Bay Manufacturing Company History
4th Generation Family Business
Bay Manufacturing is a family business that has been around for 85 years manufacturing Outboard Extension Kits, Replacement Skegs, Outboard Brackets, Anchors, Swim Decks, Control Mounting Brackets and Chris Craft Boat Building Kits. Bay Manufacturing started as Bay Pattern Works in 1939 by Harold Edward McGuire working out of an upstairs shop in his home on Madison Street in Sandusky Ohio. In 1944 Harold McGuire moved his family and business to a large farm and shop on Mills Street in Sandusky, Ohio. From 1944 to 1954 he was a pattern Maker and held many patents in many types of equipment for his lawn and tractor store.
In 1954 he opened the first Mercury boat store on the waterfront in Sandusky, Ohio. At the boat store they sold boats and motors along with Chris Craft Boat Building Kits. During this same time Harold McGuire still ran his pattern shop and also manufactured boating accessories in his shop at the Mills Street Farm. He manufactured control mounting brackets one of his most popular products along with anchors, swim decks and in 1963 the first extension kits were produced for the Mercury line of motors. Mr. McGuire and his sons did double duty running two operations at these two locations until 1966.
As the popularity of the mercury extension kits greatly increased the family had to make a choice of which business to pursue as it was becoming difficult to run a manufacturing and a retail business with Mr McGuire and his four sons Edward, Paul, Jim and Michael. To accommodate the manufacturing of the growing line of extension kits for Mercury Motors, Harold McGuire purchased seven acres in Milan, Ohio in 1966. The property was the former Lavey Brick Yard that had since closed operation at that site. Harold and his sons built and set up the aluminum foundry and machine shop. They built their own sand system for the production of the aluminum housings and set up a machine shop in the front of the building.
As the line of kits for Mercury Marine grew, Johnson and Evinrude motors contacted Bay Pattern Works and in 1970 a line of kits for Johnson Evinrude went into production along with the Mercury line of extension kits. Mr. Harold Edward McGuire passed away in 1974 and the second generation of the business was passed to son Michael McGuire. During the second generation of ownership Bay Pattern was changed to Bay Manufacturing in 1977. During the second generation many new lines of extension kits were designed and produced. In 1981 Yamaha made contact and the Yamaha line of extension kits were the largest and most popular seller most recently. In the last 5 years Bay Manufacturing began a successful relationship with the Tohatsu and Suzuki line of motors as the line of extension kits continue to grow and increase every year. The internet over the last 8 years has taken Bay Manufacturing production and sales of extension kits worldwide to new levels of growth in sales.
In our 85th year this year, we are now working on adding the Honda line of motors as our newest line of extension kits. Also in our 85th year Bay Manufacturing has been turned over to the fourth generation of the McGuire family.
