Carver Yachts

Carver is a yacht builder located in Pulaski, Wisconsin in the United States and a "recognized leader in the luxury motoryacht market".[1]

Their models range from 34 feet to 52 feet with a portfolio of 7 models from the Carver 34 Coupe to the C52 Command Bridge. Their range of offerings continues to grow to serve the growing demand from a new generation of yachting enthusiasts.

History

Carver Yachts was founded in 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when Charles "Charlie" Carter and George Verhagen started building mahogany runabouts in a factory on South 27th. The popular myth that they started building boats in the backyard garage is not true. They were both long time marine industry people that decided to build boats rather than sell them through Carter's two marine dealerships in Green Bay and the Fox Valley. [2] The pair later sold the business in 1963 to business partners Walter "Wally" Markham and Glen Nordin, both of whom had worked for Cruisers of Oconto, Wisconsin. Under their leadership the then-called Carver Boat Corporation transitioned to fiberglass based construction and expanded from a regional boat builder to an international company with worldwide sales.[3][4]

In the 1980s and 1990s, Carver was the largest manufacturer of fiberglass production yachts in the world.

In 2004 Carver started the Marquis Yachts line, which began with the 59 and 65 Motor Yachts. Over 100 of the 65 Motor Yachts were built from 2005 to 2008 in Pulaski, Wisconsin.

Carver Yachts was hit hard during the great recession from 2007 to 2009 and their parent company Genmar declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. During this period Carver never stopped building yachts. In 2010 Carver Yachts was restructured; 150 additional employees were hired and the company was given a substantial capital infusion by the current owners.

Carver was acquired by Marquis-Larson boat group.

References

  1. McKnew, Ed (2007). 2008 PowerBoat Guide. American Marine Publishing, Inc. p. 53. ISBN 978-0977353941.
  2. "HMY Yachts". HMY Yachts. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  3. "Walter Markham". Legacy.com. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  4. Rhude, Andreas. "Carver runabout". Wooden Boat Forums. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
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