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MANITOWOC, Wisconsin (WBAY) – The SS Badger car 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 delighted to welcome new employees to our Interlake family, new lines of vessels to our Great Lakes operations and new customers and cargoes to our business portfolio,” says Mark W. Barker, President of Interlake Holding.
The SS Badger car ferry transports travelers from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Ludington, Michigan, and back. It’s a four hour, 60 mile trip across Lake Michigan.
The families who own Interlake Holding Company also own Seastreak, a fleet of passenger ferries in New York Harbor and other places on the East Coast.
“The car ferries in Ludington have been an icon and an important economic driver for the community for over 100 years. When the Badger ended service in November 1990, many employees and local citizens believed the era of car ferry service was over. The rebirth of the Badger in 1992 marked a milestone in the maritime history of the Great Lakes. Now, 29 years later, another step has been taken with the sale of the business to a new, highly qualified owner who will continue the Badger’s legacy into the future for the two port towns of Ludington and Manitowoc ”, say LMC and Tug-Barge Executive Vice President Don Clingan.
The SS Badger is a National Historic Landmark.
The SS Badger season resumes in May.
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