I have been working for my own edification, on cobbling together a history of Ericson Yachts. There are several versions floating around the internet and really, it hasn’t been that long since the shop closed. I welcome the input of others to clarify and amplify. Here are some rambling notes. If I have overlooked existing threads on the subject, please let me know.
My boat purchase has made me particularly interested in the 32 foot model, and one reasonably impartial source of reviews for experienced boats is PracticalSailor.com. PS has a good review from 2000 of both of the principal versions of the boat, and in that story suggest:
“The company was formed in 1964 by Don and Gene Kohlman, two San Francisco Bay area sailors who moved south to Irvine, California to set up shop. Their first boats were what Don called “an eclectic line,” meaning they grabbed what they could—a modified Carl Alberg design, a 26-footer by W.B. Crealock and a 32′ 5.5 Meter keel boat similar to the Columbia Sabre of that same time.
The first boats were introduced in 1965. In 1971, the CML Group bought Ericson Yachts and ran it until 1984 when Gene Kohlman bought it back. He and Don managed things until 1990, when they were forced to shut down.”
This story about the Kohlmann brothers starting and then re-purchasing the company seems to have been repeated a few times, as in this article from Yachtworld about the 380. The author also attributes the design of the boat to “Bill King” rather than Bruce King, so there may have been some slap-dashery in the research. Based on other sources, it does not seem like the Kohlmann brothers started Ericson.
I couldn’t find much on-line about Don Kohlmann, but Gene Kohlmann is still around. His LinkedIn profile is here. Apparently, he graduated from Stanford in 1974. If he was 22 then, in 1964 he would have been about 12 when he started Ericson. That doesn’t make sense if Kohlmann’s bio is accurate.
Wikipedia tells a different, potentially more correct version:
Ericson Yachts was founded by Handy and Jenkins in about 1963. They began with molds bought from a defunct builder as well as from an enterprising dump operator. After a year or two of operation, they filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and were subsequently purchased by Mark Pitman and Del Walton in 1965. During this period yacht designer Bruce King's first production designs were built. They were the E-30, E-32 Scorpion, E-41, E-35-2, and the E-23. In 1968 Ericson was sold to Pacific American Industries, Roland Mayotte Chairman. Mark Pitman stayed on as president, and Del Walton stayed on as VP of sales. The new facility on Deere Ave in Irvine was built by PAI. During this period the E-32-2, E-29, E-39, E-27, and E-46 were built. 1.64 In 1971 Ericson was sold to CML, Charles Leighton Chairman. Mark Pitman left, and Del Walton became president. During this period the E-25, E-37, E-23-2, E-36C, Madcap (custom 40) (Ericson 41 1967-1971 1-50 Hauls 41'Ocean Racer) E-31C/Independence 31,E-34-R/E-34-T, E-30-2/30+ were produced. In 1978 Red Cavaney replaced Del Walton as president. The E-25+/26, E-38/E-381/E-38-200 were produced. In 1981 Eugene Kohlmann replaced Red Caveney as president. The E-35-3/E-34, E-32-3, and the E-28 were produced. In 1985 Ericson was sold by CML to Acquico, Eugene Kohlmann president. In 1990 Ericson ceased operations and liquidated assets. Some of the molds the E-26, E-28, E-32, E-34, E-38, and E-43 (never built) were bought by Pacific Seacraft, a subsidiary of Singmarine Corp.
Pacific Seacraft itself was purchased by Southern Californian businessman Jeffrey Emery in September 1998.
This version seems more plausible. There is another article floating around on an aged Geocities site that is similar to the Wikipedia version, but also includes the notion of the Kohlmann brothers regaining control of the company in 1984.
So, my simplified version:
1963-1970
Startup phase, different private owners trying different things to make sailboats.
1971-1984
Purchase by CML group, corporate ownership, better than average financial backing.
1984-1990
Purchase by Don & Gene Kohlmann who managed the production of the 1985 and later boats that seem to be the focus of most attention at this site.
Who was the CML group? Corporate ownership? That sounds suspiciously like a bunch of bean-counters trying to squeeze money out of noble boaters! CML stood for Charles M. Leighton, who went to Harvard Business School, taught there for a year and then put together a company designed to aggregate multiple smaller companies aimed at the American leisure market.
