OCONTO— Cruisers Yachts announced the death of its longtime owner Kenneth Charles (K.C.) Stock, who passed away on November 28.
Born April 6, 1938 in Oconto, Stock bought his first company in 1971, which became Stock Lumber, growing it to 11 locations across Wisconsin and Minnesota.
He then bought his hometown boat company, Cruisers Yachts. Growing up in Oconto, it was important to K.C. that the town continued to thrive and that meant keeping jobs local. He invested in the company and the Oconto community to see it flourish. “The one statement that best describes K.C., is his love and commitment to the employees at Cruisers Yachts,” said Mark Pedersen, president of Cruisers Yachts. “Anytime he would visit, he would first ask how many team members were working and then walked the floor to visit with them.”
With Stock’s support for over 28 years, Cruisers Yachts grew to be known as one of the world’s premier manufacturers of premium yachts.
Wanting to continue the company’s growth, KCS International, Inc., parent company of Cruisers Yachts, significantly expanded its manufacturing and production capacity with the acquisition of the nearby Pulaski facility that formerly built Carver and Marquis brand yachts. In May of 2021, Stock sold the company to MarineMax, Inc., the world’s largest recreational boat and yacht retailer with the promise to keep Cruisers Yachts, the employees, and the community thriving.
Stock also launched the K.C. Stock Foundation to help those in need, with his foundation making the lead gift to start the Children’s Hospital in Northeastern Wisconsin at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. Donations to provide Christmas presents to children in the Pediatric Oncology Unit can be made at https://giving.hshs.org/svsm/Donate.
