Customer Testimonials
- Efren & Lori Salgado
- Tony Masone
- Tony Devore
- Joel & Kathy Tubbs
- Wayne Byerly
- Susan M Mejia-Murata
- Scott and Bill Ernst
- Chris and Judi Ritchie
- Charlie & Linda Harmon
- Tim and Veda Gates
- The McGuir Family
- Marvin and Joan Jordan
- Kirk & Julie Richmond
- Hot Boat Magazine
- Gene & Sylvia Chapman
- Frank and Dianna Fabelad
- Eric Tittle
Efren & Lori Salgado
24' Valor Purchase
Dear Amy and staff,
It has been almost a year since we purchased our new Essex boat. I just want to
express to you and the Essex family what a great experience the whole process has
been.The boat has been everything you guys said it would be. This past summer was
absolutely awesome, we made four trips to the river and we were completely blown away
with how well our Valor handled in the water. I do have to say that my wife and I
were a bit worried that we would not get the same handling from our new purchase as
we did from our old boat. However, our new Essex completely surpassed our
expectations and more, it not only handled better, but we were amazed at how well our
Valor cut through the rough chop we experienced one day coming across Cottonwood
Cove. All we can say is WOW! I just want to acknowledge how professional you guys
have been from the very beginning, and continue to be. In this day and age It is very
difficult to find a company that goes out of its way to meet all of its customers
demands - even after the sale has been closed. I would gladly recommend Essex to
anyone who is looking to buy from a company that takes a great deal of pride in
building a superior boat.
Sincerly,
Efren & Lori Salgado
Tony Masone
Second Time Buyer
Dear Amy, Jason, and Ron,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you and the rest of the staff
for the great effort that was given in the construction of our new boat. Two years
ago when we purchased our first ESSEX, you made the whole process enjoyable and you
did everything you said you would do and completed on time. When it came time to
build again and move up, I knew again ESSEX would come thru.
Amy, thanks for all your input on the sale to design of the boat. Your valued
opinions help make the interior of the boat look one of a kind. I know this design
was more involved than the first boat we built and required much more design and
coordination during the construction phase, you handled it great, even with my hard
driving persistence, you took everything in stride and with a smile.
From the test drive to delivery, Jason you always gave me the time to answer my
questions and make me feel important. I know things were crazy in the last week for
delivery on our boat, but you pulled it thru and delivered on time. Thanks.
Ron, thanks for the way you stepped up on certain command decisions from when the
boat came out of the mold to the stereo. You truly make the customer feel that you
care about them and their boat.
I know we will enjoy this second boat just as much if not more than our first ESSEX,
but most importantly, we will be happy to tell anyone who asks, that ESSEX is a
quality boat built by quality people who care.
Thanks Again,
Tony Mason
Tony Devore
Proud 2004 Valor Owner
Dear Ron,
I just wanted to drop you a note regarding my last service at your facility. We had
some damage to our drive due to contact with an underwater object. We were tight on
time to get this repair taken care of before our next scheduled trip to Lake Havasu.
We were working with an insurance claim to make matters even more difficult. But
Brandon and Jason came through for us with flying colors, working with the adjuster
to get our boat on time so we didn't have to cancel our trip. I probably drove them
both crazy with my phone calls but they did an excellent job and were very patient.
They are an excellent compliment to your excellent and helpful sales staff.
Thank You!
Tony DeVore
Proud 2004 Valor Owner
Joel & Kathy Tubbs
21' Sterling Owners
Amy and the Essex team:
We continue to absolutely love our '02 Sterling. We have about 170 hours on the boat,
most of it on Lake Mojave. The boat handles the notorious afternoon chop like no 21
footer has a right to, and will top 60 mph easily with the base 350 magnum. Even
after 3 years of fun, I cannot find a stress crack in the hull, a bad seam in the
upholstery or as much as one loose nut.
I lavish this boat with attention, detailing it stem to stern 3 times a year. It is a
labor of love for sure. People at the ramp always remark on the gorgeous Essex
glasswork. They usually know about Essex quality as well and they always do after
they talk to me.
I have not regretted paying the price for quality. As we learned with our first two
boats: "The wrong boat at the right price is still the wrong boat". When we bought
our Essex, we bought the right boat. Joel & Kathy Tubbs
Big Bear Lake, Ca.
Bullhead City, Az.
