Jim-Buoy

What Jim-Buoy does

Jim-Buoy is a manufacturer of marine and pool safety products, operating as a division of Cal-June Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered at 5238 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, California. Founded in 1969, the company designs and produces a broad portfolio of flotation and safety equipment for three core customer segments: commercial marine vessels requiring USCG/SOLAS-compliant gear, recreational boaters, and public/private swimming pool and aquatic facilities. The catalog spans roughly 30 product lines including USCG-approved life rings (G, Hard Shell, and JB series), life preservers, horseshoe buoys, mooring buoys (Mark V and Deluxe), marine fenders (Hurricane and Giant Foam-Core lines), dock bumpers, LED man-overboard lights, regulatory buoys, life floats, boom buoys, Sombrero buoys, industrial floats, sea anchors, Bos'n chairs, safety harnesses, life ring racks, pendant mooring buoys, and a separate pool product line (rescue cans, rescue tubes, spine boards, Santa Barbara Fun Chair, Fun Chair, Executive Lounge Pad).

The underlying technology centers on closed-cell foam cores (up to 98% closed-cell on giant fenders) encapsulated in marine-grade vinyl coatings or cross-linked polyethylene "rock-hard" outer shells, with proprietary materials including the CJ-37 rock-hard shell used on regulatory and Sombrero buoys and the CJ-16 puncture-proof foam used in life preservers. Specialty designs include a triple-action Hurricane Fender combining a compressed air chamber with high-density inner foam to prevent bottoming out, built-in sea anchors on horseshoe buoys, and unsinkable construction claimed to survive bullet holes without functional loss. Many SKUs carry specific USCG approval numbers and SOLAS certifications, which the company identifies as a primary competitive advantage for commercial-vessel applications; a 2019 public notice flagged a hazard on the Model 601/603 life preservers where a strap could fuse to the vest.

Jim-Buoy commercializes through a quote-based pricing model with no publicly listed price; channels include direct sales via a downloadable PDF catalog and the company website, plus industrial marine safety equipment distributors and dealers. Markets served are described as North America (USA). The company has 51-100 employees, is closely held with no external venture or private equity investors referenced, and is led by James DeHoney as President/General Manager. No funding rounds, acquisitions, international expansion, or technology partnerships are documented.

Name

Jim-Buoy

Legal name

Cal-June Inc.

Website

https://jimbuoy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Jim-Buoy, a division of Cal-June Inc., is a US manufacturer of marine and pool safety products including USCG-approved life rings, life preservers, marine fenders, dock bumpers, and pool rescue equipment serving commercial vessels, recreational boaters, and aquatic facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine and Pool Safety Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Life-Saving Appliances & Safety Equipment (Davit Systems, Lifeboats, Firefighting) (IMAJAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Safety & Navigation Electronics Retail (PFDs, EPIRBs, GPS, VHF) (CRAMAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine safety products
• Life rings
• Pool safety equipment
• Boat fenders
• Flotation devices

Headquarters

HQ city

North Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marine Safety Products Sales: Revenue generated from manufacturing and selling marine safety products including life rings, horseshoe buoys, life floats, mooring buoys, marine fenders, dock bumpers, life preservers, safety harnesses, lights, sea anchors, and related equipment to commercial vessels, recreational boaters, and marine facilities.
2. Pool Safety Products Sales: Revenue from pool safety equipment including life ring buoys, life guard equipment (rescue cans, rescue tubes, spine boards), fun chairs, and executive lounge pads for swimming pools and aquatic facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Jim-Buoy, a division of Cal-June Inc., manufactures marine and pool safety products including life rings, horseshoe buoys, mooring buoys, marine fenders, dock bumpers, life preservers, life floats, and lifeguard rescue equipment. Products carry USCG and SOLAS certifications and serve commercial vessels, recreational boaters, and swimming pool/aquatic facilities.

