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Burger Boat Company

From Alfawiki
Burger Boat Company
Founded1863; 163 years ago (1863)
Headquarters
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
,
U.S.
Key people
Jim Ruffolo, President/CEO
ProductsCustom pleasure yachts
Number of employees
350
Websitewww.burgerboat.com

The Burger Boat Company, headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, specializes in crafting custom-built, hand-crafted pleasure yachts. In addition to luxury vessels, it manufactures commercial boats and has a legacy of constructing military ships. It stands as the second longest-running pleasure yacht builder in the United States and ranks fifth worldwide.

H. Burger Shipyard

Established in 1863 by Henry B. Burger Sr., who moved from Milwaukee after working at Wolf & Davidson Shipyard, the firm originally produced Mackinaw-style fishing boats ranging from 20 to 30 feet for local customers. The company benefited from the expertise of European immigrant artisans settled in Manitowoc.

Rand & Burger Shipyard

Between 1872 and 1873, Henry Burger Sr. teamed up with Greeneleaf Rand—an experienced shipbuilder and former superintendent of Manitowoc Dry Dock Company—to enter the steamship construction market. Operating under the name Rand & Burger Shipyard until Rand’s passing in 1885, they built numerous steam-powered ferries for the Goodrich Transportation Company, laying groundwork for future expansion through subsequent company iterations.

Burger & Burger Shipyard

In 1886, Henry Sr. joined forces with his nephew George B. Burger II to create Burger & Burger Shipyard. Anticipating a downturn in wooden sailing vessel production, they pivoted towards repair and refurbishment services, securing ownership of the only dry dock located between Manitowoc and Detroit at that time—no such facilities existed on Lake Superior then. In 1889, they launched the Great Lakes' last full-rigged schooner, S/V CORA A. By 1890, they constructed the 201-foot ferry S/S INDIANA for Goodrich Transportation Company, a leading passenger steamship operator on the Great Lakes. In 1902, Henry Sr. and George II sold their shipyard to Manitowoc Drydock Company, which later became Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company and is currently known as The Manitowoc Company.

Henry B. Burger Shipyard

Meanwhile, Henry Sr.'s other nephew, Henry B. Burger II, established the Henry B. Burger Shipyard on the opposite side of the Manitowoc River—the present location of Burger Boat Company—focusing on luxury pleasure crafts rather than steam vessels. This yard was among the first to integrate gasoline engines supplied by Kahlenberg Brothers of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Their inaugural motor vessel was the 85-foot VERNON JR., launched in 1901, marking a transition toward custom motor yachts sized between 80 and 100 feet. The shipyard gained recognition for producing some of the finest bespoke yachts worldwide. After Henry B. Burger II passed away in 1914, his widow Mammie Oertling Burger along with their four children formally incorporated The Burger Boat Company in 1915, establishing its corporate identity and concentrating on upscale yacht construction as its core business focus.

The Burger Boat Company Inc.

Burger was a trailblazer in the United States for constructing the first steel-hulled yacht, the 24-meter S/V Tamaris, in 1938, employing electric arc welding techniques. In 1952, the company also pioneered the use of welded aluminum with the 11-meter yacht Virginia.

Out of the 500 vessels produced, nearly half—about 250—are still operational today. In 1993, Chicago-based businessmen David Ross and Jim Ruffolo purchased the company following its bankruptcy; Ross stepped down in 2007. Presently, under the leadership of President and CEO Jim Ruffolo, Burger Boat Company employs roughly 350 individuals and manufactures an average of three yachts each year.

Boats

See also

References

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