Burger Boat Company has a very rich history in Manitowoc dating back to 1863.
Presently, the custom shipyard is “healthy and they have lots of work.” Seehafer News spoke this week with Ron Cleveringa, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, about current activity at Burger Boat. “Well, we are busy with a couple of nice projects,” he told us. “One of which is a 92-foot Carferry for the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transit Authority. We’re super excited about that one. I have another project that’s going to keep us very busy through 2022. We’re also pursuing recent repair activity on just about any vessel on the Great Lakes.”
Cleveringa explained that Burger Boat has versatility in its’ production.
“We offer something that a lot of shipyards don’t,” Cleveringa said. “That is the ability to build whatever it is you’re looking for. From the 48-cruiser we delivered in Door County a few years ago to anything close to 200 feet in both steel and aluminum. We can design and build what you want. And, that’s a lot of fun for both the owner and the guys working at the shipyard.”
We also asked the company spokesman about the impact of recent publicity surrounding Manitowoc’s rebirth of crane-building. “I think primarily we’re seeing increased activity on the commercial vessel reset repair side, some things like the coolest thing made in Wisconsin or the activity in the port” Cleveringa explained. “That brings visibility to commercial vessel operators. With the activity in the yachting industry as a whole we’re seeing more and more people interested in custom yachts.”
Regarding Burger Boat Company’s highly-skilled workforce and the future, Cleveringa told us “they’re always looking for quality people to join their team.”
For current employment opportunities there, you can go to their website at burgerboat.com.