Product overview

Jim-Buoy is a manufacturer of marine and pool safety products, operating as a division of Cal-June Incorporated headquartered in North Hollywood, CA. The company offers two core product categories: Marine Products and Pool Products. Marine Products include life rings (G Series, Hard Shell Series, JB Series), horseshoe buoys, mooring buoys, dock bumpers, boat fenders (including Hurricane and Giant Marine lines), LED overboard lights, regulatory buoys, life floats, life preservers, boom buoys, fender baskets, Sombrero buoys, industrial floats, overboard poles, sea anchors, day mark signals, rope floats, Bos'n Chairs, safety harnesses, life ring racks, mast buoys, boat cushions, strobe lights, cabinets, pendant buoys, and accessories. Pool Products include life rings (P-Series, C-Series), rescue equipment (spine boards, rescue cans, rescue tubes), and leisure products (Santa Barbara Fun Chair, Fun Chair, Executive Lounge Pad). The company has over 50 years of experience supplying safety products to boaters and swimming pool enthusiasts. Products carry USCG and SOLAS certifications where applicable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jim-Buoy Marine Products Wide range of marine safety products including life rings, life preservers, horseshoe buoys, mooring buoys, dock bumpers, fenders, lights, and regulatory buoys for commercial and recreational vessels.
• Jim-Buoy Pool Products Pool safety equipment including life rings, life guard equipment, rescue cans, spine boards, rescue tubes, fun chairs, and lounge pads for swimming pools and aquatic facilities.
• Life Rings (G Series, Hard Shell, JB Series) Solid closed-cell foam, rock-hard cross-linked polyethylene, and nylon vinyl skin life rings in multiple sizes with USCG and SOLAS approved models.
• Horseshoe Buoys Life-saving buoys with built-in sea anchor (Models 920, 940, 1020, 1040) in horseshoe and pony sizes. USCG approved.
• Mooring Buoys Premium Mark V and Deluxe Series mooring buoys with rock hard outer shell and high-density polyurethane foam core, available in 10-30 inch diameters.
• Hurricane Fenders Boat fenders with triple absorbing action combining outer air chamber and internal high-density foam core, in 6-12 inch diameters.
• Giant Marine Fenders 98% closed-cell foam core fenders that never bottom out, available in 12-24 inch diameters with unsinkable design.
• Dock Bumpers and Corner Wheels Vinyl dock bumpers, roller bumpers, and corner protection systems including No Nails dock bumper system with hidden installation.
• LED Man Overboard Lights Models 9000-X (flashing) and 9000-XSB (steady burn) LED lights with up to 1 mile visibility and automatic day/night operation.
• Regulatory Buoys and Channel Markers Economy, calm/deep water, and standard/large regulatory buoys for marking channels and navigation, including green and red channel markers.
• Life Floats and Buoyant Apparatuses USCG approved life floats and buoyant apparatus in multiple person capacities (6-22 person) with solid closed-cell construction.
• Life Preservers (Models 601, 603) USCG approved Type I life jackets. Model 601 for adults and Model 603 for children with puncture-proof closed-cell foam construction.
• Boom Buoys 10ft long x 10 inch diameter barrier buoys, foam-filled for maximum buoyancy, used as oil boom installation or barrier system.
• Fender Baskets Stainless steel fender baskets for rail or deck mounting, available for 5-12 inch diameter fenders, fully assembled ready for installation.
• Sombrero Buoys Large flotation base buoys with CJ-37 rock hard outer shell designed for maximum stability, in multiple sizes and daymark options.
• Industrial Floats and Buoys HDP shell construction with USCG approved polyurethane foam, suitable for mooring, rope floats, and marker buoys, in 6 sizes.
• Man Overboard Poles and Mounts The Straddler poles (Models 924, 924-10, 950) with unique urethane filled molded float, including semi-automatic horseshoe racks.
• Sea Anchors Vinyl coated nylon trolling sea anchors with polypropylene shroud lines. Model 929 is USCG approved as storm sea anchor (36x72 inch).
• Day Mark Signals Heavy-duty vinyl coated nylon fabric day marks in ball, cone, double cone, and cylinder shapes, collapsible for storage.
• Lok-On Rope Floats Rope floats with leak-proof outer shell and solid foam core that lock securely in position with ROPE-LOKS, in 3-8 inch diameters.
• Bos'n Chairs Work seats for boat maintenance. The Roughneck model features 4,000 lb breaking strength webbing and vinyl coated nylon construction.
• Safety Harnesses Tran-Pac Captain's Harness, child size harness, and economy crew models with polypropylene webbing and stainless steel hardware.
• Life Ring Racks Stainless steel life ring racks and hangers in premium commercial quality and rail mount options, fitting 20, 24, and 30 inch life rings.
• Mast Buoys and Pick-up Buoys Trip-line anchor marker buoys with 100ft line and pick-up buoys for mooring, with polypropylene rope through solid foam float.
