The Chris Smith & Sons Boat Company was founded in 1884 by brothers Christopher C. and Henry Smith in Algonoc, Michigan. They had built their first wooden boat in 1874. Its industry was boats and motors and its headquarters were in Algonoc, Michigan (1884-1957), Pompano Beach, Florida (1957-1980), Bradenton, Florida (1980-1991) and Sarasota, Florida (1991-present).
In 1960, the company was acquired by National Automotive Fabrics, Inc., who adopted the name Chris-Craft Industries in 1962, and operated the Chris-Craft Corp. as its boat division. In 1981, the division was sold to a group of businessmen led by George D. Murray. Chris-Craft Industries decided to hold onto the "Chris-Craft" trademark and license it to Murray. The firm filed for bankruptcy in December 1988, and the plants in Bradenton, Goshen and Swansboro and the "Chris-Craft" name were acquired (still under license) by the Outboard Marine Corporation in 1989. In 1994, the Chris-Craft subsidiary was consolidated into OMC's Recreational Boat Group. After OMC declared banktuptcy in December 2000, the Chris-Craft operation was acquired by JTC Acquisitions, Inc., a subsidiary of Genmar Holdings, Inc., and subsequently sold it to Stellican Ltd. Stellican purchased the "Chris-Craft' trademark from the News Corporation, a firm that had acquired Chris-Craft Industries and the trademark in 2000. In 2018, the company was sold to Winnebago Industries, Inc.
PLANTS[]
- Algonac, Michigan
- Bellingham, Washington
- Bradenton, Florida
- Cadillac, Michigan
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Cortland, New York
- Fiumicino, Italy
- Gallipolis, Ohio
- Goshen, Indiana
- Hayward, California
- Holland, Michigan
- Pompano Beach, Florida
- Salisbury, Maryland
- Swansboro, North Carolina
COMPANY NAMES[]
- Smith Brothers, Boat Builders (1889-1900)
- C. C. Smith, Boat Builder (1900-1911)
- Smith Ryan Boat & Engine Company (1911-1913)
- C. C. Smith Boat & Engine Company (1913-1922)
- Chris Smith & Sons Boat Company (1922-1930)
- Chris-Craft Corporation (1930-1981)
- Murray Chris-Craft (1981-1989) (split up into ten segments)
- Murray Chris-Craft Aqua Homes, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Boat Development, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Boat Parts, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Cruisers, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Fishboats, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Hi-Performance Boats, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Sportboats, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Sportboats West, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Sportdecks, Inc.
- Murray Chris-Craft Yachts, Inc.
- OMC Chris-Craft Inc. (1989-1994)
- part of the OMC Recreational Boat Group, Inc.(1994-2001)
- Chris-Craft Corporation (2001-present)
MODELS[]
- "Chris-Craft" Sea Skiffs
- 18-ft.
- 23-ft. "Ranger"
- 32-ft. Hardtop "Cruiser"
ADVERTISEMENTS[]
