Honoring Kansas' Business Legacy, Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders

Pack St. Clair

Known as the "Rolls Royce of boats," St. Clair's Cobalt Boats are enjoyed by marine enthusiasts around the world. They are built and distributed by St. Clair's Fiberglass Engineering, Inc., in Neodesha, Kansas.

Whether being named Kansas Small Businessman of the Year in 1973, appointed to the White House Conference on Small Business by Bob Dole in 1980, or being named the Governor's Exporter of the Year in 1999, St. Clair has made an impact of business and the boating industry far beyond Neodesha and far beyond Kansas.

Cobalt Boats command premium prices because they have developed a niche in the high-end market, based on high quality, a reputation as the best in the industry, and the company's solid relationships with dealers, St. Clair said. Success in quality and attention to detail comes from a very loyal long term associate base. Cobalt is unique in the boating industry because they manufacture most of the parts in house.

The combination of a strong dealer network and the quality focus of the Cobalt associates led the way for Cobalt to receive the top rating by J.D. Power and Associates for customer satisfaction.

A 1959 graduate of Independence High School, St. Clair graduated from the University of Kansas in 1963 with a degree in Education. He founded Cobalt Marine, Inc, in Chanute, Kansas, in 1968. The company became Fiberglass Engineering, Inc., and located in Neodesha, Kansas, where it has been since that time.

St. Clair is a past Chairman of the American Boatbuilders Association, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the National Association of Boat Manufacturers, and the Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center. He has served on the Board of Directors of First National Bank of Neodesha, the Kansas Association of Commerce and Industry, and the Kansas Marine Dealers. He currently (August 2001) serves on the Boards of Kansas Foodbank, Kansas Hospice, Westar Industries, Inc, Westlawn Institute, and the Kansas Cavalry.

St. Clair and is wife, Jill, have two grown children, Paxson and Whitney, and six grandchildren. They reside in Neodesha and their children and grandchildren live in nearby Independence.

2002 Contemporary Winner

Kansas Business Hall of Fame