Veranda Luxury Pontoons began crafting luxury pontoons in 2006, but our fascinating story began several decades before with our sister company, Xpress Boats. Family-owned and operated for three generations, Xpress Boats has been building all-welded high-performance aluminum boats in Hot Springs, Arkansas, since 1966. The company understood that aluminum was stronger than fiberglass, lighter than steel, corrosion, and puncture-resistant. It does not deteriorate from exposure to the sun, making it the ideal substrate for building durable fishing and hunting boats. Rivets were commonly used by most aluminum boat manufacturers early on, but they weaken and break over time and cause boats to leak and perform poorly. The founder of Xpress Boats, Kermit Bryant, solved this dilemma by all-welding its hulls to ensure a long-lasting, quality product. This pioneering decision positioned his company and legacy as the leader in the aluminum boat industry and forever changed the way other manufacturers do business. Subsequently, after recognizing an inherent flaw in the manufacturing process of other pontoon companies who created wood decks that rot, absorb water, mold, and mildew, or as we like to say “pre-determined obsolescence,” Xpress Boats used their innovative knowledge and created a Patented All-Aluminum All-Welded, Interlocking Deck System in 2004, and two years later, officially launched Veranda Luxury Pontoons.