USA: Zach McClendon, Jr. of Monticello, Arkansas, will celebrate being in the boat building business for 50 years this September. Mr McClendon, along with his father, Zach McClendon, Sr., and another local businessman, Norris Judkins, started the MonArk Boat Company in May 1958 building small aluminium jon boats using a shear and break press provided by Mr Judkins.

The company incorporated the next year, in August 1959.

The MonArk Boat Company eventually grew to include a large recreational division that included both aluminium and fibreglass boats and manufactured a wide range of products including ski boats, pontoons, houseboats, sail boats, canoes, and bass boats in addition to the basic jon boat that is still built today. 

At the height of the recreation business the company was building approximately 15,000 boats per year and had over 300 dealers throughout the United States.

Soon after inception, MonArk was asked to build a boat with a small cabin for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and with this new product the workboat division was born.  

This side of the business continued to grow to include oil industry products such as pumper boats and crew boats and eventually included models for commercial and military use.  

The two divisions of MonArk were eventually located in different facilities just short distance apart from each other.

In 1988, the Mercury Powerboat Division of Brunswick Corporation purchased the recreational division of MonArk Boat Company and along with it, the MonArk name. Brunswick operated out of the Monticello facility for only about a year before relocating the operations away from Monticello.  

Mr McClendon retained the workboat side of the company and renamed it SeaArk Marine. Mr McClendon continued to build commercial work and patrol boats for customers that included all branches of the United States military, the US Coast Guard, municipal fire departments, the San Antonio RiverWalk and many foreign governments. 

The SeaArk Marine product line includes patrol boats for harbour security, hydrographic survey boats, law enforcement craft, fire and rescue boats, and models for drug interdiction as well as many other types of craft for various applications.

After a four-year non-compete agreement with Brunswick Marine expired in 1992, Mr McClendon once again started building recreational products under the name SeaArk Boats. 

Claiming to build the “world’s largest jon boat” soon after, the company focused on building all-welded, heavy duty, aluminium hunting and fishing boats. Today, SeaArk Boats has over 100 dealers across the United States. Between MonArk Boat Company and the SeaArk Companies, boats have been shipped to over 70 different countries around the world.

Mr McClendon’s children now run the day to day operations of the companies. His son, John McClendon serves as president of SeaArk Marine and daughter, Robin McClendon is president of SeaArk Boats. 

Mr McClendon, at 72, is still very active in the business serving as chairman of the

board for both companies. He assists with new product development and problem solving consulting.

Commented on the company’s 50-year anniversary, Mr McClendon said: “I can’t believe 50 years have passed since we built the first twelve-foot (3.6-metre) jon boat.  I am tremendously proud of these two companies and the family of employees that have helped shape our success. We have come a long way from that simple jon boat.”

The official start of the golden anniversary celebration will begin from August 23 to 25. The family is also planning a community-wide celebration on September 18 in Monticello, Arkansas. A short ceremony will take place at the SeaArk Marine plant followed by plant tours at both SeaArk Marine and SeaArk Boat facilities.  

Finally, the 50th anniversary celebration will conclude in New Orleans at the International Workboat Show in December.