Marine Travelift executives point out that this system has resulted in much safer boat handling than traditional methods. Since development of the mobile boat hoist system, marinas operating Marine Travelift machines have been able to haul boats safer, gentler and with reduced stress in the hull of the vessel.

The first self-propelled straddle type mobile boat hoist engineered by Marine Travelift in 1958 had a seven ton capacity...units are now up to 500 ton capacity, with larger units under development.

In 1965 the Marine Travelift Division of Drott Manufacturing Company of Wausau was purchased and the new Marine Travelift, Inc. was established at Sturgeon Bay with six employees.

The company was purchased in 1975 by the current owners, Gerald and Allan Lamer. Gerald is president and general manager and Allan serves as vice president of sales and marketing.

Throughout the years, Marine Travelift has increased its product line to include models with capacities of 15, 25, 35, 50, 70, 80, 100, 150, 200, 300, and 500 tons. Prior to 1977 when the 100 ton capacity unit was introduced for the haulout and transport of large commercial fishing vessels and large pleasure boats, the business was concentrated in the pleasure boat industry.

The 150 AMO was constructed in 1978 and the 250 ton capacity model in 1981. Each of the large capacity units were the world's largest at the time of their introduction.

The original Travelift Engineering Co. pioneered the straddle type mobile boat hoist with a truck drawn model introduced in the early 1950's. This unit brought drastic changes in boat handling techniques at that time.

In the meantime, commercial marinas and shipyards serving large work boat and commercial fishing fleets continued to operate with traditional railway and elevator systems. Tide factors as well as yard space and labor costs made these techniques increasingly more expensive. When developed, the 100 ton, 150 ton and 250 ton Marine Travelifts were immediately adapted into many of these operations.

The mobile boat hoist concept was widely accepted from the beginning. First, as an adjunct and, more recently, as a replacement for traditional railway and elevator systems for boat haulouts and servicing. Speed, safety and efficiency factors of the design, plus an increasing lack of waterfront space have made it imperative for most modern marinas and boat yards to convert to the mobile boat hoist system as a means of hauling and servicing a much greater variety of boats in limited and ever more crowded facilities.

Most of the earlier mobile hoists were small capacity, rarely more than 15 tons. Marine Travelift led the industry in the late 1960's with the design of the "open end" style unit which permitted fast handling of high masted sail boats and flying bridge type power boats without time consuming advance preparation. Previous straddle hoist designs had been limited by a "gated" type top beam construction which had to be raised and then repositioned before the lift could be effected.

Over 2,500 Marine Travelift mobile boat hoists are now in operation world wide. According to Allan Lamer, the company's export business is a very important part of the operation. Marine Travelift, Inc. also manufactures marine forklifts, jib crane attachments and other related products.

The main company office, engineering, assembly plant, and service operations are run out of the Sturgeon Bay plant. Sturgeon Bay is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Northeastern Wisconsin in the heart of the Wisconsin shipbuilding industry.

The large structural components are fabricated and machined at Amerifab Corporation, or at Kewaunee Engineering Corporation (both are subsidiary companies of Marine Travelift, Inc.). Kewaunee Engineering also provides customer fabrication work to other customers in the Midwest.

Total factory and office space equals about 300,000 sq. ft. providing jobs for approximately 350 employees.