Protomet, a boat manufacturing company in Loudon County, Tennessee, claims they are integrating artificial intelligence to boost efficiency without replacing workers. In an feature by WATE, Founder Jeff Bohanan stresses that AI leverages employees rather than displacing them, noting it could replace those who don’t adopt it. The boutique manufacturer uses AI to speed up processes like prototyping, feedback loops, assembly, and painting, while keeping operations highly hands-on and human-centered. Manufacturing engineer Kellen Catani describes AI as a supplement in their “world of atoms” (physical products), unlike its disruptive role in Silicon Valley software.

Team member Gabriel Watson has applied AI to create automated systems for part ordering and spacing, improving workflow. Bohanan points out that AI excels at repeating proven tasks, but humans handle variables best. With 300 employees across Loudon, Roane, and Anderson counties, Protomet plans to hire 50 more for “AI-proof” roles in manufacturing, technical, and maintenance positions, often drawing talent from outside the industry. The company promotes a “perennial growth mindset” for building lasting, improvable systems.

In the $230 billion U.S. recreational boating industry, Protomet sees AI creating abundance that outpaces any workforce displacement. As Catani says, “The future is bigger and the future is human,” with humans remaining central to the company’s operations and culture.