Richard Valdes
June 2, 2009 by Chris Wethered
Filed under Trailerable Sailboats
It started at college
Canoes to Columbia! Richard Valdes has achieved indeed. From a senior project at UCLA to helping build a business valued in the hundreds of millions.
Dick attended UCLA on a naval scholarship. His senior project becoming his first business. After securing a deal from Sears to produce fiberglass canoes, the business expanded into fiberglass caravan shells.
The enterprise grew to become Glass Marine Industries. Boats were sold under the name Columbia.The Columbia 50 hailed the change in name from Glass Marine Industries to Columbia. The 50 became synonymous with the classic style, comfort and race performance associated with today’s Columbias.
Despite being seized upon by the corporations Dickie maintained great design
Along came
The Whittaker Group approached him in the late sixties with a proposition. As the largest fiberglass boat producer, Whittaker wanted to buy the operation including his expertise to set up its own marine group. For five years he helped set up Whittaker Marine Group.
A busy time
In 1972 he left the group to set up Lancer Yachts. Whittaker Marine Group went on to become Bertram yachts. In 1982 he left Lancer Yachts to set up Endeavor Yachts, which closed in 1989. At this point his son Vince was ready to take on the family interest in Columbia once more.
From the background set out above it is not surprising that Vince has taken his Dad on board to help with the operation. In 1994 the Columbia 30 has unveiled. Read more here
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