Symtec brings its heating solutions to marine industry

Symtec, a Minnesota-based heating solutions provider, is bringing its technology to the marine industry in 2017. The company has designed heating solutions for vehicle parts in ATVs, motorcycles and other powersports equipment for nearly 30 years.

“We’re excited to get started. It’s a really fun industry. We were at the IBEX show last year and met a lot of great folks, and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to be a part of,” said Riley Harlan, president and CEO of Symtec.

Symtec is designing hand and seat warmers for the marine industry, as well as lumbar supports. The warmers themselves are as thin as a business card; the hand warmers work like a sticker and go right on the handlebars of snowmobiles, with the grips going over those stickers. The heaters run off the electrical system in the vehicle to keep the rider’s hands warm.

That application will be brought to marine steering wheels, which Symtec first designed for side-by-side ATVs.

Harlan saw an opportunity for the technology in the marine industry, particularly for boaters looking to extend their boating season in Northern climates.

“That early season getting out on the water fishing or during the late season, or even just early mornings when it’s still spring and not very warm, we thought it would be a nice addition as an offering, especially for freshwater fishing,” he said.

Though Harlan and his team are full of avid fishing enthusiasts and saw an opportunity for the heaters in freshwater fishing applications, Symtec heaters aim to be a solution for any OEM manufacturer delivering boats to customers in cooler climates.

“Certainly ski boats, wakeboard boats, things like that, it would be a good application on that side too because those folks get out as much as they can really – sun up to sun down – so getting out of the water wet and being able to stay warm is something we all want,” he said.

Symtec is currently working with a couple OEMs on integrating seat warmers and lumbar supports into new models and is hoping those models will be out by this fall. Testing is still being completed and production will hopefully begin in late spring or summer.

For more information on Symtec, contact Scott Henry, vice president of sales & marketing, at 763-571-9193 or sales@symtec-inc.com, or visit www.symtec-inc.com.