Converting a string to a class name

ArrayList<Customer> cust = new ..

Type elementType = Type.GetType("Customer");
Type listType = typeof(List<>).MakeGenericType(new Type[] { elementType });

object list = Activator.CreateInstance(listType);

Type hai = Type.GetType(classString,true);
Object o = (Activator.CreateInstance(hai));  //Or you could cast here if you already knew the type somehow