
Power-Pole’s 20 Year History of Innovation
Featured Stories . News & Press ReleasesJL Marine Systems, Inc., creator of the Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor, is a company built on innovation. For over 20 years, the company has built a reputation as one of the most innovative brands in the marine industry by providing boaters and anglers intuitive solutions for Total Boat Control.
“Innovation means looking forward to understand what the future of boating will want, need or desire then building those ideas, and technologies, into our products today,” JL Marine vice president Robert Shamblin said. “Innovation is central to what we do because we share a passion for always improving our customer’s experience and their connection with the outdoors through our high-performance products.”
The notion of Total Boat Control starts, naturally, with the Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor. This was the innovation that started everything for the company and it all began by answering the simple question of “How can I stop and secure my boat quickly without spooking fish in shallow water?”

After founder John Oliverio experimented with a variety of prototypes, including a scale model made from LEGOs, he came up with a design that used an articulating arm and flexible spike that was powered by a hydraulic pump and brushless motor. Over the years, Power-Pole built on this initial innovation through a constant process of design and improvement.
These upgrades included features like stronger, more flexible stern brackets, more powerful hydraulic motors or in the case of the Blade Series, a more aerodynamic design that allowed the Everflex Spike to fold into the anchor’s frame. Things like drive-off protection and bottom-sensing technology became standard on every anchor sold.
Each innovation was then tested under the toughest conditions by professional anglers and guides. Each time, the Power-Pole delivered the highest performance possible.
In 2013, Power-Pole brought the spirit of innovation to smaller craft with the introduction of the Power-Pole Micro Spike Driver, which used an electric motor system to deploy and retract the flexible spike. It was named “Best of Show” during that year’s ICAST.

In 2020, Power-Pole expanded that innovative spirit beyond just anchors with the retail introduction of the CHARGE Marine Power Management Station. CHARGE was the first bi-directional power management system that had the ability to move power from battery to battery. This allowed it to replace
So as others talk about the technology that goes into their products, remember that Power-Pole was the innovator of those features and still do it better than anybody else.
As Power-Pole looks toward the future, remember that innovation will be central to everything that we do.
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