I have used the original address of the Algonac factory (now the Algonac Harbour Club). The company is now hardhearted in Sarasota FL.
The company originated in Algonac by Christopher Columbus Smith. He built his first boat at he age of 13. He continued building boats and eventually he and his brother formed a partnership. They turned the hobby into a full-time business.
By 1910 they had formed the Smith Ryan Boat Company. In 1922, the Smith Ryan Boat Company changed its name, and the Chris Smith & Sons Boat Company was formed. By 1927, Jay Smith, Chris’s son, was designated the President and General Manager of Chris-Craft – a position he would hold for the next 31 years. Under his leadership, Chris-Craft became known as the world’s largest builder of mahogany powerboats.
By 1939, the depression hit the company hard and the company decided to focus on runabouts, which is what it was known for. In 1941, the company switched over to building military boats. They supplied over 12,000 of them to the US military for the war effort.
In the early 1950's the company boasted over 139 different power boat models. They also built their first fiberglass boat around that time. In 1971 they ended production of their mahogany boat line.
Throughout the '80s and early '90s, Chris-Craft got back to building sport boats. They continued to build high-performance racing catamarans, and began designing performance boats for their traditional customers, too.
The company was bought out in 2001 by an investment group. They were building decent-sized yachts at that time including the 43 foot Roamer.
In 2018, the company was purchased by the Winnebago Corporation. As of 2022, the brand continues to operate.