Coolest Things Made in Missouri 2026: Lowe Boats Roughneck Pathfinder

Erica Moreland

Owner: Brunswick Corp.
Employees: 200
Founded: 1971
Web: LoweBoats.com
Social: Facebook.com/
OfficialLoweBoats
2025 Revenue: Undisclosed
Product Pricing: $30,000-$38,000
Why is this the coolest product made in Missouri? It’s a gateway to adventure, built tough for shallow waters, perfect for hunting, fishing and exploring places most boats can’t reach, and it embodies the Ozark spirit: rugged, reliable and ready for the wild.

Based in Lebanon, Lowe Boats was founded by Carl and Dianna Lowe in 1971 as Lowe Line to produce canoes and aluminum boats and, eventually, pontoon boats. Lowe’s Pathfinder series was introduced in the early 2000s and is designed to navigate narrow, shallow waters often found on lakes.

SBJ: The Pathfinder is a fishing boat?
Erica Moreland, associate marketing manager: This is a fish boat, but we call it a hunt and fish boat because it’s more utility driven. It’s a little bit beefier so it can withstand a little bit more rocking and rolling on the waters. The Pathfinders are meant to get into super skinny water, really shallow water so it kind of floats right on top of the water.

SBJ: What’s the difference between the Roughneck 1870 and 1760 Pathfinders?
Moreland: Really the main difference is the overall length of the 1870. It’s 18 foot with a max-person capacity of seven. And the 1760 is an overall length of 17 foot with a max-person capacity of five. So, the only thing that really changes in between the two boats is that length and the max-weight capacity that it has, the max-person capacity that it has, but the nuts and bolts of it are the same.

SBJ: Which one sells more?
Moreland: The 1760, I think, just because of the price point. A foot less of a boat is a considerable amount off in price. The 1870 ranges between $34,500 and $38,000. The 1760 ranges between $30,000 and $32,000. Both prices include a Mercury jet engine and trailer.

SBJ: Why did Lowe create the Pathfinder?
Moreland: We created the Pathfinder series because we saw a need in the market for a boat that could withstand a little bit more for those people that weren’t just using the boats for fishing purposes. We’re based out of Lebanon, Missouri, so the people that build our boats are the people who kind of help us guide our boats. A lot of our production force is hunters, so they go out into the woods – we have a deer day off. And we realized there was a need for a boat that could handle those really skinny parts to go out and get to the off-the-beaten-trail spot to get the best game. And that’s kind of how this boat was developed, thinking if someone’s not using it for fishing what are they going to be using it for – hunting likely. They’re going to be going off to where most cars can’t access. That was the intention behind the Pathfinder.

SBJ: What makes the Pathfinder stand out from the competition?
Moreland: The versatility of the line and just how rugged the design is. They’re built for that shallow-water navigation, so they’re perfect for hunting but also they’re great for fishing, too, so people do buy these boats to fish as well, but people that typically use them go to those remote waterways. It also features an all-welded aluminum hull that you don’t typically find with our competitors so it gives you a little bit more confidence when you’re out on the water and … our aluminum is a little bit thicker so if you do hit a rock, if you do go over something, you have the confidence that your boat is going to make it through.

SBJ: How is being based in the Ozarks beneficial?
Moreland: Being in Lebanon, we support the Missouri outdoor recreation economy with our boats because it gets more people out on the water. We employ hundreds of skilled workers here at our plant and we partner with local suppliers. We’re helping to keep Missouri a leader in boating and fishing, and that also helps drive outdoor spending.