MTI At 25 Finale—The Scisms Look Back – Speed on the Water
Time flies in the daily reporting world. A little more than a year ago, we launched a weekly article series called “MTI At 25” to celebrate the Wentzville, Mo., high-performance catamaran and center console company’s 25th anniversary and chronicle much of its history. Every Wednesday for all but the first few weeks of 2023, a new installment ‘MTI At 25” went live.
For Cherell, Randy and Taylor Scism, MTI is a true family affair. Photos by Pete Boden, Jeff Helmkamp and Tom Leigh copyright speedonthewater.com.
Not for a moment did we worry about having enough material. First, MTI has figured large in speedonthewater.com reporting for the past 14 years. Second, we covered the company from its start when we worked at Powerboat magazine.
And now, some 49 articles later, the series is at an end. So what better way to finish than with an interview of MTI founder and owner Randy Scism, his wife, Cherell, and their younger daughter, Taylor, who works at the company’s client relations relation manager?
That’s exactly what we did today after the Scisms arrived in South Florida to host the MTI Owners New Year’s Fun Run to the Florida Keys
Have you had a chance to go through MTI at 25? If so, do you have a favorite? And why?
RS: I liked all of them, man. There were so many good ones—I think I owe you.
CS: (Laughs) My favorite was the one you just did with Taylor because you said her smile was like mine.
If someone had told you would be building center consoles 25 years ago, what would you have said?
RS: I kind of always enjoy center consoles, because when I was in Dubai (the Class 1 Victory team) I built them for the sheiks and they were always their favorite boats. I had a pretty good idea they would work here, though I didn’t know they would gain the momentum and traction that they have.
CS: I didn’t doubt the center consoles—Randy had never steered we wrong before.
RS: (Laughs) Can I get that on the record?
CS: But it’s always a little scary taking the leap, sticking your neck out and making that kind of investment.
Though it sroot lie in stern-drive engine-powered catamarans, MTI has developed a strong line of outboard-engine powered center consoles and catamarans.
You still build stern-drive cats, but most are equipped with outboards. Did you see that trend coming? Explain.
When started building center consoles, we just realized how reliable the outboards were. Honestly, I have customers who could mess up a crowbar in a sandbox, so the outboards have been a phenomenon.
What prompted you to start the 450R Factory Stock class?
RS: Taylor had asked me a couple of times is she could go racing and I wasn’t going to put her in a Class 1 boat (laughs). So we pieced together the first 390X. Then we made the investment to build dedicated tooling for it.
CS: I wasn’t overly thrilled (laughs). It was one thing to have your husband out there, but your youngest daughter? I was like, ‘Man, no, I don’t want this, never.’
RS: She was anti-Taylor racing. So we had to sneak it.
CS. It’s gotten better because, well, I am competitive. I want her to win.
TS: I definitely kept my mom in mind but we were pretty set on racing.
RS: Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission. (All laugh.)
Has 450R Factory Stock grown as you expected it to?
RS: It has grown faster than expected.
Taylor spearheaded the entire class. Did you know she would thrive in that role?
I had hoped for it but didn’t expect it. She had a good year of running the courses and getting familiar with racing. Her sales pitch to me at the beginning was, ‘Dad, I want to learn about propellers and center of gravity and all that other stuff you guy talk about. I want to understand it.’ Well, she understands it. She has done an amazing job of learning throughout the process. And not only can she talk about it, she can do it.
CS: Taylor was the quieter of our two girls, maybe because Chelsea, her older sister, didn’t give her a chance to talk (laughs). But after Chelsea moved out and Taylor went to college at Ole Miss, she came into her own. When she came back four years late it was like, ‘Wow.’
With throttleman John Tomlinson as her mentor, Taylor Scism spearheaded the 450R Factory Stock class.
You started producing events for your own customers almost 10 year ago. What inspired that move?
TS: It almost started by accident. We always have such good relationships with our customers and lot of them become our friends. You end hanging out with them on the weekends and doing things like going to the Keys with them.
RS: Our customers wanted something outside the typical poker-run environment. The whole thing has just blown up. I have customers who tell me they joined the MTI family be part of our events. It’s a win-win for everybody.
CS: Customer who didn’t know each before have become good friends. Some have become business partners. It’s like a huge network.
What’s next for MTI?
RS: We have our new 48 catamaran coming down the line and we are hoping to have it ready in time for the Miami Boat Show. It’s the first new inboard boat we’ve in a while. The inboard market, in my opinion, kind of fell off because of engine reliability. Mercury Racing 1100s have three-year warranties and we’re going to use those in the new 48. We are kind of gambling that it will start a resurgence in the inboard market.
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