Company Name:
Caymas Boats
Industry:
Boat Manufacturing
Location:
Ashland City, TN
Services Used:
PEO
The Client
Caymas Boats is a high-performance boat manufacturer specializing in premium freshwater fishing boats, bay boats, and offshore models designed for serious anglers. Founded in 2018, Caymas is a newer name in the industry, but the company is built on decades of experience.
Owner Earl Bentz has spent more than 50 years in boat building, and many members of the Caymas team bring 30 to 40 years of industry expertise with them. That blend of seasoned craftsmanship and newer talent allows Caymas to innovate while staying rooted in proven manufacturing practices.
Today, Caymas Boats employs approximately 280 people, with the vast majority working directly in its manufacturing facilities. The company operates with a lean corporate staff, intentionally directing its investment toward production, engineering, and innovation on the plant floor.
Like much of the marine industry, Caymas is closely tied to economic conditions. After rapid growth in recent years, the company has strategically adapted its production mix, expanding into larger, higher-value boats that are less sensitive to economic swings. That flexibility has allowed Caymas to stabilize production value while continuing to introduce new designs and models.
The Opportunity
As a startup built from the ground up, Caymas Boats faced the immediate need to establish a complete HR infrastructure. Employee benefits had to be designed, payroll systems implemented, HR policies created, and compliance requirements addressed—without building a large internal administrative team.
With a workforce that fluctuates with market demand, Caymas required a PEO model that could scale efficiently as headcount increased or decreased. Leadership also recognized the risk of managing HR, payroll, and benefits through three separate vendors, which could introduce operational silos and unnecessary complexity over time.
By partnering with LBMC Employment Partners as its Professional Employer Organization (PEO) from day one, Caymas centralized all its HR needs in a single, integrated solution. This approach provided the infrastructure needed to support a growing manufacturing workforce, keep corporate overhead low, and remain agile as market conditions changed.
The Impact
The partnership with LBMC Employment Partners has allowed Caymas Boats to grow strategically without adding internal administrative overhead.
“LBMC Employment Partners isn’t a vendor to us; they’re an extension of our company,” says Eric Sutley, CFO at Caymas Boats. “When our employees work with the LBMC EP team, it feels seamless. They don’t see a third party—they see someone who understands our business.”
The flexibility of the PEO model has proven especially valuable in an industry where workforce needs fluctuate, allowing Caymas to scale up during peak demand and later adjust headcount while HR and administrative support scaled alongside the business. That adaptability helped Caymas maintain continuity, compliance, and employee support without the disruption of internal restructuring.
“With LBMC Employment Partners, we can grow, contract, and evolve without having to rebuild our internal HR infrastructure every time the market changes. They grow with us. That flexibility, combined with strong people and solid advice, is what makes them a true partner.”
– Eric Sutley, CFO, Caymas Boats
