Tillotson-Pearson

Tillotson-Pearson Inc. (TPI), founded in 1958 in Warren, Rhode Island, by Everett Pearson (a pioneer in fiberglass boatbuilding) and Clinton Pearson (his cousin, who split off to form Pearson Yachts in 1959), evolved from humble beginnings crafting Dinghy 14s into one of the world’s premier high-tech composite manufacturers, renowned for precision-layup hulls, decks, and components using SCRIMP (Seemann Composites Resin Infusion Molding Process)—a vacuum-bagged, closed-mold system they patented in 1990 that drastically reduced styrene emissions, improved laminate consistency, and enabled lightweight, high-strength structures with 70%+ fiber-to-resin ratios. Initially focused on small sailboats like the J/24 (over 5,500 hulls built under license from 1977), TPI scaled up to produce iconic performance cruisers and racers including the Freedom line (with its signature unstayed carbon masts), J/Boats (J/22 through J/44), Alden 44, C&C 99, and Precision 23, while also building military components, wind turbine blades, and even the carbon-fiber hulls for Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes catamaran in the 1988 America’s Cup. The company’s 100,000+ sq ft facility became a hub of innovation, employing advanced pre-preg carbon, Kevlar, and epoxy systems long before they were mainstream in pleasure craft. Sold to Portsmouth Marine in 2009 and rebranded as Pearson Marine Group, then acquired by US Watercraft in 2013 before ceasing operations in 2018, TPI’s legacy endures in thousands of durable, high-performance yachts still sailing worldwide—many with original gelcoat gleaming and zero delamination—plus its SCRIMP process now industry-standard for eco-friendly, void-free composites.