Saturday, March 24, 2018

This can't be good: Jeffboat is closing for good


That's what this story says. Jeffboat built a lot of the boats you see on the Ohio River, but like Dravo and St. Louis Ship, it apparently couldn't keep up with the competition down South.


Or as, here in this part of the Ohio Valley, Marietta Manufacturing in Point Pleasant, W.Va., which shut down years ago.

Or as, here in this part of the Ohio Valley, the manufacture of rail cars — covered hoppers in Huntington, W.Va., and open hoppers at Raceland, Ky.

But we can compete when it comes to building cars and trucks. Toyota has plants near Evansville, Ind., Charleston, W.Va., and Lexington, Ky. Its Hino subsidiary builds medium-duty trucks near Parkersburg, W.Va., and is about to begin assembling heavy-duty trucks there. My home area has several factories that make auto parts.

Smaller operations turn out small boats, but the building of big boats left the Ohio years ago, and it looks like it won't be returning to Jeffboat, at least.