Wayne Byerly
24' Valor Owner
Dear Ron,
The purpose of this letter is to share the recent experience I had with your company
when I purchased my new Essex 24' Valor. As a consumer, I feel obligated to report
problems and dissatisfaction directly to the boss. However, in this case I am equally
obligated to report outstanding service and product excellence.
My Essex Valor is the result of a long line of choices you have made as a business
owner. You could have easily cut corners with plastic battery boxes or used just a
single piston for the electronic engine-hatch. The gauges and controls did not have
to be gaffrig and the hardware throughout the boat did not have to be stainless or
billet. The collective result of many small choices is reflected in the quality of
the one final product. The Essex Valor is a first class boat with an abundance of
obvious craftsmanship and quality too numerous to list. Every employee I dealt with
at Essex was professional and courteous. However, there were some specific employees
that I request you recognize for their benchmark customer service and noteworthy
commitment to Essex quality.
Amy in sales is the consummate professional. Her patience and understanding proved
invaluable considering my daily phone calls and weekly visits. The stress associated
with such a significant purchase can be more demanding on the salesperson than on the
customer. Amy met these demands with great success and made me feel like I was her
top priority. Abe in service assisted me with the pre-delivery inspection, and later
fielded several of my phone calls about service and maintenance issues. His obvious
commitment to service made me recall when I purchased my last boat. The only person I
dealt with was the salesman and the dealership acted as if it was rude for a customer
to talk directly to one of their technicians. Not true at Essex. Abe's combination of
product knowledge and excellent people-skills made it obvious that I was a member of
the entire Essex family. Before the shine and fanfare of the finished product, Jim in
the paint shop started my Valor off with a flawless paint and graphic application.
His skill and attention to detail are what elevated the boat from "custom" to "work
of art" status. His hard work and dedication are celebrated in the ongoing collection
of compliments I receive about the boat. I am a satisfied customer and will respond
accordingly when asked about my Essex Valor. Thanks to you and your staff, I have a
beautiful boat that I look forward to enjoying for many years to come.
Sincerely, Wayne Byerly
Susan M Mejia-Murata
21' Sterling Owner
Dear Essex,
My husband, Mike Murata, and I purchased a 21 foot Sterling from you which was
delivered in April. I have to tell you that the entire experience form Sales to
Production, to Service has been exemplary. Amy was our Sales rep, she was attentive,
informative, and always pleasant to deal with. Each time we came to "visit" the boat
while it was being made everyone was courteous, and helpful, and truly happy for
us
The delivery of our boat far exceeded our expectations. We were told that it would be
4 to 8 weeks; we figured, "yeah sure... probably 8". Well, it only took 4 weeks! We
were so confident that everything would be perfect that we took the boat to Havasu
for its Maiden voyage the same afternoon we picked it up. Everything was Faultless.
Everything worked to perfection and the craftsmanship was spectacular. That was back
in April.
We took the next 6 weeks to put our First 20 hours on it so we could ski - brought it
in for it's 20 hour service and the service maneger knew my husbands name just for
knowing the boat. Incredible!
The boat is so incredibly beautiful we cannot believe its is ours! We just got back
from a week at Lake Havasu. (We put another 30 hours on the Boat!) We got so many
compliments on our boat. Everyone was commenting how beautiful it is. The gas mileage
was great too.
We cannot thank you all enough. We love it and would recommend the Essex Experience
to anyone and everyone. Thank you, Thank you. We love our boat.
Susan M Mejia-Murata
Executive Vice President
Silver Star Automotive Group
Scott and Bill Ernst
21' Sterling and 29' Alandra Owner
Ron, Steve, and all the Past and Present Essex Employees,
What a great experience we had in purchasing not one, but two boats from you. The
first being a 2000 21' Sterling. Amy and Kip were excellent throughout the whole
process! The way you all made us feel, especially my mom, was a big deal. you made us
feel part of the family! You were all there for my dad and I when my mom passed away
and it has forever made us loyal Essex customers! From our 21' Sterling to the 29'
Alandra we currently own, you make a great product, deliver it on time without any
hassles, load the boat up with all of the equipment anyone could want, provide
excellent customer service and are just real great people to work with. I will
forever talk about how good of a product Essex makes!
Scott and Bill Ernst
Chris and Judi Ritchie
21' Sterling Owners
Dear Sanchez Brothers and Essex Employees,
We'd like to thank all of you for providing such a great time at the Regatta last
weekend at Lake Havasu. We really appreciate all of the hard work and planning that
went into arranging this first opportunity for all Essex Boat owners to get together,
get to know one another and show off their boats. I overheard a comment from an
individual at the sand bar (not in an Essex) that he'd never seen so many beautiful
boats all in one place before. That's quite a compliment on the rich color schemes
displayed on all of the Essex boats.
