The Women Behind GSX Powerboats

About Kruis Retherford

Kruis Retherford is a self-made owner, operator, and visionary boatbuilder who has spent decades pushing performance and practicality to thrive together on the water. Since 1999, Kruis has led the brand from the factory floor to national showrooms with the resolve of a racer and the instincts of a craftsperson. In an industry still dominated by men, she stands out as one of the only sole female proprietors of a performance-oriented boat company in the United States.

Seeing a clear gap for truly high-performance center consoles, Retherford launched GSX Powerboats in 2023. GSX sharpened the formula—race-bred running surfaces, modern ergonomics, and long-legged speed—into a focused lineup built to run hard, provide extreme comfort, and create a feeling on the water unlike any other. Under her leadership, GSX models have rolled out with growing dealer support and headline show appearances, underscoring a simple mission: perfect the hull, perfect the experience, and build the best boat possible.

Built Under One Roof

What you feel at the helm—freedom, control, power—starts here. Our Dothan, Alabama facility (a fully reimagined former GE plant) was stripped to the bones and rebuilt into a performance boat factory where every step happens in-house: design, plug & mold tooling, lamination, rigging, wiring, upholstery, and final QC. Because we own the process, we move faster, iterate smarter, and keep standards exactly where they belong—high.

Boats in production at the CIG warehouse facility

Two workers assembling a boat in a factory setting.

The Crew That Makes It Happen

Glasstream isn’t a name on a transom; it’s a crew on the floor. Craftsmen and craftswomen—many of our very best builders are women—who turn raw composite, wire, and hardware into boats that run calm at speed and dry in real water. They’re disciplined, detail-obsessed, and allergic to “good enough.” The culture here is simple: show up, build right, improve daily.

Designed Around the Way You Fish

From lakes and rivers to salt-water, Glasstream layouts are engineered for flow. Rod holders integrated into the hull and console frame keep spreads ready without stealing cockpit space; live wells and stow are placed where muscle memory expects them. The result: faster resets, fewer tangles, longer days—and a boat that’s as ready for the sandbar as it is for first light.

Worker in blue shirt finishing white fiberglass mold

Woodworker in blue shirt using workshop equipment

01
Hull geometry and ergonomics are refined for planted speed, bone-dry spray control, and real-water comfort.
02
Plugs and molds are cut, finished, and maintained on-site for tight tolerances and rapid iteration.
03
Composite layups, stringers, and cores are built to spec for stiffness, strength, and weight control.
04
Clean wiring looms, plumbing, and hardware installs—done by the same hands who test them.
05
Upholstery, lighting, helm integration, and hardware alignment checked to millimeter-level detail.
06
Multi-point QC then sea trial: if it doesn’t feel calm at speed and quiet at idle, it doesn’t ship.