Still sounds pretty bean-countery, right? They bought a weird bouillabaisse of different companies: The Nature Company, NordicTrak, Britches of Georgetown, Sierra Designs, Boston Whaler, and Ericson Yachts. That one company should own these varied businesses under the umbrella of ‘leisure products’ sounds like the height of B-School BS, but maybe that’s just me. This idea of conglomerate excellence kind of came and went with Jack Welch. Production problems ensued. In the 1980’s lots of manufacturing jobs were moving offshore, even nylon tent-sewers at Sierra Designs.
But that's not, for me, the interesting part of the CML story.
Charles Leighton died in in 2013, and the not-so-secret secret to understanding the CML groups’ ownership of Ericson Yachts is that Charlie Leighton loved sailing. Loved it. He started the sailing team at Bowdoin before graduating in 1957.
He had the company shop make boats for him to race in Kennedy-esque summer events. As reported in the New York Times, Charlie’s E-39 winning the ‘Corsair Cup’ in 1977. Also in the NYT Summer of ’77, racing an Ericson 43. Back when the Grey Lady would address such events.
After he retired, Charles “Charlie” Leighton went on to devote apparently a large amount of time to US Sailing. He liked going fast and racing boats:
This whole Bowdoin/Harvard/Newport race connection helps to explain how Ericson wound up with a career of work from a guy like Bruce King who, from what I have read, seemed closer to his element drawing boats for Hinckley than for some fiberglass experimentalists in Irvine.
But all good things must come to an end. In 1983 CML went public, and started cycling through different businesses. (Back to this story) Among others, they bought a Sybervision, a company which (quaintly) produced self-help VHS tapes. “The company's executives had decided that the yacht business was too cyclical to provide steady profitability.” It makes me think, given what I have learned about Charlie Leighton, that he fought pretty hard against the sale, but probably couldn’t justify with a public investor base having his own boat company for Bruce King to draw nice boats for him.
Who knows Don and Gene Kohlmann? They kept Bruce King, they did a good job of building boats, but building yachts is an expensive, volatile business. Would love to hear more.
My boat purchase has made me particularly interested in the 32 foot model, and one reasonably impartial source of reviews for experienced boats is PracticalSailor.com. PS has a good review from 2000 of both of the principal versions of the boat, and in that story suggest:
“The company was formed in 1964 by Don and Gene Kohlman, two San Francisco Bay area sailors who moved south to Irvine, California to set up shop. Their first boats were what Don called “an eclectic line,” meaning they grabbed what they could—a modified Carl Alberg design, a 26-footer by W.B. Crealock and a 32′ 5.5 Meter keel boat similar to the Columbia Sabre of that same time.
The first boats were introduced in 1965. In 1971, the CML Group bought Ericson Yachts and ran it until 1984 when Gene Kohlman bought it back. He and Don managed things until 1990, when they were forced to shut down.”
This story about the Kohlmann brothers starting and then re-purchasing the company seems to have been repeated a few times, as in this article from Yachtworld about the 380. The author also attributes the design of the boat to “Bill King” rather than Bruce King, so there may have been some slap-dashery in the research. Based on other sources, it does not seem like the Kohlmann brothers started Ericson.
I couldn’t find much on-line about Don Kohlmann, but Gene Kohlmann is still around. His LinkedIn profile is here. Apparently, he graduated from Stanford in 1974. If he was 22 then, in 1964 he would have been about 12 when he started Ericson. That doesn’t make sense if Kohlmann’s bio is accurate.
