Zimmerman Marine

What Zimmerman Marine does

Zimmerman Marine, Inc. is a private, employee-owned (ESOP) marine service company founded in 1981 by Steve Zimmerman and headquartered in Cardinal, Virginia. The company operates six full-service boatyard locations spanning the Mid-Atlantic cruising corridor from Herrington Harbour, Maryland to Charleston, South Carolina, after closing its Solomons, MD location in August 2025. Its service portfolio is built around three core product lines: (1) Repair and maintenance services (engine work, marine electrical, fiberglass structural repairs, painting, varnish, carpentry, and repowers) delivered by ABYC-certified technicians; (2) Custom boat building, a heritage capability exercised since 1983 with documented construction of more than 20 bespoke vessels; and (3) the Yacht Purchase Support program, a free buyer-advocacy service for used cruising yachts valued at $300,000 or more that bundles pre-purchase assessment, survey management, and one year of post-purchase technical support.

The underlying technology and equipment base is capital-intensive and physical: travelifts ranging from 35 to 75 tons, a 50-ton hydraulic trailer capable of hauling catamarans up to 32 feet in beam, more than 18,000 square feet of heated indoor workbay space, and over 900 feet of dock space across the network. The Mathews, VA yard is the flagship facility and an Authorized Lagoon Catamaran Service Center, while the company as a whole holds Authorized Service Center status for Selene Yachts Americas. Approximately 85 employees operate across the network.

The business model is a professional services model with hardware pass-through: revenue is generated from labor billed against work orders plus marine parts and materials, with quote-based pricing tied to boat size and scope of work. The Yacht Purchase Support program is provided at no cost to buyers and functions as a customer-acquisition funnel for downstream service revenue. The company has no external equity or debt funding disclosed and operates as a self-funded ESOP with a relationship-driven, direct-to-consumer go-to-market complemented by educational event marketing at Trawlerfest boat shows and thought-leadership content in industry publications such as Passagemaker.

Name

Zimmerman Marine

Legal name

Zimmerman Marine, Inc.

Website

https://zimmermanmarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zimmerman Marine is an employee-owned Mid-Atlantic marine service company operating six boatyard locations from Maryland to South Carolina, providing boat repair, maintenance, custom boat building, and yacht purchase advisory services to individual recreational boat owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking (TLAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Outfitting & Interior Refurbishment (TLAKAKAL), Piping, HVAC & Auxiliary Systems Repair (TLAKAKAH), Accommodation & Interior Outfit (Cabins, Galleys, Sanitary, Furniture) (IMAJAIAF)

Keywords

• Boat repair services
• Marine maintenance
• Custom boat building
• Yacht purchase support
• Boatyard services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tracys Landing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Boat Repair and Maintenance Services: Core revenue stream from boat repair, maintenance, refit, and modification services. Services include engine repairs, fiberglass structural repairs, electrical work, painting, varnish, carpentry, and custom boatbuilding. Labor and materials billed to customers.
2. Yacht Purchase Support Program: Buyer representation service for used boat purchases valued at $300k+. No additional cost to buyer; service funded through relationship-building that leads to future service work. Includes 1-year free technical support and 20% service credit up to $5,000.
3. Parts and Materials Sales: Sale of marine parts, supplies, and materials used in repair and maintenance work. Credit card payments accepted with 3% processing fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zimmerman Marine operates a network of six boatyard locations across the Mid-Atlantic providing boat maintenance, modification, repair, and refit services including engine repairs, fiberglass structural work, marine electrical, painting, varnish, and yacht carpentry. The company also designs and builds custom boats (26–56 ft) and runs a Yacht Purchase Support buyer advocacy program for used cruising yachts valued at $300,000 or more. All work is performed by ABYC-certified technicians at company-owned facilities equipped with travelifts and indoor work bays.

