Linton Cress was interviewed by Houseboat Magazine for the 2004 Buyer’s Guide. Below you will find the actual interview transcript.

1) Tell me about your history with the company. How long have you worked for Sumerset and describe your job.
I started here in mid-November of 1971. I’ve worked here going on 33 years. I enjoy the work, I enjoy the challenge. Everyday it’s something different and I love to work on different projects. I enjoy welding aluminum; it’s fun to work with. I was hired as a welder and it was not too long before I was put in charge of drawing the hulls. I’ve been doing that ever since. I’ve welded all my life, even won some fair competitions in welding. I can hardly wait for Monday morning so I can come to work. My wife doesn’t think too much of that, but I love to come in here. After so many years, these people become your family. I enjoy the people I work with and I believe we (Sumerset) build the best boat in the industry. We have the best facilities in the industry; this is a good place to work.

2) I understand you were in the military where you learned to weld aluminum. How did you introduce the concept of replacing steel hulls with aluminum hulls to Sumerset?
**Linton was not ever in the military** I did some welding in high school and in some Vocational Classes. The steel hull boats were getting bigger and heavier, it was tough on the men who built them. Another big factor is the painting, more than anything. The minute you start building a steel hull boat you start painting it – the hull, the rails, the deck. You paint and paint and repaint. Aluminum eliminates that problem. In the beginning, people didn’t trust the aluminum hull; today they wouldn’t think of buying a steel hull. I believe we (Sumerset) build the strongest hull in the industry. We use more pieces and better bracing – our hull is very strong.

3) In your opinion, how has the house boating industry changed? Have these changes been for the better?
Houseboats started out pretty basic and now they are like luxury homes. They are bigger and better, a whole lot nicer than they were 20 years ago. I think this has been very good for the industry because it has opened up the marketplace. People who want bigger, nicer boats sell their boats to those who want smaller boats, and so on. A lot of people stair step their way up in houseboats, buying a bigger one each time. A lot of boaters consider Sumerset Houseboats to be the top of line, saying that some day they hope to own a Sumerset. That’s why I like to work here. To be a part of something people consider the best in its category. If I didn’t feel like we built the best houseboat, we’d still be working on making it the best. We have all the fundamentals down pat, now we work on designing new rear deck extensions and other components.

4) What do you enjoy most about creating houseboats?
I like the challenge of creating the best of something. Every boat is a little different and you have to pay attention to detail and get it done right. I still find every day exciting. What we do is unique and the people I work with have been at it for a long time. We have grown and gained knowledge as the boats have grown. There was and is no one to teach us how to do this job. We have to understand houseboats and all their parts and be able to put everything together just right. Everybody here works hard; everybody here takes a lot of pride in what they do.

5) Do you work with engineers in designing the houseboats? If yes, how do you work together to compliment each other’s roles in the design process?
There aren’t really any engineers for what we do. Anybody can draw a picture, but you have to be able to put the pieces together and understand how they work together. Understanding only comes with experience. That is why we designed our own thruster components, so they do exactly what you need them to do. If you have no experience building houseboats you cannot engineer or design them. In this business, experience is the only teacher.

6) Anything you’d like to add?
Not really, just that I’ve been welding all my life and I can hardly wait for Monday morning to go to work. It is my responsibility to get the customers boat started, and I’m ready to get started.