Mainship- an international success story

by . on 20 Jul 2008 The history of Mainship reads like the archetypal American dream: in the 1830s a young European dreams of success in the new world; he leaves his native Germany and settles in New York City where he struggles to build a chandlery business in the rough and tumble of the busy harbour district. Henry Luhrs works long hours, driven by a desire to see his dream become a reality and slowly his business starts to grow. Time passes and eventually Henry attains prosperity, he becomes wealthy enough to acquire shares in his own ships. He passes his work ethic and love of the sea to his children and his children’s children.

Inspired by the example of his grandfather and also sharing his name, one of his grandsons decides to train as a shipwright. After serving his time as an apprentice, Henry Junior starts his own business repairing clinker boats on the New Jersey coast in a little town called Morgan. He sets up his small boat yard and survives by taking on whatever jobs come his way.

At this time, nearly one hundred years after his grandfather was struggling to establish his New York chandlery business, mass production techniques were still foreign to the marine industry. But young Henry was impressed by the economies of scale that he saw happening in the automobile industry, particularly in the factories of Henry Ford, and decides to incorporate these practices into his own business- it was a decision that was to herald the arrival of the modern ‘production boat’.

The adoption of efficient production line techniques saw Henry’s small boat yard grow into a thriving business that he later named the Henry Luhrs Sea Skiff Company. He quickly learned that if he organised the production process into an efficient series of steps, he was able to reduce costs and standardize production, which lead to greater economy all round. Soon the company was producing over 1200 boats a year and Henry’s two sons, John and Warren, were drafted in to help run the business.

Time passed and the business established itself as a well known name in the marine market. It was inevitable that such a thriving commercial operation would attract potential investors and purchasers; but it wasn’t until 1965 the Henry finally made the decision to sell. A huge timber conglomerate named Bangor Punta made him an offer that was too good to refuse; after all these years of work he must have been looking forward to a well earned break.

His sons had inherited his entrepreneurial streak and it was never likely that they would be satisfied working for another person or within a large company. With the help and guidance of their father, in 1969 they decided to set up their own business, Silverton Marine Corporation, a company which was to be the first of the giant Luhrs Marine Group of companies.

Warren had always loved sailing and he elected to concentrate on the sailboat side of the business while his brother built up the powerboat branch; Warren knew that the economies of scale that his father had introduced to powerboat manufacturer would work equally well when applied to sailboats. And so in 1973, a relatively short time after starting Silverton Marine, the famous brand of Hunter Marine was incorporated. Today Hunter Marine is known as the largest sailboat builder in North America- a thriving company with a strong international reputation.

The marine industry is particularly vulnerable to global increases in fuel prices; with boats considered a luxury item, they’re usually one of the first things that people stop buying during any economic down turn. When the international fuel crisis hit in early 1970s it sent shock waves through the boat building industry- everyone knew they had to change to survive, and that this change had to happen fast.

While many businesses went to the wall, John and Warren saw the crisis as an opportunity for expansion. They had faith that the industry would survive; that people would start buying powerboats again, it was just a matter of building a vessel that was attractive to a large slice of the market. They decided to build economical cruising boats in the 34-40 foot range with a single diesel engine- an affordable power vessel that would appeal to families. And as it turned out it was the best thing they could have done.

Mainship Corporation was formed in 1978 with the launch of a 34 foot cruiser; comfortable, affordable and economical at planing speeds, the vessel soon captured the attention of the market. The 34 footer was to be the first of many successes for Mainship. Their new range of cruisers were so well received that the company soon outgrew its existing facilities; a new plant was built in Marlboro, NJ and when this again proved to too small for the growing business, the operation moved to St.Augustine, Florida in 1992; the company went on to build over 1200 of these traditional style cruisers.

But tastes change and in the 1980s consumer culture was on the rise and bigger and flashier was better: Mainship changed with the times and built a Mediterranean range of cruisers which it launched in 1988. The new range were sleek, fast, shallow displacement cruisers and although the new line was popular for several years, it wasn’t long before John and Warren decided to return to the formula which had proved so successful: classic recreational trawlers and pilot boats. Boats that were not only stylish, safe and well built but which offered a range of economical diesel engine options.

Sensing another change in the market, the brothers went back to the drawing board and came up with a new range of cruisers that were to eventually move them back into a market leading position after the first was launched in 1996. Again the brothers had correctly sensed changes in the market and their sales demographic. People were again looking closely at the cost of fuel and many buyers wanted vessels that were strong performers but didn't cost the earth to run.

Since then Mainship has gone from strength to strength, expanding its international dealership while maintaining the highest standards of American craftsmanship. Today, from those humble beginnings over 150 years ago, Mainship Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational trawlers and pilot boats. The company Henry Luhrs inspired by his hard work and love of the sea lives on.