Bob's Machine
Bob's Machine is a privately held Tampa, Florida-based manufacturer founded in 1978, best known as the original hydraulic jack plate maker. It sells a 256-product marine and automotive hardware catalog direct-to-consumer and to OEM boat builders from a single in-house CNC manufacturing facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bob's Machine does
Bob's Machine (legal entity RSM International, Inc.) is a privately held, US-based marine hardware manufacturer founded in 1978 in Tampa, Florida, operating from a single facility at 8802 E. Broadway Ave. The company is the original hydraulic jack plate manufacturer and remains best known for that product category, which spans hydraulic and manual jack plates rated from 0 to 627 HP, including the Action Series, Extreme Series Gen 3, Standard Series, Race Series, and Mini variants, alongside a broader 256-product catalog covering engine performance items, rigging accessories, propellers (PowerTech!), electronics mounts, trolling motor accessories, stabilizer plates, and replacement parts. Manufacturing is fully in-house, leveraging CNC mills, 3D modeling and CAD, powder coating, and hydrographics capabilities, with a 'Made in USA' positioning and lifetime warranty messaging as core brand pillars.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce through bobsmachine.com (with international shipping) and a B2B channel serving OEM boat builders that install Bob's jack plates as factory equipment. Customer segments are diversified across OEM boat builders, weekend fishermen, tournament anglers (supported by the Bob's Tournament Rewards cash-back program), licensed charter captains, and automotive performance enthusiasts served through the Bob's Auto Sports sub-brand. Pricing spans approximately $10 for small accessories up to $2,475 for premium Extreme Series Gen 3 jack plates, with revenue generated entirely through one-time hardware sales.
The company also maintains a sister-company relationship with TransducerShieldandSaver.com and has extended the brand into adjacent categories such as AR500 steel shooting targets (Awesome Targets) and branded apparel. There is no public stock listing, no disclosed external capital, and no evidence of venture or private equity involvement; operations appear founder/owner-led from the Tampa headquarters.
Bob's Machine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bob's Machine
- Legal name
- BOB'S MACHINE
- Website
- https://bobsmachine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bob's Machine is a privately held Tampa, Florida-based manufacturer founded in 1978, best known as the original hydraulic jack plate maker. It sells a 256-product marine and automotive hardware catalog direct-to-consumer and to OEM boat builders from a single in-house CNC manufacturing facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bob's Machine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Hardware Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Ship and Boat Building (33661), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320)
- SIC
- Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Propulsion MRO, Spares & Field Service (Overhauls, retrofits, upgrades) (IMAJAHAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marine Parts, Accessories & Maintenance Supplies Retail (CRAMAIAB), Propulsion Drives, Gearboxes & Shaftlines (IMAJAHAD)
Keywords
Where Bob's Machine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bob's Machine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling marine hardware products including jack plates, engine performance items, rigging accessories, and automotive performance parts. Products are sold at various price points from $10 to over $2,000.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hydraulic Jack Plates - Entry level |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hydraulic Jack Plates - Mid range |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hydraulic Jack Plates - Premium |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Manual Jack Plates |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories and Small Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Automotive Performance Parts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels1 record
Bob's Machine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bob's Machine designs, manufactures, and sells marine hardware — most notably hydraulic and manual jack plates for outboard motors ranging from 0 to 627 HP — from its Tampa, Florida facility. The product catalog also includes propellers, engine performance items, rigging accessories, electronics mounts, trolling motor accessories, safety equipment, and an automotive performance sub-brand (Bob's Auto Sports). All products are made in-house using CNC machining, 3D modeling/CAD, powder coating, and hydrographics printing.
Product overview
Bob's Machine is a marine hardware manufacturer specializing in jack plates as their core product line since 1978. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of hydraulic and manual jack plates ranging from 0-627 HP, along with extensive boating accessories including engine performance items, rigging accessories, electronics mounts, propellers, trolling motor accessories, and safety equipment. The product line also includes a sub-brand, Bob's Auto Sports, offering high-performance automotive parts like oil separators and suspension components. Products are designed, manufactured, and tested in-house at their Tampa, FL facility using CNC machining, 3D modeling, and powder coating capabilities, with a focus on Made in USA quality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bob's Auto Sports: High performance car parts including oil separators, suspension components, camera mounts, and axle reservoirs for vehicles like Mustang, Corvette, and Challenger.
Products and services
- Hydraulic Jack Plates Hydraulic jack plates for outboard motors ranging from 0-627 HP, including Action Series, Extreme Series Gen 3, Standard Series, Mini Action, Race Series, Race-Lite, Para Jac, Kicker Jac, and color/hydrographics variants. Allows vertical adjustment of motor height for optimal boat performance, hole shot, and shallow-water operation; intended for OEM boat builders and individual boaters/anglers.
- Manual Jack Plates Manual (non-hydraulic) jack plates for outboard motors ranging from 0-550 HP, including Kick Back Plates, Mini Manual Jack Plate (clamp-on, 0-30 HP), and the Versa Jac upgradable manual plate line (Extreme Gen 3 Versa 550 HP, Standard Versa 35-300 HP, Mini Versa 0-50 HP). Intended for boaters who prefer mechanical adjustment or want a lower-cost alternative to hydraulic models.
