About Crownline

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 34' 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.

The company celebrates its 30,000 boat out the door.

In addition to making an impact in the marine industry, Crownline has also positively affected the local economy, and with over 500 full-time personnel, is one of the largest employers in Southern Illinois.

MANAGEMENT

Crownline Boats, Inc. is a family-owned pleasure boat manufacturer located in West Frankfort,Illinois. Founded and incorporated in 1990 by the Claxton family, the 17 year old company is one of the fastest growing independently owned boat manufacturers in the industry.

The boating business is no stranger to the Claxton family who has logged over 40 years of successful boat manufacturing experience. Fred Claxton began his boat manufacturing career over 25 years ago as an executive of one of the premier boat companies of that era. After several years of successful service, he left this established concern to create his own company. He built this fledgling new company into one of the marine industry's "Top Five" in twelve short years.

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.

Original Company Philosophy