Ole put the FLATHEAD on
the map.Ole put the FLATHEAD on
the map.From The Daily Interlake Sunday, May 2, 1971 by Floyd Larson
Lee and his wife, Pat, began the enterprise in April 1938 using $850 in borrowed capital. He manufactured Lee Craft
boats out of wood at that time and some are still in use today. The last wooden boat was made in early 1960,s and
the fiberglass line, which was started using a hull design developed by Lee and his staff, was started in 1958
and will continue to be manufactured at Somers under the new owners.
Lee has no idea how many boats the firm has manufactured over the past three-plus decades but in recent years production has been around 100 boats a year ranging from the popular 14 footers to customized 25-foot models.
In reflecting over the last years, Ole, as he is called by almost all his customers, recalled the first employee of the firm was Les Averill who now owns and operates Flathead lake Lodge near Bigfork. Today the firm has 16 full time workers.
He recalls warmly many boat shows in Spokane and Seattle and other points over the years at which his Lee Craft creations have met with excellent response from buyers. He estimates his boats are scattered all over the 'lower 48,' Alaska and many provinces in Canada.
What pleases him most is the fact that customers have returned to buy larger or newer Lee Crafts over the years. He mentioned one customer in Missoula that recently purchased a fourth Lee Craft, the first one being a wood model. Also a point of pride with Ole is the fact that many of the commodores of boat clubs in Montana favor Lee Crafts as their personal boats.
The 17-foot and 19-foot versions of the current Lee Crafts have been well accepted he said.
His future plans are indefinite. There will be a lot of odds and ends to take care of. Immediately after that he plans to do some hunting, and fishing and pleasure boating with emphasis on the pleasure. Naturally, he prefers a Lee Craft.
At 58, Lee has earned the right to take it a little easier but he is still young at heart in that he will not accept retirement. He plans to enjoy himself more and still will be active in taking care of his real estate holdings.
His wife, the former Patricia Flynn of Kalispell, looks forward to a new life also so she can get better acquainted as well with their four children and six grand children. She has worked side-by-side with Ole over the years and feels she is entitled to go along on a hunting or fishing trip herself. They will make their home in the house they built just north of the Lee Craft plant overlooking Flathead Lake.
And while Ole has decided to cut the ties that kept him at the marina from dawn to dusk on many days during the height of the boating season, he will not be abandoning the boat business completely. He says he will be spending some time in a sales capacity as time permits while the new owners get their feet on the ground.
Ole said he wished to thank all his friends and patrons for their support over the years and he hopes they will continue to give this support to the new owners.
Ole, who was born 58 years ago in Olso, Norway, with the help of his wife, Pat, Parlayed an $850 loan into a high six-figure business enterprise. After 33 years, they have earned the right to take it a little easier and there would be very few among those who have known them over the years that would quarrel with their right to do so.
5.19.99