- Kicker Jack Plates Auxiliary motor brackets for kicker / small outboard motors up to 40 HP, sold as a standalone product category under the jack plates family for boats with secondary trolling/kicker motors.
- Bob's Auto Sports (automotive performance parts sub-brand) Sub-brand line of high-performance automotive parts including vehicle-specific oil separators/catch cans (Mustang, Corvette/LSX, Challenger, Universal), axle reservoirs, camera mounts, billet control arms and other suspension components, and branded apparel. Targeted at car enthusiasts modifying Mustang, Corvette, and Challenger vehicles.
- Bob's Tournament Rewards Rewards program (paid to members) for tournament anglers who use Bob's Jack Plates in competitive fishing events; effectively a brand-sponsored program that combines product performance with cash-equivalent rewards to competitive anglers.
- Awesome Targets (AR500 steel shooting targets) AR500 steel shooting targets including gong targets, alien targets, skull targets, and alligator targets, intended for recreational shooting.
Companies that use Bob's Machine
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Bob's Machine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Bob's Machine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TransducerShieldandSaver.comminorSister company referred to as TransducerShieldandSaver.com. Mentioned in the website navigation with a link directing customers to 'Make sure you checkout our sister company www.TransducerShieldandSaver.com'
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bob's Machine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bennett Marine: Long-standing hydraulic jack plate and trim tab manufacturer serving the same outboard motor and bass boat OEM/aftermarket channels as Bob's Machine.
- T-H Marine Supplies: Alabama-based marine accessories manufacturer with a similarly broad SKU approach across hydraulic jack plates, rigging, hardware, and other outboard accessories. Directly comparable as a mid-sized, U.S.-domestic marine hardware competitor to Bob's Machine.
- CMC (Custom Marine Components): Manufacturer of hydraulic and manual jack plates, jack plate accessories, and related rigging — among the most direct competitors in Bob's core hydraulic jack plate category.
- Power-Pole: Manufacturer of shallow-water anchoring systems (Sportsman Series II, BLADE) sold alongside Bob's on tournament rigs. Bob's already distributes Power-Pole accessories, making it a channel partner and a comparable premium marine hardware brand with the same tournament-angler buyer.
- Atlas Hydraulics / Atlas Jack Plates: Manufacturer of hydraulic jack plates and related boat-engineering accessories, targeting tournament anglers and bass boat owners — a direct competitor in the high-performance jack plate segment where Bob's Extreme Series competes.
Broad incumbents
- Mercury Marine: Major outboard motor OEM whose engines Bob's jack plates are designed to mount. Serves both as a critical ecosystem partner (OEM channel) and as a broader incumbent in the marine propulsion value chain.
- Yamaha Marine: Leading outboard motor OEM with proprietary aftermarket accessories. Comparable as a large incumbent in marine propulsion and a potential OEM channel partner for Bob's jack plates.
- SeaStar Solutions (Teleflex Marine): Established marine controls, steering, and hydraulic systems supplier owned by Teleflex. Overlaps with Bob's hydraulic and rigging product lines but operates as a much larger, broader marine systems incumbent.
Emerging players
- aFe Power: U.S.-based aftermarket performance parts manufacturer (intakes, exhaust, oil catch cans) targeting the same Mustang/Corvette/Challenger enthusiast buyer as Bob's Auto Sports.
- Mishimoto: Performance aftermarket brand selling oil catch cans, cooling, and intake components for Mustangs, Corvettes, and similar platforms. Directly comparable to Bob's Auto Sports sub-brand as a CNC-driven, enthusiast-positioned performance parts maker.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bob's Machine social profiles
Digital presenceBob's Machine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bob's Machine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Bob's Machine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bob's Machine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bob's Machine
What does Bob's Machine do?
Bob's Machine designs, manufactures, and sells marine hardware — most notably hydraulic and manual jack plates for outboard motors ranging from 0 to 627 HP — from its Tampa, Florida facility. The product catalog also includes propellers, engine performance items, rigging accessories, electronics mounts, trolling motor accessories, safety equipment, and an automotive performance sub-brand (Bob's Auto Sports). All products are made in-house using CNC machining, 3D modeling/CAD, powder coating, and hydrographics printing.
Is Bob's Machine a public or private company?
Bob's Machine is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bob's Machine founded?
Bob's Machine was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bob's Machine based?
Bob's Machine is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bob's Machine make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Bob's Machine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bennett Marine, T-H Marine Supplies, CMC (Custom Marine Components), Power-Pole and Atlas Hydraulics / Atlas Jack Plates. Broad incumbents are Mercury Marine, Yamaha Marine and SeaStar Solutions (Teleflex Marine). Emerging players are aFe Power and Mishimoto.
Does Bob's Machine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bob's Machine.
What industry is Bob's Machine in?
Bob's Machine's product category is Marine Hardware Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAHAN, Propulsion MRO, Spares & Field Service (Overhauls, retrofits, upgrades), with a secondary code of CRAMAIAB, Marine Parts, Accessories & Maintenance Supplies Retail. Its NAICS code is 33661 and its SIC code is 3420.