History
VIDEO
60 years building the highest-quality aluminum boats.
In April 2014, Princecraft® Boats officially celebrated its 60th year in the boating industry and its 60th year of expertise! During all this time, we have lovingly hand-crafted every single Princecraft ® boat from stern to bow right here in our Princeville plants in Quebec. Get to know the Princecraft ® history.
1954
The dream is born. Aluminum proves to be a better material for crafting boats and Princecraft® is founded in Princeville, Quebec, Canada, by Lionel Baril and his two brothers, Roger and Sarto. The company was called Aluminum Boats & Canoes at the time and produced Princecraft® brand aluminum boats.
In the years that followed, Aluminum Boats & Canoes expanded its product line to sell fiberglass and wooden boats through Peterborough Boats, an Ontario company it purchased in 1965. Its product line was very innovative for the time, and its boats were sold all across Canada.
1968
Aluminum Boats & Canoes changed hands to the Brillant family from the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of eastern Quebec.
1970
1973
Sensing a growing market for boats, Aluminum Company of Canada (ALCAN) purchases Canadian Boat Manufacturing. It merges it with another of their aluminum boat manufacturers Springbok®, resulting in Alcan Marine Products. At that time, it was the biggest boat manufacturer in Canada.
1982
Iin an effort to streamline its business, Alcan Marine Products realigns its activities and closes its Peterborough fiberglass products division to focus solely on aluminum boats.
1985
Alcan withdraw completely from the marine industry to specialize in the primary aluminum sector. Alcan Marine Products is purchased by two local Alcan Marine Products employees, general manager Marcel J. Dubois and production manager Jacques Daneault. They rename the company Altra Marine Products.
Princecraft® fishing boat enthusiasts show that our high standards of quality could also be applied to pontoons. After ensuring that we were able to build pontoons to these same high standards of quality and comfort, Princecraft® line of pontoon was launch.
Princecraft® gains a reputation for incredible attention to detail, and the Springbok® and Princecraft® divisions are united under one name: Princecraft® /Springbok® .
1990
1992
Princecraft® develops a new line of products to follow market trends and compete in the American fiberglass market. It introduces the deck boat - the ideal pontoon-boat hybrid. These craft made entirely of aluminum boast the V-shaped hull of a boat, with all the charm and comfort of a pontoon.
The Princecraft® /Springbok® trademark is replaced by simply Princecraft® .
2001
Brunswick Corporation specializing in recreation, purchases the Princecraft® brand and the Princeville facilities, which officially become Princecraft® Boats.
Princecraft® Boats celebrates its 50th anniversary.
2016
The Princecraft® brand is now all across Canada and the US, supported by a vast network of seasoned dealers. While its primary market remains Canada, Princecraft® is recognized as an industry leader because of the quality of its products. More fishers, families and dealers than ever join the Princecraft® family, and create some of the best moments of their lives.
