New owners carry on legacy of Navarro Canoe Co. in Rock Island

Chief Manufacturer Jeff O'Hern works at altering a seat in a customer's canoe at the Navarro Canoe Co.

Chief Manufacturer Jeff O'Hern works at altering a seat in a customer's canoe at the Navarro Canoe Co. The company has been around for 50 years, changing ownership a few times. Last May, it was acquired by three local businessmen who have set their sights on growing it.

Chief Manufacturer Jeff O'Hern works at cutting cherry wood strips for the canoe he is building at the Navarro Canoe Co. Navarro has made a name for itself in creating luxury, hand-crafted canoes at its manufacturing site in downtown Rock Island.

Chief Manufacturer, Jeff O'Hern works at laying out a sheet of fiberglass for the inside of a canoe at the Navarro Canoe Co. Navarro has made a name for itself in creating luxury, hand-crafted canoes at its manufacturing site in downtown Rock Island.

Chief Manufacturer, Jeff O'Hern works at laying out a sheet of fiberglass for the inside of a canoe at the Navarro Canoe Co.

Chief Manufacturer Jeff O'Hern works at laying out a sheet of fiberglass for the inside of a canoe at the Navarro Canoe Co. The company has been around for 50 years, changing ownership a few times. Last May, the company was acquired by three local businessmen who have set their sights on growing it. Navarro has made a name for itself in creating luxury, hand-crafted canoes at its manufacturing site in downtown Rock Island.

Chris Barnard, co-owner, inside the production area at the Navarro Canoe Co.

Chief Manufacturer Jeff O'Hern works at altering a seat in a customer's canoe at the Navarro Canoe Co.

Keeping a business afloat can be a challenge, but the Navarro Canoe Co. has navigated its way to success in Rock Island.

Today the company is co-owned by Todd McGreevy, Jeff O'Hearn and Chris Barnard, but Navarro originally started in the late 1970s in California, named for the Navarro River in northern California, where the canoes were being built.

In 2011, the company was purchased by Bruce and Sue Peterson who relocated it to 2219 3rd Ave. in downtown Rock Island, where it has been headquartered ever since. Bruce was the former CEO of a hospital in Rochelle, Ill., and Sue a teacher in Aledo, according to previous reporting. The pair was looking for a lifestyle change and a business they could bring into the city, Bruce told a reporter in 2016.

Barnard said he and his business partners entered the business when the Petersons were looking to retire. His group was looking for a manufacturing business they could get into for themselves.

"COVID was really good for outdoor kayaking and canoeing. People rediscovered the outdoors and they're not going back inside," he said. "We're seeing a whole new category of people that are looking for ways to spend more time outside."

The trio officially purchased the company in May 2022 and a year in, Barnard said, they are continuing to work on improving the boat designs, cleaning up the factory and improving marketing. Last year the company turned out 15 canoes, Barnard said, and is hoping to double that number in the second year.

Navarro will be hosting an open house on Friday, Aug. 18 from 3-9 p.m. at its downtown Rock Island shop, one day before Floatzilla kicks off on the Mississippi River. Paddlers will launch from multiple sites in the Quad-Cities in an effort to create a record-setting raft of canoes and kayaks. Last year, 1,648 people registered for the paddling event.

This year Floatzilla will need 1,500 more people to beat the world record of 3,151. Participants must paddle their way to Lake Potter in Rock Island for the world-record attempt.

For those who may not make Floatzilla, Barnard said, the company offers an experience called Navarro-X, which is an overnight excursion that allows buyers to test their canoe with the owners as their guides.

"If you're out of market, we bring you in and put you up at the Blackhawk Hotel and put you onto Loud Thunder, Lost Grove or the Rock River," he said.

The canoes are luxury products, with prices ranging from $5,500 up to $8,000 before shipping. Barnard said he considers them to be heirlooms, because most customers purchase them with the intention of passing them down.

Those who are local can pick up their boat in Rock Island, but they are otherwise shipped. Navarro also has a retail location in Land O' Lakes, Wis.

Once the boats are dropped off, the crew takes the new owners through what Barnard called a christening ceremony, where the boat is officially placed in the water for the first time. The whole idea is to create not just a product but an experience. To maximize on that, Navarro is now offering customization, including custom bow and stern deck plates and a name of choice on the port and starboard outer hull.

"If you have a family crest, a favorite color, if you have a company where you want to put your company's colors and logos on it, we are directing people to do that," Barnard said. "We're having the most interest with people wanting to customize the boat themselves."

O'Hearn said they can even customize the canoe, depending on use. Recently, Navarro was commissioned to build one for a more than 1,300 mile journey on the Columbia River.

"Generally, these are flat-water canoes, but I overbuilt the interior (of that one) to handle rougher water," he said. "We are capable of customizing the canoe to the user's needs."

In the back of the shop is where O'Hearn makes the magic happen, completely by hand. The process of acquiring a canoe can be in-person for those who are close by, or online with a customer choosing the size and style they want. The canoes range from 13 feet at the smallest, generally for beginners or recreational canoers, to 17 feet at the largest, better for day tours, expeditions and families.

Once an order is placed, the company keeps in close contact, sending photo and video updates to the customer to keep them involved in the process. Because customization is so important, O'Hearn said, he spends a lot of time speaking directly with customers to ensure the boats comes out exactly as desired.

"The last boat that went out of here went to Steam Boat Springs, Colorado, and I probably spent 15 hours on the phone with the owner before, during and after the process to make certain they got exactly what they wanted," he said.

The boats are shipped globally, Barnard said, with a particularly large market in Japan. The company is exploring the possibility of global distributors as a result.

Until then, the boats will continue to be made by O'Hearn in downtown Rock Island. The process begins with a plug, a wooden model built to the exact dimensions of the real canoe. From there, a fiberglass mold with a gel interior is created. Navarro has the original plugs and one mold for each of the eight canoe designs it offers.

Once the interior sets, it is popped out of the mold and coated with marine gel coat paint until it hardens. Next, a resin process is used to put in a layer of fiberglass fabric, then a layer of Kevlar, a thick synthetic fiber.

Next, O'Hearn bends hand-cut black cherry wood to the shape of the canoe. A series of these cuts extend all the way down the canoe, called ribs, because of their function and look. They are spring-loaded, or clamped, in place for 24 hours.

Once he pulls the springs out, O'Hearn sands and cleans the boat before covering it with a few more coats of resin for stability and a glossy finish. The vessels then go to the woodshop to be fitted with upper pieces, such as gunwales (top railing) and the yoke, which is the removable crossbeam used for carrying. The boat then is polished and waxed.

To learn how to make the boats, O'Hearn uses what he refers to as "the Bible" — a book created by the original owners, which contains blueprints and instructions.

For an average 17-foot boat, it takes 80 to 100 hours per build, he said. While O'Hearn leads the projects, Navarro has part-time employees who help with portions of the work that require extra hands.

"All these different processes ... at one time or another in my life, I did them as a job or a family member of mine did something similar that I did with them and learned the process," he said. "And I'm having a lot of fun. It's a total riot."

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