About Crownline |
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Company History
The first Crownlines were built in a very small manufacturing facility located in Whittington, Illinois. The upholstery shop was situated separately in a vacant grade school gymnasium. The first boat produced, a 182BR, rolled off the line on March 25, 1991. At that time Crownline employed less than 25 people and had yet to sign a definitive dealer.
By July 1991, Crownline had grown out of its Whittington location and was forced to find a larger facility. The building used by the Mark Twain Boat Company in West Frankfort, Illinois had recently been vacated and Crownline chose this location for its next temporary home. Three and a half years later, in December of 1994, Crownline’s new, state-of-the-art boat manufacturing plant was completed. This permanent facility was designed for better production efficiency and additional capacity for increased production requirements, allowing Crownline to continue its phenomenal growth.
Since its beginning, Crownline has successfully introduced models ranging from a 17′6″ open bow to a 35′ cabin cruiser. At present, Crownline has produced and shipped boats to dealers world-wide. Crownline’s professional dealer network consists of 150 marine establishments in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Russia and Australia.
In addition to making an impact in the marine industry, Crownline also positively affected the local economy, providing much needed jobs in Southern Illinois.
Twenty-five years before creating Crownline, Fred Claxton began his boat manufacturing career as an executive of one of the premier boat companies of that era. After several years of successful service, he left this establishment to create his own company - Crownline Boats.
In September of 2009, Crownline was purchased by Tony Zielinski and Dave and Lisa Wilson. These new owners bring extensive experience and knowledge of the boating industry. Tony Zielinski is the owner of Leisure Properties, LLC and Dave and Lisa Wilson own Misty Harbor and Ultracraft. Zielinski has extensive experience working for Ford Motor Company within its dealer development department and also owns a marine retail establishment in Wisconsin. The Wilsons started Misty Harbor in 1990 and it has since grown into one of the most well-established pontoon manufacturing company in the industry today. Kevin Riem is heading up the management team as Vice President and General Manager. The Company Philosophy remains the same since the company was created:
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The Claxton reputation immediately attracted several key production managers who were instrumental in recruiting the “cream of the crop” of Southern Illinois boat builders. These select individuals have used their skills and dedication to produce boats of the highest quality which has been a major factor in Crownline’s success.
