Rich Line

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Rich Line Boats

Richland Mfg. Co.

Box 908

Richland, Missouri

Additional address is 526 Woodruff Bldg., Springfield, Missouri.

Richland Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1953 to build aluminum boats; the first production boats were made in 1954. In the 1959 Rich Line brochure, both Rich Line and SeaFury boats are advertised. Rich Line bought Sea Fury Boats in late 1958 in order to add a fiberglass model line. This 1959 brochure lists manufacturing plants in Richland and Conway, Missouri as well as Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Sales Manager, J. B. Appleby, left Rich Line in 1960 to found Appleby Boats. He later returned to buy the company in the 1970's and consolidated operations under the Appleby Boats brand. In addition to boats, Rich Line offered a line of boat and camping trailers.

History

Boating World Article Thanks to George Schneider

Article on a 1957 Sea Fury Boat, page 1
Article on a 1957 Sea Fury Boat, page 2

                                         The Origin of Rich Line Aluminum Boats by George Schneider

In the summer of 1952 my father, Gordon L. Schneider and I were standing on the dock at Hyde-Away-Cove at the Lake of the Ozarks watching a Lone Star crossing the lake. My dad commented that he could make an aluminum boat that would plane better than that. He was silent for a time. Then, he said, "George that is what we are going to build at that old Shell Pumping Station in Richland." I had no idea what a Shell Pumping Station was and I had never heard of Richland, Missouri.

On May 4 of 1953 the articles of incorporation with 8 members were filed by Gordon L. Schneider with the Secretary of State, State of Missouri. They were approved, creating Richland Manufacturing Company, on May 14, 1953. By August of 1953 we had moved from Independence, Missouri to Richland and I had seen the Shell Pumping Station which my dad was turning into a boat production plant.

My dad was well qualified by the summer of 1953 to create, design, build and produce aluminum boats. He started out in Independence, Missouri as a metallurgist, then worked his way up in the world of manufacturing. During World War II he was Chief Cost Accountant for Lake City Ordinance Plant in Lake City, Missouri. After the war he went to work for Vendo in Kansas City as their Assistant Plant Manager. He then managed several small businesses in the Kansas City area like Stalcup Sign Company, Peterson Manufacturing, and Northeast Tool and Die.

In August of 1953 Richland Manufacturing Company began fiber glassing the wooden boats from the resorts of the Lake of the Ozarks to help finance Rich Line Aluminum Boats. The first Rich Lines were tested at the Lake of the Ozarks in the spring of 1954. By the fall of 1955 Rich Line aluminum fishing boats, runabouts, and houseboats were streaming off the production line at two shifts a day, five days a week. The Governor of Illinois purchased one of the houseboats. By early 1956, 6,000 Rich Lines had been sold.

This drew the attention of the Springfield News and Leader. Don Payton, a reporter for the newspaper took a tour of Richland Manufacturing Company and his news article, “At Three year old plant: Boat Building Is Big Business” appeared Sunday, April 15, 1956.

My dad sold the company in 1957. Richland Manufacturing continued making boats another 21 years. They also purchased Sea Fury and Tom Sawyer Boats for an early fiberglass line. The Rich Line name continued until 2003. In the 2003 July-August issue of “Boating Life” there is an ad for a Rich Line Pontoon Series along with a Rich Line Web Address which was later taken down.

Some 63 years, after the articles of incorporation creating Richland Manufacturing Company, there are still Rich Line Aluminum boats performing like it was their first day. Many resorts even today offer Rich lines as part of their vacation packages. These boats were built by hard working men of the Ozarks who poured their hearts and souls into them. It is in part a testimony to their work ethic, and my dad's vision, that these boats are still giving service.

The last brochure I have been able to locate by Richland Manufacturing is circa 1973. The corporation was dissolved on 11-27-78 by the Secretary of State, State of Missouri.

If anyone has information to contribute, sees something they consider to be misinformation, or has a Rich Line brochure, I would greatly appreciate the input.