and is very, very durable,” said Kyle. “I mean, once on it puts up with all the sun and rays we get down here, as well as water resistance. We’ve never had one come back that had a paint issue.”
Other paint products from NAPA that Gator-Tail uses include Martin Senour’s 5227 & 5225 Epoxy primer, PCC630G & PCC630B High Build epoxy Primer, 6248 & 6249 Plastic Adhesion Promoter, and 6599 Cleanable Hardener.
Gator-Tail is serviced by the NAPA AUTO PARTS/ Himel Motor Supply store in nearby New Iberia, Louisiana, owned by Kent Himel and Daniel Horton.
“The service that Kent and Daniel at NAPA have provided has been above and beyond when it comes to servicing an account; they brought in the right paint, the right people, including Martin Senour’s Benny Kimberly, and all together they have really earned our business,” said Broussard.
“We are certainly glad to have a customer that is such a well-run operation like Gator Tail,” said NAPA’s Kent Himel. “Since they started using the Martin Senour PRISM, they saved in production and really like the paint’s durability. Plus, as a personal duck hunter myself, I can tell you from experience that they make such well-made products, the last thing you’d ever want to worry about is the paint.”
Broussard has a special relationship with NAPA and Martin Senour, but more so with all his team members – having grown to 40 in all now – many who have been with him from the start. “My dad Blaine and I started this just 13 years ago, and we couldn’t have done it without all the fantastic help and dedication by all our people and our partners. We have been very blessed to reach this point at Gator-Tail Outboards. Our company has gone from a college project to a buzzing operation.”
Broussard said the team at Gator-Tail takes great pride in sharing their success with the community by giving back to charitable and worthwhile organizations, as well.
“Each year we support the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway which raises money for childhood cancer research. We also are heavily involved with Ducks Unlimited as a corporate partner because we know that waterfowl need our help to thrive for generations to come.”