FRIENDSVILLE — Demaree Inflatable Boats Inc. (DIB), a leading manufacturer of industrial grade inflatable boats and pontoons, recently celebrated the 25-year anniversary of one of its key employees — Wendy Frantz of Friendsville. To celebrate the event, DIB company president Dave Demaree asked all of the employees to gather in the break room, where he handed Wendy $2,500 in cash — $100 for each year of service.

“I am really pleased to award this $2,500 to Wendy, for all of her years of loyal service at Demaree Inflatable Boats,” said Demaree, president of the firm. “We know that Wendy shares our commitment to building the highest quality industrial grade inflatable boats, pontoons, military boats and rescue boats on the market today.”

In 1984, Frantz started working as an entry level boat assembly technician, but due to her consistent high-quality work throughout the years, she was eventually promoted to assembly floor supervisor.

“A lot has changed since I started with Demaree Inflatable Boats in 1984. At that time, Ronald Reagan was president of the United States and ‘Ghostbusters’ was the top movie at the theaters,” said Frantz.

“Likewise, I have seen DIB grow from a handful of people making whitewater boats to more than 20 employees making a wide variety of boats and related products which are shipped all over the world. If you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves and working hard, DIB is a great place to work.”