It's Been One Year!
In May 2022, Iowa based M&A brokerage firm Marigold Resources acquired Navarro Canoe Co. The new owners greatly admired Navarro's nearly 50 year old proven reputation for high performance lightweight canoes, gorgeous craftsmanship and heirloom durability.
Just over one year later, Navarro Canoe Co.'s build shop, showroom and headquarters remains in downtown Rock Island, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from Marigold, in downtown Davenport, Iowa.
Year One's Manufacturing Highlights
Starting in May 2022, with Director of Manufacturing Jeff O'Hern's leadership Navarro Canoe Co. carefully refined critical legacy build SOPs while modernizing key material specifications.
Build mold restorations ("It's all in the prep!")
Build mold storage and preservation upgrades
Exterior gel-coat paint activation blend modifications
Expanded standard exterior hull color options from 4 to over 200 commercially available marine grade gel coat colors
Optimized gel coat paint gun pressures and spray patterns
Standardized hybrid fiberglass-kevlar hull material specs and layup patterns
Weep hole design upgrades
Beefed up seating furrows
Increased wooden gunwale thickness
Improved thwart shaping and grab bar designs
Established custom engraved bow/stern deck plate option
What's Next?
The Iowa-Illinois Quad Cities' rich river history and thriving culture of skilled manufacturing, wildlife stewardship and creative arts is the ideal place for Navarro Canoe Co. to grow and prosper.
In the last year Navarro Canoe Co. has shipped hand crafted canoes to customers on the Snake River in Idaho, in Upper Peninsula Michigan, northern Ohio, upstate New York, Steamboat Springs Colorado, Northwoods Wisconsin and more.
If you have read this far, then you may be a candidate to have a Navarro canoe custom built for you.
