The Manitowoc Company Inc., was begun in 1902 by Charles C. West, a marine engineer and naval architect, and Elias Gunnell, an experienced shipbuilder, designer, and mechanic. Both West and Gunnell were employed by the Chicago Shipbuilding Company until they decided to begin a steel shipyard.
Gunnell and West purchased a wood ship repair yard, Burger and Burger yard, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It was intended that wooden ship repairs would provide financial stability for the fledgling steel shipyard. The initial company, formed in June 1902, was known as Manitowoc Dry Dock Company. Gunnell served as president and West was the General Manager. West became president of the company in 1920, when it was known as the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corporation; he held that office until his death in 1957.
Although the Manitowoc Company began operation as a steel shipyard and was a leading manufacturer of submarines during World War II, there were numerous acquisitions and diversifications. For example, the company owned and operated its own boiler works and engineering division. In addition to ships, the company manufactured cranes, refrigerator freezers, and ice cube making machines, drycleaning machinery, and paper pulp machinery. The following genealogy outlines the history of The Manitowoc Company Inc.
| 1902 June |
Manitowoc Dry Dock Company |
(was successor to Burger and Burger Shipyards) |
subsumed: |
Gunnell Tool (organized 1904; merged 1909) |
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subsumed: |
Manitowoc Boiler Works (purchased 1908; merger 1909) |
| 1910 August |
Manitowoc Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company |
(name change) |
| 1916 July |
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company |
(name change) |
operated: |
Manitowoc Homebuilders Association |
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operated: |
Riverview Realty |
| 1920 July |
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corporation |
(name change and reorganization) |
operated: |
Manitowoc Homebuilders Association |
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operated: |
Sterling Realty |
| 1922 |
Manitowoc Securities Company |
| 1923-1929 |
Manitowoc Portland Cement Company |
| 1930-1943 |
Manitowoc Foundry |
| 1937 |
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company |
(name change) |
| 1952 June |
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. |
(name change) |
parent company includes: |
Manitowoc Equipment Works (Operating Division; formerly Boiler Works) |
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parent company includes: |
Manitowoc Engineering Co. (Operating Division; from 1952-62 known as Manitowoc Engineering Corp, a wholly-owned subsidiary) |
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parent company includes: |
Manitowoc Shipbuilding, Inc. (wholly-owned subsidiary) |
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parent company includes: |
Manitowoc-Forsythe Corp. (Long Island City, New York; wholly-owned sales subsidiary purchased in 1963) |
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parent company includes: |
Manitowoc Crane & Shovel Sales Corp. (Cleveland, Ohio; wholly-owned sales subsidiary) |
| 1968 |
Bay Shipbuilding Corporation |
