OUR STORY
The Stabil Mount story began back in 2007 near the shores of the Mississippi River in Hastings MN. Founder James Priessner was an avid fisherman, a National Level Walleye Tournament Angler, and also an avid thinker. It was around that time that marine electronics were starting to grow in size getting larger every year. One thing that did not grow with them was the mounting systems that were available to choose from. Jim knew he wanted something better so he took it into his own hands and created a mount that would hold the weight of the biggest graphs and would not move in the roughest of boat rides.
The design of the first mount was a success right out of the gate. Slowly but surely through word of mouth many tournament anglers and recreational anglers alike started relying on what was eventually called a Stabil-Mount. As more mounts started to sell Jim went on to design a whole line up mounts and accessories for marine electronics. He even started dabbling in the agricultural market-making different pieces to adapt the same reliable Stabil-Mount idea from a boat to a tractor. Jim and his partner Ruth Ziegelbauer eventually moved the operation near the walleye fisherman-rich area of Chilton WI near Lake Winnebago. In time Jim and Ruth didn’t want to be tied down anymore to the company so they could enjoy their retirement and travel without responsibilities so they decided to sell.
In 2020 the business was bought by Bill Shimota and his family. Jim wanted to make sure the company was in good hands and that’s why he choose the Shimota family. Bill brings the perfect combination of being a long-time Professional Angler as well as a long-time Custom Boat Rigger. He knows as well as anyone what it takes in a mount to hold up to the toughest conditions and on top of that, he knows how a mount needs to be designed to accommodate the largest range of mounting situations. Bill, his wife Samantha, and their two boys Drake and Lane have brought the company back to Minnesota and continue to make the necessary changes to meet the needs of anglers across the country. Stabil Mount is proudly owned and manufactured in the United States of America.