• Hose and Rope Floats Jumbo hose floats with rock hard outer shell and industrial rope floats. Model 1100 with rock hard shell for winch use.
• Buoyant Boat Cushions Type IV PFD cushions with unicellular construction. Model 101 available in white or orange with finest vinyl coating.
• Man Overboard Strobe Light (Model 1820) Automatic water-activated flashing strobe light, SOLAS 74/83 compliant, up to 90 ft drop tested, using 4 D-cell batteries.
• Life Ring Cabinets Polycarbonate window cabinets for 24 and 30 inch life rings. Models 5050 and 5070 with safety station combinations available.
• Pendant Mooring Buoys Pendant buoys that keep mooring line dry, with stackable design and lifting grips, available in 18, 24, and 30 inch sizes.
• Coasters and Key Chains Jim-Buoy branded drink coasters and floating key chains in vinyl coated foam with realistic buoy styling.
• Spine Board (Model 84) First spine board designed with patient comfort in mind, featuring soft resilient surface, adjustable head support, and radioparent design.
• Rescue Can (Models 81, 82) Lightweight rescue aid with Shark Skin surface for reduced drag, featuring six grips and bright Day-Glow Orange color. Model 82 includes pocket mask.
• Rescue Tube (Models 79, 80) International Orange vinyl coated rescue tubes with foam body. Model 79 for pools/lakes, Model 80 with nylon security lines.
• Santa Barbara Fun Chair (Model 7001) Deluxe floating lounge chair with molded-in drink holders and plush head cushion, with internal aluminum frame and vinyl covered closed-cell foam core.
• Fun Chair (Model 7000) Floating fun chair for pools and lakes with buoyant solid foam core and marine vinyl coating, in a smaller design than the Santa Barbara model.
• Executive Lounge Pad (Model 7004) 27 x 72 x 1-1/4 inch solid foam core lounge pad with air pillow and marine vinyl coating, available in white, blue, turquoise, and yellow.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Polyform US: Polyform US manufactures inflatable and foam-filled boat fenders, buoys, and mooring products with comparable closed-cell foam and hard-shell constructions. It is one of Jim-Buoy's most direct competitors in marine fenders and mooring buoys for both recreational and commercial buyers.
• Mustang Survival: Mustang Survival (now part of Survitec) designs and manufactures PFDs, flotation workwear, and marine safety apparel, directly overlapping with Jim-Buoy's life preservers and lifeguard equipment lines. It serves the same commercial vessel and rescue operator customer segments with USCG-approved products.
• Stearns (Survitec): Stearns is a long-standing USCG-approved life jacket and marine flotation brand serving commercial marine, recreational boating, and industrial safety markets. It competes head-on with Jim-Buoy's Type I life preserver line and broader recreational PFD offerings.
• Perko: Perko manufactures marine lighting, hardware, and safety accessories including life ring buoys, overboard lights, and battery-operated marker lights. It overlaps Jim-Buoy's marine lighting (LED overboard lights, SOLAS strobes) and life ring product categories for the same commercial and OEM customers.
• ACR Electronics: ACR Electronics (ACR Artex) makes USCG/SOLAS-approved marine safety electronics including EPIRBs, PLBs, SARTs, and man-overboard strobe lights. It directly competes with Jim-Buoy's SOLAS 74/83-compliant overboard strobe light and LED marker lights in the commercial vessel safety equipment category.
• Taylor Made Products: Taylor Made Products supplies marine fenders, dock and boat protection, and vessel accessories to the same recreational and commercial marine retailers and OEMs that Jim-Buoy serves. Its fender and dock bumper lines are direct substitutes for Jim-Buoy's marine fenders and dock bumpers.
• Sea-Dog Line: Sea-Dog Line is a broad-line marine hardware and accessories manufacturer and distributor serving marine aftermarket retailers. It overlaps Jim-Buoy in fender, buoy, and dock accessory categories with comparable quote-based, distributor-channel GTM.
• Dock Edge: Dock Edge manufactures dock and marina hardware including dock bumpers, corner wheels, fenders, and waterfront protection products. It competes with Jim-Buoy's dock bumper and corner wheel product lines for similar marina and residential dock buyer segments.

Broad incumbents

• West Marine: West Marine is the largest U.S. marine retailer, with its own branded product lines covering fenders, dock products, PFDs, and safety equipment. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Jim-Buoy via in-store private-label SKUs as well as online retail of competing brands.

Regional players

• Polyform AS (Norway): Polyform AS is the Norwegian parent of Polyform US and a leading European manufacturer of fenders, buoys, and aquaculture floats. It is comparable in technology (closed-cell foam, hard-shell construction) but primarily competes with Jim-Buoy in EMEA rather than directly in the U.S. market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cal-june-corp

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jim-Buoy