The activities at the sand bar (we'll be watching for the next issue of Hot Boat to
see if we're in any of the pictures) and the poker run kept us busy, and the kids
events provided fun for our son as well. Thanks for keeping the kids in mind
– it really made the event a family affair. The highlight of the
day really were the festivities at the convention center and though we didn't eat at
the BBQ, it smelled great and next year we'll plan on eating there. After dinner,
your staff provided a lot of fun generating enthusiasm and high spirits. Essex was
very generous with all the freebies that were thrown out into the audience, and even
though we personally did not win any of the raffle prizes, it was exciting to see our
friends, the Hohenshelts, win three.
We hope that you will continue the tradition and plan another Regatta next
year.
Again, many thanks for a great time, you did a FANTASTIC JOB, and keep on making
those beautiful Essex boats! (We'll look for you at the L.A. County Fair next month
in Pomona.)
Sincerely Chris and Judi Ritchie
Owners of a 96 Sterling, "EsSEX APPEAL"
Linda and Charlie Harmon
Proud New Essex Boat Owners
Hi to everyone at Essex,
Wanted to drop a note to let you all know how much we Love our new boat. It rides
like a dream and looks even better. We get the thumbs up sign from almost everyone on
the lake and quite a few on the highway before we even got to the lake.
The design and craftsmanship is outstanding. Even I (Linda) have no trouble
maneuvering this boat around the docks or on the open lake. It is plenty roomy and
all the seats are extremely comfortable. I could go on and on.
We received your letter about the First Annual Regatta in Lake Havasu. You can count
us in. The two of us for sure and maybe 4, we won't know until the last minute. We'll
just stay at our place at the islander. Look forward to seeing you and all of the
Essex family.
Linda and Charlie
Tim and Veda Gates.
"There are no words to express how much we love our boat"
Dear Ron and Steve,
We recently came home from our second trip to the river. We thought our first trip
was great. However we feel this time we better make sure I get this note off to the
two of you. There are no words to express how much we love our boat. She is
beautiful. Her performance is outstanding and the ride, well there are no words. No
matter whether we are on the road or on the water we are proud to be the owners of an
Essex boat. People stare. People will drive by our camp site to look and talk to us
about our boat. I thought nothing could compare to the ride our Sea Ray gave us but
our Essex is like being in a Cadillac and riding on a cloud. "Pure heaven."
We want to thank you both for your professionalism and courteous manner in dealing
with the sale, handling and the delivery of our boat. We thank you for making our
boating experience such a wonderful pleasure. We also want to thank you for making us
part of the Essex family.
Tim and Veda Gates.
Bob, Linda and Ashley McGuir
"We know you didn't have to care, but you did and we are very thankful to you for that."
Dear Ron,
We wanted to express our sincere appreciation for the time you took out of your busy
day to help us with the repairs on our boat and ultimately, for making it possible
for the warranty to cover the transmission / outdrive portion of our repairs. You
made the difference between our taking home a working or non-working boat, as we told
you we would not have been able to cover expenses for both problems.
Thank you also for the after-hours phone call you made to us to update us on the
status of our repairs and also for the 'like new' condition of our boat when my
husband came to pick our boat up upon completion.
We know you didn't have to care, but you did and we are very thankful to you for
that.
- Bob, Linda and Ashley McGuir
Marvin and Joan Jordan
"We were very impressed with your boat, your facilities, and your business acumen."
Dear Steve,
We want to thank you and your brother very much for the friendly and informative
reception given us at your shop on Saturday. The ride on the Genesis was delightful
and we were very impressed with its smooth performance. We are so pleased that we had
decided to stop and look at your boats at the Boat Show in Long Beach.
We're setting up only two more test drives in the next couple of weeks and then we'll
be making our decision. (We've already cut down our list of preferred boats,
realizing that two of your "competitors" couldn't possibly stand up to the
Essex).
We just want you to know that whatever our decision, we were very impressed with your
boat, your facilities, and your business acumen.
Sincerely,
Marvin and Joan Jordan
Kirk & Julie Richmond and family
"This boat is awesome!!"
Dear Kip,
We just wanted to say thank you for all of the time you spent with us helping with
our new boat purchase. As I'm sure you have figured out during our Saturday visits to
your facility, we leave no stone unturned investigating major purchases.