Wikipedia tells a different, potentially more correct version:
Ericson Yachts was founded by Handy and Jenkins in about 1963. They began with molds bought from a defunct builder as well as from an enterprising dump operator. After a year or two of operation, they filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and were subsequently purchased by Mark Pitman and Del Walton in 1965. During this period yacht designer Bruce King's first production designs were built. They were the E-30, E-32 Scorpion, E-41, E-35-2, and the E-23. In 1968 Ericson was sold to Pacific American Industries, Roland Mayotte Chairman. Mark Pitman stayed on as president, and Del Walton stayed on as VP of sales. The new facility on Deere Ave in Irvine was built by PAI. During this period the E-32-2, E-29, E-39, E-27, and E-46 were built. 1.64 In 1971 Ericson was sold to CML, Charles Leighton Chairman. Mark Pitman left, and Del Walton became president. During this period the E-25, E-37, E-23-2, E-36C, Madcap (custom 40) (Ericson 41 1967-1971 1-50 Hauls 41'Ocean Racer) E-31C/Independence 31,E-34-R/E-34-T, E-30-2/30+ were produced. In 1978 Red Cavaney replaced Del Walton as president. The E-25+/26, E-38/E-381/E-38-200 were produced. In 1981 Eugene Kohlmann replaced Red Caveney as president. The E-35-3/E-34, E-32-3, and the E-28 were produced. In 1985 Ericson was sold by CML to Acquico, Eugene Kohlmann president. In 1990 Ericson ceased operations and liquidated assets. Some of the molds the E-26, E-28, E-32, E-34, E-38, and E-43 (never built) were bought by Pacific Seacraft, a subsidiary of Singmarine Corp.
Pacific Seacraft itself was purchased by Southern Californian businessman Jeffrey Emery in September 1998.
This version seems more plausible. There is another article floating around on an aged Geocities site that is similar to the Wikipedia version, but also includes the notion of the Kohlmann brothers regaining control of the company in 1984.
So, my simplified version:
1963-1970
Startup phase, different private owners trying different things to make sailboats.
1971-1984
Purchase by CML group, corporate ownership, better than average financial backing.
1984-1990
Purchase by Don & Gene Kohlmann who managed the production of the 1985 and later boats that seem to be the focus of most attention at this site.
Who was the CML group? Corporate ownership? That sounds suspiciously like a bunch of bean-counters trying to squeeze money out of noble boaters! CML stood for Charles M. Leighton, who went to Harvard Business School, taught there for a year and then put together a company designed to aggregate multiple smaller companies aimed at the American leisure market.
Still sounds pretty bean-countery, right? They bought a weird bouillabaisse of different companies: The Nature Company, NordicTrak, Britches of Georgetown, Sierra Designs, Boston Whaler, and Ericson Yachts. That one company should own these varied businesses under the umbrella of ‘leisure products’ sounds like the height of B-School BS, but maybe that’s just me. This idea of conglomerate excellence kind of came and went with Jack Welch. Production problems ensued. In the 1980’s lots of manufacturing jobs were moving offshore, even nylon tent-sewers at Sierra Designs.
But that's not, for me, the interesting part of the CML story.
Charles Leighton died in in 2013, and the not-so-secret secret to understanding the CML groups’ ownership of Ericson Yachts is that Charlie Leighton loved sailing. Loved it. He started the sailing team at Bowdoin before graduating in 1957.
He had the company shop make boats for him to race in Kennedy-esque summer events. As reported in the New York Times, Charlie’s E-39 winning the ‘Corsair Cup’ in 1977. Also in the NYT Summer of ’77, racing an Ericson 43. Back when the Grey Lady would address such events.
After he retired, Charles “Charlie” Leighton went on to devote apparently a large amount of time to US Sailing. He liked going fast and racing boats:
This whole Bowdoin/Harvard/Newport race connection helps to explain how Ericson wound up with a career of work from a guy like Bruce King who, from what I have read, seemed closer to his element drawing boats for Hinckley than for some fiberglass experimentalists in Irvine.
But all good things must come to an end. In 1983 CML went public, and started cycling through different businesses. (Back to this story) Among others, they bought a Sybervision, a company which (quaintly) produced self-help VHS tapes. “The company's executives had decided that the yacht business was too cyclical to provide steady profitability.” It makes me think, given what I have learned about Charlie Leighton, that he fought pretty hard against the sale, but probably couldn’t justify with a public investor base having his own boat company for Bruce King to draw nice boats for him.
Who knows Don and Gene Kohlmann? They kept Bruce King, they did a good job of building boats, but building yachts is an expensive, volatile business. Would love to hear more.
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