value of World War II military production contracts. The resulting business success allowed Andrew Higgins to expand into several other ventures, including Higgins Aircraft, Higgins Engine Co., and Higgins Plastics Corp. After the war he tried to transition this capability into consumer products such as appliances, personal watercraft, and housing materials. In late 1945 Frank P. Higgins, brother of Andrew, became director of marketing, operating the Higgins Marine Sales Corp. However, labor strife complicated the picture, and on 9 November 1945 Andrew Higgins liquidated the business. In January of the following year he formed another company (Higgins, Inc.) to resume building pleasure watercraft. The other industrial properties of the previous Higgins Industries were transferred to ownership of the new company, but were never successful in finding markets for their products. By 1948 all the other plants were closed, and watercraft production was concentrated in the Industrial Canal plant. Andrew Higgins died of a stomach ailment at age sixty-five on August 1, 1952. His sons (Ed, Andrew Jr., Frank, and Roland) continued the business through the 1950s, but mounting debts resulted in the sale of Higgins, Inc. to New York Ship in 1959. New York Ship was subsequently sold to what would eventually become Equitable Equipment Company. Higgins Marine Sales Corporation continued at the old City Park Plant until 1970, when it moved to Thalia Street, where it operated for five more years before closing. One of the Higgins factories in New Orleans was converted into NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in 1961. Products Boats Eureka boat (LCPL) aka Spoonbill Higgins boat (LCVP) A-1 lifeboat airborne lifeboat PT boats PT-5 PT-6 PT-6' PT-70 PT-71 class PT-235 class PT-625 class Helicopters Higgins EB-1 References External links Higgins Industries Motor Torpedo Boat Diagram Collection in the Louisiana Digital Library List of craft built by Higgins Industries American boat builders Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States Defunct helicopter manufacturers of the United States Manufacturing companies based in New Orleans Defunct manufacturing companies based in Louisiana