marine industry professionals
Industry mourns Owens Yacht mainstay
John B. "Jack" Owens, who had been a principal in the family-owned Owens Yacht Co. and later established a real estate firm, died Saturday of heart failure at his Naples, Fla., home. He was 96.
Owens’ father established a custom boatbuilding business in 1925 on Spa Creek in Annapolis, Md., that built about 20 boats a year. After his death in 1933, the business passed to three of his sons: John B. Owens, Charles Owens Jr. and Norman Owens, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Owens graduated from Annapolis High School in 1933 and earned a pre-law degree from St. John's College four years later. In 1936, he and his brothers purchased 8 acres on Bear Creek in Dundalk, where they built a state-of-the-art industrial plant.
They adapted the auto industry’s mass-production methods to boatbuilding. Their first major new product was a 32-foot Owens Cruiser that gained the attention of the public and press at the 1937 New York Boat Show.
When World War II broke out, the company shifted production from pleasure craft to landing craft for the Army when it received a contract to build 2,500 Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel, which Owens supervised.
After the war, Owens and his brothers returned to producing the classic 40-foot Owens Cutter. They switched from building wooden boats to fiberglass vessels in 1957 and developed a line of Owens Flagship V8 marine engines.
They later expanded to facilities in York, Pa., and a plant in Indianapolis, where they built 800 boats a month. Another 500 were constructed in Dundalk.
In 1961, the company was sold to Brunswick Corp., with Owens staying on as president of Brunswick's Owens Boat Division. In 1964, Owens left Brunswick and joined his two brothers in a new venture, Trident Corp., a family-owned real estate company that managed properties remaining from the sale of Owens Yacht Co.
An expert and competitive yachtsman, Owens, who was a member of the Gibson Island Club, won many racing trophies. He also wrote two books: “Cruising Fun for the Family” and “Cruising Guide to the Chesapeake Bay.”
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. March 9 at St. James' Church, 5757 Solomons Island Road, Lothian, Md.
Surviving are three sons: David Owens of Ruxton, Peter Owens of Paia, Hawaii, and Andrew Owens of Orlando, Fla.; three daughters, Christine Sands of Paia, Amelia Sullivan of Pacifica, Calif., and Elizabeth "Birdie" Owens of Key West; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
-
All Trades
-
Quality Manager
-
Yacht Broker
-
Canvas Fabricator/Stitcher
-
Senior Sales Rep
-
Full Time Florida Broker(s) Needed
-
Marine mechanic wanted
-
Parts person needed
-
Marine Technician
-
Senior Technician
-
Mechanical Design / Manufacturing Engineer
-
Regional Sales Manager Positions
-
Legendary Marine is hiring
-
Production Manager
-
Seeking Experienced and Dynamic Sales People
-
Yacht Broker Needed
-
Seeking Yacht Brokers for Our Busy and Growing Lauderdale Office
-
Marketing and Account Specialist
Fair winds and Following Seas, Mr. Owens
The Owens production systems remain unequaled since or before in the industry unless one counts small mass produced jon boats and similar.
I had the good fortune to be a dealer for the Owens Concorde line of Fiberglass power yachts, which were rugged, seaworthy yachts equal to the industry's best until the sale of the company to Brunswick.
I recall the shock of being told that Brunswick had suddenly closed the plant, abandoning the boating industry due to a brief lull in the marketplace. With hundreds of workers and suppliers adrift with little or no notice and to the best of my knowledge, no assistance to any the Dundalk area was severely impacted. Through all the ups and downs from 1925 onward the Owens family supported and grew the company as part of a community, becoming a formidable head to head competitor with Industry Giant Chris Craft in its finest hour.
In view of the past one must consider Brunswick's level of commitment to the industry and its personnel, with the distinct impression that the bottom line is the bottom line.
I have in my barn some of the fine hardware cast and one of the high performance Flagship engines Owens built, now residing as barn art.
Sail on Jack and may your ride be equal to the 40 Cutter you designed and built.