Holding company buys Lake Michigan car ferry SS Badger

LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) - A coal-fired ferry that carries people and cars across Lake Michigan between Michigan and Wisconsin has been sold.

Interlake Holding Co. announced Wednesday that it bought the SS Badger, The Ludington Daily News reported.

The Middleburg Heights, Ohio-based company also purchased the tug-barge Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41, the mothballed ferry SS Spartan, and the Lake Michigan Carferry and Pere Marquette Shipping companies.

'œI think we've always been interested in the Pere Marquette and the Badger,'ť said Mark Barker, Interlake president. 'œWe're just excited to acquire this vessel and this operation. It is really iconic and historic."

The 410-foot (125-meter) SS Badger launched in 1952 and hauled railcars across Lake Michigan from 1953 to 1990. It was converted into a car and passenger ferry and can carry 600 people and 180 vehicles.

It now operates between Ludington in western Michigan and Manitowoc in Wisconsin and was designated a national historic landmark in 2016.

'œWe're keeping most of the employees,'ť Barker said. 'œIt's a great operation, and it's our goal to continue that operation in Ludington.'ť

The SS Badger, the other ships and the carferry and shipping companies had been owned by Bob Manglitz, Don Clingan and Jim Anderson.

'œThe communities of Manitowoc and Ludington and the people have a sense of ownership in the Badger,'ť Manglitz said after the sale. 'œIt was like nothing I have ever been involved with.'ť

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This story has been corrected to show that the company bought the tug-barge Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41. The SS Spartan is a mothballed ferry, not a tug-barge.