The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s marine operations division is tasked to serve and protect the Lake of the Ozarks as well as other state waters. The agency’s vessel of choice is a Donzi 290 Center Console performance boat, and four more soon will be added to its fleet of a dozen.
The boats are supplied by AMH Government Services (AMHGS), a sister company of Donzi, Baja, Fountain and Pro-Line in the Baja Marine group. AMHGS offers an extensive range of durable, mission-specific fiberglass composite vessels customized to meet the demanding needs of government agencies and commercial entities.
AMHGS has a Government Services Administration rating that is required to build and sell boats to federal and state agencies. “The Missouri State Highway Patrol is a longstanding Donzi customer,” said Johnny Walker, CEO of Donzi parent company Baja Marine. “Currently, we have an order to build four 290 CCs for them. Two already have shipped, and the other two should be completed in the next three weeks.
“Anyone who has been to the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in August every year has seen our boats on patrol there,” Walker continued. “The Missouri State Highway Patrol is an excellent customer, and its officers love running Donzis. I have had the opportunity to talk with several of the officers during the Shootout. They have a tough job; I’ve never seen that many boats on one body of water anywhere else.”
All AMHGS boats are built at the Baja Marine factory in Washington, N.C., and include the Donzi, Fountain and Pro-Line brands. The Donzi 290 and 320 Center Consoles, Fountain 38 Center Console and 38 Pilot House and Pro-Line boats between 20 and 25 feet are among the leading models manufactured by AMHGS for commercial and government buyers.
“Baja Marine does about 15 percent government/commercial business on average,” Walker said.
The Donzi 290 CC is built for public-service duty with a heavy-duty tow post built into the aft deck. The post is integral to the boat’s substructure and tied into the stringers for maximum strength. The boat features Donzi’s Z-Tech ventilated, stepped, advanced-performance hull. Maximum power is twin outboard engines with a total of 550 horsepower.
All boats manufactured by the AMHGS group are designed to be rugged, durable and low-maintenance. Each craft is hand-built by skilled workers using high quality components, wood-free construction, Vinylester resin and high-strength fiberglass and composite structural materials.
