The First 100 Years

T

he seawater pump is the heart of the marine engine for boat, supplying a continuous flow ofraw water to maintain temperatures consistent with the demanding engineperformance.Over the years, Sherwood seawater boat pumps have developed a reputation of excellence in quality;and today are chosen for their performance and dependability by the most prestigious marine engine manufacturers.Inthe beginning, dating back to 1903, William Sherwood and his friend and businesspartner David Buick (of General Motors fame) operated a copper brass marine plumbing business.They parted ways as Buick became more interested in the automobile. Sherwood then developed the plumbing accessories and beer equipment business into afoundry and machine shop, as Sherwood was sought out by Ford, the Dodge brothers, and others for the expanding auto-driven industries in Detroit, Michigan.In the 1920s,Chris Smith helped create the inboard-powered pleasure boat industrybycombining automobile engines and outrigger hulls to increase speed with greater detail, style and comfort.His company (Chris-Craft) incorporated William Sherwood’s expertise of plumbing and custom manufacturing as theydeveloped the first seawater pumps for marine inboard engines.The commitment in the marine field continued with the next generation of Sherwood.World War II furthered this commitment, as Sherwood became a prime supplier of Marine Engine Coolant Pumps for the United States Navy.On June 6th, 1944, a Chris- Craft built personnel carrier with a Sherwood pump was the first allied Landing Craft to hit the Normandy beaches.During this time, Sherwood also supplied pumps to marine engines of Buda, Caterpillar, Cummins, Gray, Hercules and Packard.With the advance of pleasure boating after WWII, activities were turned toaccommodating the exacting cooling pump needs of this growing market.Sherwood kept pace with the new engines from GM, Chrysler and Ford by continuing, expanding and developing relationships with Chris-Craft, Chrysler Marine, Crusader, Escort Marine, OMC and Pleasurecraft Marine.In the 1970s, Sherwood joined Hypro and continued its focus on pump and pump-related manufacturing.Today, the Sherwood brand has taken the history of quality designs and manufacturing to become the seawater pump of choice for new marine Diesel and Gasoline engines.Sherwood services customers throughout the world with the help of the marine industry’s leading engine manufacturers, independent distributors, and dealers – as well as with direct manufacturing, regional sales, and distribution facilities in Minnesota, Illinois, California and the United Kingdom.