BEST IN CLASS : BEST INDUSTRY ADVOCATE
YARMOUTH , ME
Made up of a family of marine businesses , including Yarmouth Boat Yard , Moose Landing Marina , Freedom Boat Club of Maine , Maine Boating Academy , Sea Tow of Portland / Midcoast , and the Portland Sea Taxi , everything Marina Holdings does is to bring life on the water to as many people as possible .
And to make sure the recreational boating industry and the boating lifestyle has the biggest spotlight possible , Marina Holdings and its businesses stay involved with a mile-long list of various groups , associations , councils and beyond .
From nationwide groups like the Association of Marina Industries and the American Boat & Yacht Council , to more local groups like the Freeport and Portland Chamber of Commerce and many more in between , Marina Holdings ’ mission is clear : live for boating and share it with everyone they can .
As one of the two main parts of Marina Holdings ’ business , Yarmouth Boat Yard ( YBY ) is located on the Royal River with easy access to the open waters of Maine ’ s Casco Bay . A full-service marina , YBY has 110 slips and can accommodate boats up to 46 feet . With slip space at 100 % full , YBY has a sizeable waiting list for its slips . YBY features a 2,200-square-foot sales and service building with sales and administration offices on the top level and service writers , parts , and the ship ’ s store located on the bottom . There business also has an 8,500-square-foot heated service building , allowing the team to work on boat service projects throughout the winter months and meet customer demands for routine maintenance , retrofits , repowers , engine overhauls , as well as marine electronic installation projects in the offseason .
Marina Holdings ’ Moose Landing Marina ( MLM ) – the other main staple of the company ’ s business -- is located in Naples , Maine . The 15-acre property is the largest on-water facility in the Maine Lakes Region with over 1,000 feet of water frontage . Located on Brandy Pond , which connects to Long Lake and Sebago Lake , MLM customers can enjoy over 44 miles of boating from the facility . The full-service marina features over 200 deep-water slips , with grounds offering patios , grills , a ship ’ s store , a boat launch ramp , a double-sided fuel dock , two large bathhouses with showers , and a fleet of over 60 rental boats . In addition , MLM has an 800-square-foot boat rental office building , a 4,000-square-foot service / administration office , and one service building .
Using these businesses and its list of other marine businesses , Marina Holdings placed a large emphasis on bringing boating to the masses throughout 2022 . One of the biggest ways to promote boating came while looking for a way to attract more new boaters and help retain existing ones , and with that in mind , Marina Holdings launched Maine Boating Academy in 2022 .
“ Through our Freedom Boat Club operations , we saw firsthand the value and popularity of boat training . A high percentage of our boat club members are new boaters ,” Marina Holdings owner Steve Arnold said . “ Offering safety and navigation training as part of the membership has been a vital aspect in the success and growth of our club . So , we decided to create a similar offering for our retail boat sales customers and prospects .”
The team at Marina Holdings established a full team of U . S . Coast
Guard-licensed training captains to provide customized training on either a customer ’ s boat or on Marina Holdings ’ branded training boat .
Aside from the new venture in boating safety and training , Marina Holdings also took 2022 to double-down on its efforts in investing not only in its future business success , but also industry colleagues by further getting involved in its 20 Group on a whole new level .
By involvement in a wide variety of industry organizations – both local and on a national level – Marina Holdings ensures that boating will have a long-held place in both current and future customers ’ hearts .
“ We strive to become a part of our customer ’ s family boating tradition , working to build lasting relationships ,” Arnold said . “ We want our customers to reach out to us for all their boating needs , now and in the future .”
Marina Holdings ’ industry involvement and advocacy organizations :
Association of Marina Industries ( AMI ) Board Member American Boat & Yacht Council Member Boothbay Chamber of Commerce Member Certified Professional Yacht Broker Member Freedom Boat Club 20 Group with David Parker Retail Boat Dealership 20 Group with David Parker Freedom Boat Club National Marketing Council Member Freedom Boat Club National Fleet Advisory Council Member Freedom Boat Club National Business Services Council Member Freeport Chamber of Commerce Member Maine Island Trail Association Partner Business Maine Marine Trades Association Board Member Marine Marketers of America Member Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Member National Marine Manufacturers Association Member Portland Chamber of Commerce Member Town of Yarmouth Harbor & Waterfront Committee Member Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce Member YBAA - Association of Yacht Sales Professionals Member
www . boatingindustry . com january 2024
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