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CSI Group Acquires Sonic and Dakota brands; merges with Mares to form CSI Marine

Stuart, FL (August 12, 2005) — The CSI Group of Hudson, NH, announced today it has acquired the tooling and marketing rights for the Sonic and Dakota brands of boats. The Sonic and Dakota brands will join with CSI’s Mares line of luxury high-performance powercats to form a new division, CSI Marine. CSI Marine’s headquarters and manufacturing facility are located in Stuart, FL.

Sonic, a high performance brand with a loyal following for over 25 years, will continue its tradition of offering a high value, comfortable, safe, fast boat line. Dakota Boats will continue its high quality offering of center-console, outboard-powered, offshore fishing and law enforcement boats. Mares is expanding its line of exceptional high performance powercats with offshore center console and fishing boats powered by either outboard or diesel power. Each brand will continue to be sold and marketed under its traditional name with operations merged under one roof.

Marine industry veteran Jonathan Spaulding will serve as CSI Marine President and Chief Operating Officer. A Past President of the American Composite Manufacturer’s Association, Spaulding has over 20 years of experience at such well-known companies as Hinckley Yachts and North End Composites. He most recently was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Sabre’s Back Cove Yachts division. He will be responsible for the strategic and day-to-day operation of the company.

Supporting Mr. Spaulding, as Engineering Director, will be New Zealander, Phil Mead, a professional boat builder with a background in the America’s Cup, working on Team New Zealand’s winning Black Magics. Mead has also been involved in the build of several Megayachts, was the manager for Callan Marine Racing and was the principal designer of the Dragon powerboat.

“The formation of CSI Marine with top notch marine professionals, the established brands of Sonic, Dakota and Mares, and CSI Group’s 33 years of manufacturing and operations expertise, provide an exceptional platform for offering customers and dealers superior products with outstanding service,” explains CSI Group CEO and Founder, Leonard A. (“Len”) Worden.

CSI Group, founded in 1972, is a privately owned diversified manufacturer of infrastructure products and machinery serving the construction, communications, utilities, government and transportation industries. Based in Hudson, NH, CSI Group companies provide a wide range of products and services internationally, including highly-engineered manufactured concrete products, pre-fabricated and electro-mechanically outfitted equipment buildings, material handling systems, premium steel forms and tooling; and, the mobilization of facilities to construct segmental tunnel rings for tunnel projects. CSI Group designs and manufactures superior quality, innovative products for the most demanding applications and environments.