keelshield

KEELSHIELD OUTPERFORMS COMPETITION IN RUGGED TESTING

After a series of independently-conducted laboratory tests against its closest marine industry competitor, results confirmed KeelShield Inc. of Peoria, Illinois, manufactures the best keel protector available on the market.

The tests, administered by Structural Composites Inc. at its facility in West Melbourne, Florida, examined the two most important features of a keel protector—adhesion (how well does it stick?) and abrasion (how well does it wear?). In both tests KeelShield came out on top, proving stronger and tougher than its closest competitor, Megaware Keel Guard.

"I put our reputation on the line and tested KeelShield's product against our main competitor's," said Sue Rogers Smith, KeelShield president and CEO. "In the end, KeelShield's 3M adhesive system took nearly four times as much strength to peel off the boat's keel, while the competition lost over four times the mass in abrasion testing."

The test's validity was solidified further after procedures similar to those performed by Structural Composites were repeated by Bodycote Polymer at its facility in Melrose Park, Illinois.

"These tests prove KeelShield is the best keel protector on the market," Smith said. "We may not have been the first, but we are by far the best."

Boat manufacturers agree. "We recommend every boat leaving our factory—whether a flats boat or a bass boat—have a KeelShield installed by our factory team," explained Rick Kornmeier, president of Storm Boats in Pompano Beach, Florida. Founded in 1976, Storm is a custom boatbuilder specializing in South Florida's bass boat market.

"For trailer mishaps, concrete ramps, rocks or oyster bars, KeelShield is Storm's first line of protection," Kornmeier added.

Since 1987, Structural Composites has provided engineering design and analysis, product and prototype development, manufacturing process development and independent composites testing services to hundreds of clients in the marine, military, commercial and theme park industries.

Based in Peoria, Illinois, KeelShield has been in business since 1994. The company manufactures a complete line of durable, easy-to-install keel protectors and transom shields, ideal for ski and wakeboard boats, runabouts, small cruisers, center consoles, rigid inflatables, flats boats, bass boats and jet boats.

Contact KeelShield, 4649 N. Main St., E. Peoria, IL 61611. Phone: 309-698-3072; Fax: 309-698-3123; www.keelshield.com