Celebrating
Heritage and Innovation: WRHCC Visits Neoteric Hovercraft
On May 14, 2025, Neoteric Hovercraft welcomed 20 members of
the Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission (WRHCC) to our Terre Haute
facility as part of their Heritage quarterly meeting activities. The visit
offered a unique blend of history, environmental stewardship, and cutting-edge
innovation—highlighting the shared significance of the Wabash River to
both our company’s past and the region’s future.
A Full Day Rooted in Community
The day began with a morning wetland walk at Dewey Point,
followed by a mid-morning tour of Neoteric’s factory at 1649 Tippecanoe St.,
where WRHCC members—including President Brendan Kearns, Vice President Arin
Shaver, and Secretary Dale Brier—received an up-close look at how
hovercraft are designed, assembled, and tested.
As part of the tour, Chris Fitzgerald delivered an
informative heritage presentation that connected the evolution of hovercraft
technology with the ecological and cultural history of the Wabash corridor.
Innovation Inspired by the River
In his presentation, Fitzgerald spoke to the origins of the
hovercraft, his early interest in aviation dating back to 1959, and his
motivation for establishing Neoteric in Terre Haute—a choice driven by the
proximity of the Wabash River and its potential for hovercraft application,
pilot training and testing.
He shared anecdotes about early hovercraft testing,
including a significant journey on July 29, 2015, launching from Shawnee town,
Illinois, 10 miles south of the confluence of the Wabash and Ohio rivers, and
continuing to Fort Recovery, Ohio on the 2nd of August at 5pm. These
moments underscored how essential the river has been to our development,
testing, and community engagement said Fitzgerald.
Visitors were treated to a rare inside look at Neoteric’s manufacturing
process:
- Lightweight
structural fabrication with aluminum, plastics, and fiberglass
- Skirt
system testing
- Fiberglass
Fabrication and part removal demonstrations
- Briggs
& Stratton and aircraft engine setup and assembly
In our best year over 55 hovercraft were built, exported to 55 countries, and our largest team of 22 employees which varies with orders. Neoteric stands as a global
leader in light hovercraft technology. Our largest customer to date has been in
Russia, but our roots remain deeply planted along the Wabash.
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| Fitzgerald Reviews the manufacturing process |
Looking Ahead: The Future of Hovercraft and the Wabash
During the tour, guests learned of our plans for a new, expanded facility, which will
include the U.S. Hovercraft Museum—a
future destination on the Wabash that aims to educate and inspire. As Chris
noted, the river isn’t just part of our history—it’s central to our future.
Hovercraft have the potential to become an iconic part of eco-tourism and historic exploration on the Wabash, supporting both recreation and conservation efforts along the corridor.
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| WRHCC Visit Neoteric |
A Thank You to the WRHCC
We are pleased to have hosted the WRHCC and thank them for their
ongoing work to preserve, protect, and promote the heritage of Indiana’s most
storied river. This visit reaffirmed the mutual value in uniting environmental
preservation, cultural history, and technological innovation.
