Diesel Engine Sales Company, or DESCO, one of the largest companies building shrimp trawlers in the world, became the widely recognized and successful Ring Power in 1962. Here are photographs of DESCO employees posing for their 1200th boat launching in the 1960s along with the present-day employees of Ring Power outside the company headquarters at St. John’s County World Commerce Center.
Here at the First Light Maritime Society, we have long celebrated the rich history of the shrimping industry centered in St. Augustine (we even had a shrimping float in the Easter Parade one year!) Our port was known for its shrimp boat building, and the most successful of these companies by far was DESCO, or Diesel Engine Sales Company. This company became Ring Power in 1962, and we are pleased to congratulate them on turning 50 years old this year!
You can read more about the company’s history and its maritime roots in the great front-page story in the St. Augustine Record. The founder of the company, L.C. “Ring” Ringhaver, worked his way up through the DESCO ranks to become sole owner, and subsequent founder of Ring Power. His youngest son, Randy Ringhaver, now serves as the chairman and president. Mr.Ringhaver is a strong supporter of our community’s maritime heritage and the company has provided funding for, among many other community charities, our publication of an upcoming book on St. Augustine’s shrimping history–Shrimp Boats Are Coming–written by our partner Ed Long. Another recent donation was made to the museum’s collections, a compilation of DESCO company photographs.
