MANITOWOC, Wis. (WBAY) – The SS Badger ferry has a new owner.
Interlake Holding Company announced the purchase of Lake Michigan Car Ferry Company and Pere Marquette Shipping Company. The acquisition includes the SS Badger and the Pere Marquette 41.
“This is an exciting day for us and we are excited to welcome new employees into our Interlake family, new ship lines in our Great Lakes operations and new customers and cargo in our business portfolio,” said Mark W. Barker, president of Interlake Holding.
The SS Badger ferry transports travelers from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Ludington, Michigan, and back. It is a four-hour, 60-mile trip across Lake Michigan.
The families that own the Interlake Holding Company also own Seastreak, a fleet of passenger ferries in New York Harbor and elsewhere on the east coast.
“Car ferries in Ludington have been an icon and an important economic driver for the community for over 100 years. When Badger ended service in November 1990, many local officials and citizens believed that the car ferry service era was over. The rebirth of the badger in 1992 marked an important milestone in the maritime history of the Great Lakes. Now, 29 years later, another milestone has been reached with the sale of the company to a new, highly qualified owner who will extend Badger’s legacy in the future to the port cities of Ludington and Manitowoc, ”said LMC and Tug-Barge Executive Vice President Don Clingan.
The SS Badger is a national historic landmark.
SS Badger’s season starts again in May.
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