During our investigation process, we visited what we felt were all of the major
players in the So. Cal. Custom boat manufacturing arena. We were able to tour most of
their manufacturing facilities, and in the end were most impressed with yours! The
work your upholstery group did to add the wake board pole through the back seat
(after the seats were already made) was very impressive.We took our boat out on
Sunday for the first time.
We were a little nervous as we had not test driven one of your boats prior to
purchasing from you, but any concerns we had were gone within the first 5 minutes.
This boat is awesome!! I have been in quite a few traditional ski boats over the
years (my last boat prior to buying an ocean boat was a 191/2' Commander), and they
all had the same style rides – loud and rough. Our new boat was
like driving a Cadillac! Even in pretty rough water it held firm. With the 502 and
headers, it was amazingly quiet! The wind created more conversational barriers than
the motor. Several other boaters that wanted to let us know they thought the graphics
on our boat were beautiful (thanks Kip, great design), approached us.
The only drawback we can find is having to wait until the motor is broke in to see
what it will really do! After running it yesterday, I am convinced it will do high
60's no problem, but Kirk thinks he's going to need that Whipple supercharger in the
future (he's already marked a few of competitor's boats that need some Essex
education!).
We firmly believe that after all that we learned (and experienced first hand), We
could have purchased a less expensive boat, but not a better built one!!
Again, thank you so much for making this purchase so enjoyable and easy. Our family
eagerly looks forward to many years of enjoyment with our new Essex Monarch!
Best regards,
Kirk & Julie Richmond and family
Hot Boat Magazine
"Thanks for building a great boat, and for the excellent service."
To the Essex team:
I just wanted you to know how much I have enjoyed my Essex during the past two years.
It's been a quality experience from beginning to end. I've boated more with it than
with any boat I've owned previously, and tell you with all sincerity that it
approaches perfection in every regard.
Thanks for building a great boat, and for the excellent service. I'm an Essex fan for
life!
Sincerely,
Kevin Spaise
Editor at Large
Hot Boat Magazine
Gene & Sylvia Chapman
21' Sterling Owners
Ron, Ed, Steve, Tony & Amy:
Sylvia and I wanted to thank all of you for helping to make one of our dreams come
true!
We spent all day wednesday at Castaic Lake. Every promise each of you made in regards
to the quality and performance of our 21' Sterling was under rated!
We are true believers in the Essex family of professionals. We will proudly share our
dreams with others and hopefully send other dreamers your way in the furure!
Sincerely,
Gene & Sylvia Chapman, Upland Ca.
Frank and Dianna Fabela
"Frank and I are proud to be Essex Boat owners."
Ron and Amy, Once again Frank and I are proud to be Essex Boat owners. The Regatta
was a "class act", due to your time and efforts. Everyone did a nice job making it
pleasant for everyone. Frank and I both think the world of you both and can't write
how much so. Looking forward to seeing you soon!!!
Frank and Dianna Fabela
P.S. I love my canopy.
Eric Tittle
"I wanted to say thank you to all of you that have made Essex Boat ownership a wonderful experience."
Dear Family at Essex Boats,
I just wanted to let you know how happy I am about being an Essex Boat owner. I have
owned my 1996, 21 foot Genesis for one year. I have 65 hours on the boat, 60 of it in
the first 5 months of summer, I love being on the water.
I wanted to say thank you to all of you that have made Essex Boat ownership a
wonderful experience. Ron and Ed you guys made it easy to choose my power package,
color, graphics and options. This was easy from your experienced information and
suggestions. I never felt pressured to have to choose anything I did not want. It is
nice to pull up to a pack of boats on the water and have everyone looking at my boat,
knowing it is one of the best on the water. You guys were great!
Where I really feel Essex paid off for me, was in your service department. After
purchasing my boat most of my contact with Essex is at the service department. My
nature is very curious. I like to be informed and ask a lot of questions that most
people do not care about. Whenever I call or bring in my boat for service, and it has
been a few times, I talk with Tony or Steve. I have never felt pushed off or felt
unimportant. Basically I get what I want with no question. Tony, you are the man!
That is what I call real customer service. All the rest of the production crew were
very courteous and friendly to me when I was there at many different stages of
production of my boat. I never felt unwanted.
I wish I had a reason to buy another boat. It was so much fun and it would surely be
an Essex Boat. THANK YOU,
To my Family at ESSEX
Eric Tittle