Product overview

Zimmerman Marine is an employee-owned marine service company operating a network of six service yards across the Mid-Atlantic region (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina). The company offers three core product lines: (1) Custom Boat Building — designing and constructing bespoke powerboats, sailboats, and catamarans using composite and cold-molded wood construction since 1983; (2) Repair & Service — comprehensive boat maintenance, engine repairs, marine electrical work, fiberglass repairs, painting, and carpentry delivered by ABYC-certified technicians; and (3) Yacht Purchase Support — a buyer advocacy program for used boat purchases valued at $300,000+, providing assessment, survey management, negotiation, and post-purchase warranty support. All seven service yards operate from a unified database, enabling customers to access service at any location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Boat Building Design and construction of custom powerboats, sailboats, and catamarans ranging from 26 to 56 feet using composite, cold-molded wood, and other construction methods; aimed at individual yacht owners seeking bespoke vessels.
• Repair and Service

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Selene Yachts AmericascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2024Zimmerman Marine named authorized service center for Selene Yachts. Partnership enables Selene owners to access ZMI's expertise, facilities, and Selene-specific resources for maintenance and repairs. ZMI gains access to Selene's parts, technical information, and engineering data.
• Lagoon CatamaranscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMathews, VA yard designated as authorized Lagoon Catamaran Service Center. Authorized to perform warranty work in conjunction with Lagoon's after-sales service department. Capable of servicing engines, generators, AC, watermakers, and performing haul-outs.
• Deaton Yacht ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZMI assumed operations of Deaton's facility in Oriental, NC in July 2021. Transition ensured continued boatyard services and preserved jobs for employees.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MarineMax: Public marine retailer and service provider (MBX) operating yacht service locations including repairs and brokerage across the U.S.; comparable to Zimmerman's model but as a national incumbent combining sales, service, and storage under one roof.
• Safe Harbor Marinas: Largest U.S. marina and boatyard operator with 130+ locations offering repair, storage, and service at scale. Overlaps with Zimmerman in Mid-Atlantic repair and storage but operates a much broader portfolio rather than specializing in the trawler/cruising niche.

Direct peers

• Jarrett Bay Boatworks: Full-service boatyard in Beaufort, NC providing marine repair, refit, and custom sportfish construction for serious cruising and sportfishing yacht owners - directly overlapping Zimmerman's premium service model in the Carolinas.
• RCR Yachts: Boatyard and yacht dealership operating in Buffalo, NY, Erie, PA, and into the Great Lakes, offering new boat sales, brokerage, and service - directly comparable to Zimmerman's combined repair/yacht-purchase-support model on the U.S. East Coast.
• Bradford Marine / Bradfords Yacht Sales: Multi-location yacht brokerage and marine service operation serving the Southeast U.S. and Bahamas; offers yacht sales, repair, and storage analogous to Zimmerman's bundling of service, storage, and Yacht Purchase Support.
• Hinckley Yacht Services: Network of premium yacht service yards across the East Coast (including Annapolis, Harbor Springs, Newport), offering repair, refit, storage, and brokerage support analogous to Zimmerman's full-service Mid-Atlantic network.
• Bay Marine: Multi-location Mid-Atlantic boatyard and marine service provider (Deltaville and other Chesapeake-area operations) competing for the same cruising/trawler repair and storage customers as Zimmerman.

Emerging players

• Bertram Yachts: Iconic sportfish/yacht brand with semi-custom production boat building where a ZMI service coordinator previously worked; comparable in vessel class and customer profile (serious owners seeking premium service) though Bertram is a builder rather than repair network.

Others

• Yachtworld: Leading online yacht brokerage marketplace; comparable to the buyer-side piece of Zimmerman's Yacht Purchase Support program but as a marketplace platform rather than a service provider.

Regional players

• Herrington Harbour North: Large Chesapeake Bay marina/yacht service facility located near Zimmerman's Herrington Harbour MD yard; comparable full-service trawler and yacht repair operations serving overlapping Maryland cruising customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ZimmermanMarine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zimmerman-marine

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zimmerman Marine