A new boat maker is launching in Ashland City, where the company’s $30.3 million investment is expected to create 280 jobs.

Caymas Boats, founded by Nashville-based executive Earl Bentz, will renovate two existing buildings located on Highway 12. Production on freshwater and saltwater fiberglass boats is expected to begin in February.

“All of us at Caymas Boats are thrilled to bring fiberglass boatbuilding back home to Ashland City,” Bentz said in a state news release. “I’m especially proud that many area craftsmen who formerly built Stratos, Javelin and Triton boats have already signed onto the Caymas workforce. These loyal and highly skilled men and women already have decades of boatbuilding expertise, assuring that Caymas Boats will lead the marine industry in quality and innovation.”

Bentz, a member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, founded Stratos Boats in 1983 and Triton Boats in 1996.

Caymas will launch with a 27-foot long saltwater bay boat, and bass boats up to 21 feet long. It expects to add additional models in the future.