Annapolis has been around since the early 1700s and has grown in significance and reliance on boating since then. Now, most people view boating more as a means of pure enjoyment than as a means of travel and income. It is imperative that the sailing community in Annapolis provide trusty equipment and support for activities conducted on the open water. Weems and Plath is a long-established manufacturer that plays a pivotal role in this regard. An instructor at the Naval Academy founded this company 80 years ago to supply the community with instruments and all types of boating supplies. It’s time you get to know Weems & Plath, a historical green manufacturing company that has a significant impact on Annapolis.
A Navy man, Captain Philip Van Horn Weems, founded Weems & Plath over eighty years ago. The United States was where Weems was. In the 1920s, he served in the Navy and studied at the Naval Academy, discovering the necessity for better navigation instruments. The wife of Weems & Plath president, Kathie Trogdon, explained that Captain Weems trained Charles Lindbergh in navigation and had planned to teach Amelia Earhart, but delays prevented this. It’s not enough that Weems developed navigation instruments that are safer to use today. Weems developed a relationship with Carl Plath’s sextant (a navigation tool) company in Germany during his time improving navigation. The company thus emerged as Weems & Plath. The company’s display case is a sign of its success.
Weems & Plath manufactured a number of products, including clocks, binoculars, compasses, charts, scopes, and various navigational tools, based on the history of the company. Conant, on the other hand, added temperature gauges and thermometers to its inventory after purchasing the company. On-site engraving is also possible with wood, metal, and other materials. Several points should be made about the quality of the products assembled at Weems & Plath in Eastport. In addition, Trogdon emphasized the fact that customers are continually drawn to Weems & Plath because they are confident in the quality of their products and because customer service is a key element of its business. Weems & Plath gives back to the community through excellent customer service and quality products: “It all starts with the way you think: ‘What can I do to take care of the people and the products I work with?’ “Trogdon replied. Additionally, Weems & Plath donates to Save the Bay, the Annapolis Maritime Museum, and various local organizations. Karen Morris, Director of Marketing, added, “We believe it’s our responsibility to increase awareness of the issues.”
Our backyard is full of opportunities [to protect the Bay and contribute to its health].
Using multiple ways for tracking progress on the water is one example of a method that the company provides for free as part of its charitable commitment. Keeping your significant other, or even a significant other in mind, onboard (apologies for the pun) is equally important for safe boating. Her husband teaches a class on the former and Trogdon teaches a class on the latter entitled “Couples Cruising.”
Weems & Plath Goes GreenAlso, the firm focuses on doing good for its customers and for the environment. Following the purchase of the company by the Trogdons in 1997, the company was more environmentally friendly. Trogdon said his first act upon starting his job here was to figure out how to make the company more environmentally friendly. Originally from the Northwest, she and her husband were pleased to find that going green had not yet taken off in Annapolis when they moved here in the late 1990s. As she told me, for her, it was more about being mindful of what we do with our environment; wanting to take better care of it.
For a manufacturer, producing little waste is quite a feat. Using simple ideas like reusing packing materials, providing biodegradable packing peanuts (as shown above), and providing recycling bins and trash cans on each employee’s desk help Weems & Plath do this. Another green solution is to repurpose parts from Weems & Plath. The employees at Annapolis Boating Shows create new products and sell them at a big discount rather than getting rid of miscellaneous parts. It’s pervasive [the recycling process]; it’s at the heart of everything we do.” She added that fixing and repurposing have been part of the company philosophy: “I’ve seen Peter fix a broken clock from a restaurant and then bring it back.”
Weems & Plath can help you with what? In the case of a boater, it is obvious, unless you want to end up lost at sea, to use questionable instruments, and to ignore safety procedures. Non-boaters should keep in mind that the company serves a wide audience, from crews aboard fishing boats hauling in crabs to Naval Academy students learning navigation with Weems & Plath materials. Weems & Plath products are also used by local sailing schools. Using Weems & Plath means you’re relying on a whole host of people. Despite the fact that you don’t use Weems & Plath products yourself, the boats you enjoy sailing on, observing, and eating seafood from do. Their navigational tools give them an edge here and internationally, as Morris pointed out.
Weems & Plath product dictates the audience they reach, so those involved in boating and navigation are the ones most impacted. Weems & Plath in Annapolis is convenient and overlooks the lovely Chesapeake Bay. I hope, however, that you can still see how valuable Weems & Plath is even if you’re not a boIt’s no secret that Annapolis makes a significant contribution to the history of navigation, as you now know.ater. Boating companies in this area can rely on it for safety, knowledge, and reliable materials. The Plebes can begin navigating using these tools. When I was there, Weems & Plath was putting together packages for I-Day that included charts and tools.
Finally, it’s fascinating to see and hear about a different side of boating than what most people are aware of. Now, you know a thing or two about the importance of precise navigation and the history made right here in Annapolis from which it stems.
