Difference between revisions of "Ash Craft"

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History needed. Please contact us if you would like to edit this page.
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Additional History needed. Please contact us if you would like to edit or contribute to this page.
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Ash Craft Company, Marine Division
 
Ash Craft Company, Marine Division
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Formerly [[Wagemaker]] Co., produced [[Wagemaker|Wolverine fiberglass]] and [[Cadillac|Cadillac aluminum boats]].
 
Formerly [[Wagemaker]] Co., produced [[Wagemaker|Wolverine fiberglass]] and [[Cadillac|Cadillac aluminum boats]].
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''History by Andreas Jordahl Rhude''
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On April 15, 1960 Ray Wagemaker sold all his boat operations ([[Wagemaker]], [[Cadillac]], [[US Molded Shapes]]) to three men: Walter E. Schott, Jr.; Charles J. Schott; and Harrison O. Ash. The Schott's also owned [[Lyman|Lyman Boat Works]] of Sandusky, Ohio through their Curtis Manufacturing business. Operations of Wagemaker Wolverine and U.S. Molded Shapes were shifted to Cadillac Marine & Boat Co. after a $250,000 fire hit the U.S. Molded Shapes plant about April 23, 1960, just days after the sale. The former B.F. Goodrich plant at Cadillac was secured for production space.
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Harrison Ash gained complete control of Wagemaker, Cadillac, and U.S. Molded Shapes in April 1961. He changed the business names to [[Ash Craft|Ash-Craft Company]] at that time.
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U.S. Molded Shapes, Inc. at Cadillac, Michigan was on the auction block on Tuesday 10 October 10, 1961. The machinery and brand name and good will were purchased by Chicago businessmen Frank Zale and Jerry Fencl. Fencl was head of [[Delta (Illinois)|Delta Boat and Marine Sales]] of Oaklawn, a builder of wooden boats. They had been obtaining their hulls from the Cadillac operation. Fencl’s brother Milo operated [[Milo Craft|MiloCraft Boats]] of Chicago, another builder of molded veneer boats.
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Only a few months later, in January 1962, U.S. Molded Shapes was sold to Kenneth Zick of Charlotte, Michigan. Eighteen workers were on the payroll at the time.
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[[US Molded Shapes|U.S. Molded Shapes]] of Cadillac was advertising in the January 1962 issue of The Boating Industry. [[Ash Craft|Ash-Craft]], makers of Wolverine and Cadillac Boats, had a four page, full color brochure inserted in the magazine.
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Ash was attempting to move all the boat production to Oak Hill, West Virginia under another one of his firm umbrellas, New-Kanawha Industrial Corp. in 1961. On November 2, 1962 all the firms owned by Ash filed for bankruptcy.
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It cannot determine if boats were ever built in West Virginia. It is not know when boats were no longer being built by Cadillac in Michigan.
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'''Model Information'''
 
'''Model Information'''
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
File:Cadillacbb001.jpg|1962 Cadillac by Ash Craft models
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File:Cadillacbb001.jpg|1962 Cadillac by Ash Craft outboard boat models
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File:Ashcraftbb001.jpg|1962 Ash Craft inboard boat models
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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[http://www.fiberglassics.com/site-search-3?ordering=newest&searchword=Ash+craft Ash Craft Boats in Use]
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[http://www.fiberglassics.com/index.php?searchword=Ash+Craft&ordering=newest&searchphrase=exact&limit=20&Itemid=88&option=com_search Ash Craft Boats in Use]
  
  

Latest revision as of 03:30, 22 December 2016

Ashcraftlogo.jpg


Additional History needed. Please contact us if you would like to edit or contribute to this page.


Ash Craft Company, Marine Division

Cadillac, Michigan


Formerly Wagemaker Co., produced Wolverine fiberglass and Cadillac aluminum boats.


History by Andreas Jordahl Rhude


On April 15, 1960 Ray Wagemaker sold all his boat operations (Wagemaker, Cadillac, US Molded Shapes) to three men: Walter E. Schott, Jr.; Charles J. Schott; and Harrison O. Ash. The Schott's also owned Lyman Boat Works of Sandusky, Ohio through their Curtis Manufacturing business. Operations of Wagemaker Wolverine and U.S. Molded Shapes were shifted to Cadillac Marine & Boat Co. after a $250,000 fire hit the U.S. Molded Shapes plant about April 23, 1960, just days after the sale. The former B.F. Goodrich plant at Cadillac was secured for production space.

Harrison Ash gained complete control of Wagemaker, Cadillac, and U.S. Molded Shapes in April 1961. He changed the business names to Ash-Craft Company at that time.

U.S. Molded Shapes, Inc. at Cadillac, Michigan was on the auction block on Tuesday 10 October 10, 1961. The machinery and brand name and good will were purchased by Chicago businessmen Frank Zale and Jerry Fencl. Fencl was head of Delta Boat and Marine Sales of Oaklawn, a builder of wooden boats. They had been obtaining their hulls from the Cadillac operation. Fencl’s brother Milo operated MiloCraft Boats of Chicago, another builder of molded veneer boats.

Only a few months later, in January 1962, U.S. Molded Shapes was sold to Kenneth Zick of Charlotte, Michigan. Eighteen workers were on the payroll at the time.

U.S. Molded Shapes of Cadillac was advertising in the January 1962 issue of The Boating Industry. Ash-Craft, makers of Wolverine and Cadillac Boats, had a four page, full color brochure inserted in the magazine.

Ash was attempting to move all the boat production to Oak Hill, West Virginia under another one of his firm umbrellas, New-Kanawha Industrial Corp. in 1961. On November 2, 1962 all the firms owned by Ash filed for bankruptcy.

It cannot determine if boats were ever built in West Virginia. It is not know when boats were no longer being built by Cadillac in Michigan.



Model Information


1962 Catalog/Brochure:


Ash Craft Boats in Use


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