Chambers stepping down from Marine Concepts / Design Concepts
Just three weeks removed from receiving the 2016 Hall of Fame Award from the American Composites Manufacturers Asso-ciation (ACMA), Matt Chambers is resigning from Marine Concepts / Design Concepts of Cape Coral.
The decision to depart the companies he has served as president for the past 10 years, Chambers said, was a tough choice. His departure is effective on Oct. 28.
“Due to family matters and wishing to live closer to family and taking in my father-in-law it is time to make this move,” said Chambers, 57. “My wife is from California and her family and my family are all west of the Mississippi. We’ve seen this coming, but recently more with my father-in-law’s health issues.”
Chambers, who has a new job lined up but not at liberty to disclose it at this time, is moving to Keller, Texas, where family members already reside. Chambers originally is from Washington state.
“I want to thank the leadership in this area for supporting us,” Chambers said. “We live in a great county and city. The company went through a lot of growth in the last 10 years. It is very hard to say good-bye.”
Pearson & Lurus, Inc., is the principal owner of JRL Ventures and by consequence Marine Concepts/Design Concepts. Pearson & Lurus chairman J. Pearson will oversee the operations while company executives and senior staff continue working with customers during the transition.
Chambers’ strategy and leadership serving the ACMA’s Government Affairs Committee helped forge alliances with manufacturers in the composites industry invited to sit down in a friendly way to draw up guidelines for workers health and safety. The results were adopted by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
Chambers’ work in that capacity was one of several reasons that led to his selection for the Hall of Fame Award. He received the award at the end of the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) in Anaheim, Calif., on Sept. 26.
Chambers has been in Lee County for 11 years. Marine Concepts was founded by Cuban immigrant Kiko Villalon 40 years ago in Cape Coral and has been located on Pine Island Road ever since. Marine Concepts is the largest supplier in the U.S. to the recreational marine industry.
It’s sister company, Design Concepts, provides design and engineering for non-marine composites applications. Non-marine applications include theme parks, playgrounds, trucks, buses, etc.
Design Concepts was started in 2006 as JRL Ventures Inc., and won the Manufacturer of the Year award from the Manufacturers Association of Florida in 2010.
Marine Concepts/Design Concepts has a second location in Sarasota with the Cape Coral facility being the corporate office. There are 280 employees milling plugs and molds for the fiberglass manufacturing industry. They supply virtually all recreational marine manufacturers and military projects.