Toll Construction Company
Quality full service remodeling
Family owned since 1957
317-569-2628

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• While attending Purdue university during the time I was  furthering my education in commercial building, house design & construction detailing I found out that one of my professors who was teaching one of my classes in structural design had a degree in naval design and architecture.  I told him that I had quite a bit of interest in that subject and ask him if he would teach and instruct me about runabout design, fairing and lofting.  He said that he would be glad to.  I learned a great deal from him due to the fact that he was a great teacher. During this time period boat building was making  a change to a far more cost effective method of building pleasure craft for the general public use by using fiberglass instead of wood. These could be  built by less skilled workers and still fill the need for the general boating needs of the average user.  My only interest in the subject was in the design and construction of custom mahogany runabouts constructed like a fine piece of furniture for the person that enjoyed and respected the skill involved in constructing one of these crafts. 

• Later on I started my business which was started as a small custom cabinet shop devoted primarily for the purpose of designing, building & installing high quality custom cabinets & kitchens. 
  My customers at that time where primarily  the  builders who built fine homes in the better neighborhoods on the north side of Indianapolis. (Carmel, Fishers, Westfield and Zionsville had yet to be developed other than being quaint small farm communities with many acres of farm land.)
  My business soon expanded into custom store fixtures bring built for two of the largest department stores in Indianapolis. This required me to join the carpenter's union and become a journeyman carpenter to be allowed to install the fixtures that I had built. Soon I was doing cabinet & case work for barber shops, beauty shops, lawyer, doctor & dentist offices along with the small specialty shops that where starting to spring up. Indianapolis was definitely growing and needed my services and I sure wanted to provide it. 
  One of the builders that I worked for owned & collected  many old mahogany Chris Craft wooden runabouts & cruisers. He respected my woodworking skills and asked if I would be interested in working on his crafts.  I said yes and always enjoyed this type work as long as it did not take to much time away from my main business.  Although I never had any great interest in owning a boat I did have great bit of respect for the craftsmen that had the ability to build a beautiful wooden boat from a stack of boards. 

• Throughout the years I have on  occasion designed and build boats for my clients. (every boat being different never the same) During the past few years it has amazed me at the new interest people have with these old crafts. (they are becoming rather valuable and very sought after.)

• Although I am not currently building  any of these  due to the fact that I am very busy with my main business I do keep U. S. Coast Guard certification allowing me to build  custom mahogany runabouts and sell them to the general public current and up to date. I also keep  my web site available  so the new hobbyist can view some of my past work.  The web site is as follows.     www.stclairboatworks.com 

• For the past 12 years I have been able to have a web site giving  information about my services I offer to the  public.  Before having a web site I  would have a photo album of different completed projects to show prospective clients.  I would go out to meet the people and would show them this photo album.  Today with the world wide web  people can go to my web site and view the same photos at their own leisure and decide if they would like to call me. Although this is extremely handy for my local remodel business I found that it was almost impossible to be without this service for  boat building because my customer base is all across the United States, Canada, & British Columbia not just in Indiana. 

• St. Clair Boatworks was named in honor and respect for the many craftsmen that lived and worked in and around the  Algonac, Michigan area. (north of Detroit) which is located  on the banks of the St. Clair River which feeds into the St. Clair lake in the Detroit area which then goes in to Lake Erie. This great lakes  waterway system is what provided Henry Ford and other entrepreneurs easy movement of raw materials for their factories.  It is a very beautiful area to visit and camp at. I try to get up there each summer and sit on a park bench located exactly where Chris Smith started his business of building wooden boats. Algonac has a beautiful park along this area shoreline and it is one of the few places that you can look south and view Canada. (Canada's shore line is on the east bank of St. Clair river.) Much early boating history was made in this area. Many early speed records where set right there. The most famous resident was Christopher Columbus Smith, his sons and his brother Henry  who would start his boat building business that would later be called Chris Craft. (the rest is history). There where many very capable individuals, to many to name that called this area home and did and accomplished many great things.

• If  you have any  interest in this subject you might like to view these items.  
  
  The web site is:     www.stclairboatworks.com       (Please click if you want to)

Thank you.

Home      Basements      Bathrooms      Kitchen Remodeling    Master Bedroom/Bath 
 Room Additions      Living Room   Efficiency Apartment       Dormers 
   Job Photos      Job Photos 2     Custom Runabouts    Thank You?

Please click on page of interest.

Free in home estimates.
Serving Hamilton, Boone, Marion Counties
and the  Greater Indianapolis, Indiana area. 

Toll Construction Company  
317-569-2628

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