On a Wednesday morning in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Mercury Marine marked the start of construction on a facility that says something about where the company thinks product design is heading.
The new Industrial Design Studio, a two-storey building spanning approximately 18,000 square feet, is intended to bring Mercury’s design team under one roof for the first time. The groundbreaking ceremony was held today, April 23, with construction expected to be completed by January 2027.
The facility has been purpose-built around the full design process. It will include an advanced visualisation area, a modelmaking lab, a user experience lab, and provision for future clay-modelling capabilities. Controlled-access entry, second-floor offices, conference rooms, and project spaces are also part of the build, along with capacity to expand as the programme grows.
“Today’s groundbreaking represents an exciting advancement in how we design, collaborate, and innovate,” said John Buelow, president of Mercury Marine. “Uniting our Industrial Design team in one location will boost our team’s creativity, safeguard innovation, and empower us to keep providing outstanding experiences for our customers.”
The argument behind the investment is straightforward: designers working in the same space, with the right tools around them, produce better outcomes faster. Mercury has framed the studio not just as infrastructure but as a signal of intent, both for the people already working there and for the talent the company wants to attract.
The studio also carries a local dimension. Mercury Marine has been headquartered in Fond du Lac for decades, and the company positions the new build as a continuation of that commitment, expanding high-skill design and engineering operations in the region rather than relocating them.
Mercury Marine is a division of Brunswick Corporation and manufactures outboard engines, sterndrive and inboard packages, propellers, inflatable boats, and marine electronics under the Mercury and Quicksilver brands, among others.
More information is available at MercuryMarine.com.
