In the small town of Cadillac, Michigan, lives a group of
dedicated men and women whose sole mission is to provide the boating public
with some of the finest watercraft in the world.
Every weekday morning before the sun rises, this group of
experienced craftsmen are hard at work doing just that. These are not mindless
robots going through the paces of putting tab “A” into slot “B”. They are,
instead, artists who take their craft seriously, checking and double-checking each
brushstroke, stepping back in order to view and ensure that their part of the
process will easily pass not only the final inspector's test, but also more
importantly, the new owner's inspection.
One at a time, each craft makes its way from station to
station. Starting as nothing more than a 55-gallon drum of liquid, they are
transformed into the shiny new toys of a few lucky owners.
Long before this process begins, though, it is only an idea
in an artist's imagination -- a few lines put on paper, a curve here and a
swish mark there. Mechanical drawings soon bring focus to these scrawls, and if
the design is acceptable a mock-up using a state-of-the-art 3D printer is
ordered. From this miniature mock-up, full-size Styrofoam molds are
painstakingly shaped mostly by hand.
This is a crucial time in the boat's life. Getting to this
stage does not guarantee it a future. It could still wind up on the scrap heap
even after all is said and done. The odds are slim that this will happen since
so much time and energy have been dedicated to the project so far, but if it’s
not right for whatever reason, out it goes.
If all is well at this point, the mold is cast and it’s off
to the manufacturing floor to begin assembly.
A special water tank awaits each new boat at the end of the
line. Here, the boat undergoes a battery of tests to check for leaks, balance,
and to ensure it is mechanically sound.
If it’s a trailer-able model, the crew will load it and send
it out to be wrapped and prepped for shipment.
Three of the boat models we offer here at North Texas
Marine—Glastron, Scarab and Four Winns—come from this one plant.
Each one is a quality craft with a design and purpose
uniquely suited to their buyers’ needs and desires.
If you would like to view the finished product, stop by one
of our showrooms for a personal tour of your own. With models to fit nearly
every budget and taste, we are sure you won’t be disappointed with what the men
and women of Cadillac, Michigan have in store.
And if you ever find yourself in that quaint village on the
shores of Cadillac Lake, stop in and say, "Hello."
