(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Forest River Marine, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is making boat shopping more interactive with the launch of its new 3D Boat Builder. Available across its Berkshire, Dockside, South Bay, and Trifecta pontoon brands, the digital platform lets customers design and explore their boats in real time.
The tool allows shoppers to customize layouts, colors, furniture, flooring, engines, and premium features, with every selection displayed in interactive 3D. Customers can also use augmented reality (AR) on mobile devices to virtually place their configured boat in real-world settings such as a driveway, garage, or dock.
The new platform gives buyers a more realistic way to visualize their choices before visiting a dealership. Customers can see how their selections work together, review MSRP pricing, save their builds, and share them with participating dealers.
“Buying a boat should be just as exciting as owning one,” said Philip Podgorny, General Manager of Forest River Marine. “We wanted to give people the ability to build their dream pontoon, see every choice they make in real time, and have fun with the process.”
Once a build is complete, a detailed summary is emailed to both the customer and their nearest Forest River Marine dealer. This allows dealers to review the customer’s preferences in advance and creates a more informed and efficient buying process.
The launch is part of Forest River Marine’s broader investment in digital technology and customer-focused innovation.
“The goal is for people to feel good about the boat they’re buying,” said Joel Hemze, Sales Manager for Forest River Marine. “If they can walk into the dealership excited and confident about what they’ve built, we’ve done our job.”
The interactive 3D Boat Builder is now available across Forest River Marine’s pontoon brands.
©2026 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.