TopSide Marinas

What TopSide Marinas does

TopSide Marinas (a DBA of MEP Marinas OpCo LLC) is a Frisco, Texas-based acquirer and long-term operator of U.S. marinas, founded in 2020 by Stephen Lehn and Jacob M. Boan. The company targets well-run marinas in strong boating communities and acquires them from owners seeking succession or exit, emphasizing legacy preservation and operational continuity over quick-flip exits. Across roughly five years, the platform has grown to 10 marina locations spanning Texas (North Point, April Plaza, Rock Creek, Campbell Point, Galveston Yacht), the Midwest/Great Lakes (Larsen Marine, Bay Marine Chicago, Bay Marine Sturgeon Bay, Bay Harbor, Beavers Bend), Missouri (Cape Fair, Hideaway, Pikes Bay, Rathbun Lake), and other states, employing 101–250 people.

The business generates revenue from a stack of marina services at each property: annual, seasonal, and transient wet-slip rentals (subscription/recurring); dry stack and winter storage (subscription/recurring); full-service boat repair and maintenance (professional services); ship's store retail (boating accessories, apparel, emergency supplies); fuel docks; and pump-out stations. The company also operates an in-house dock-building subsidiary, and in November 2025 added a Jeanneau boat dealership channel through a partnership with Manitowoc Marina (a tenant at Larsen Marine). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set on a per-marina basis. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales for acquisitions — direct outreach, owner referrals, and a $75,000 Finder's Reward program (two checks already paid) — paired with content marketing via the company blog and founders' LinkedIn presence.

The leadership bench is the primary strategic asset. Both co-founders previously held senior roles at Suntex Marina Investors, where Lehn led approximately $750M of marina acquisitions across more than 44 locations and 12 business segments and Boan oversaw more than $350M of senior debt, preferred equity, and common equity transactions. Combined industry experience across the team is cited at 192+ years. The company is privately held under a holding structure (MEP Marinas OpCo LLC), with no public revenue, funding, or valuation disclosed, and no proprietary technology, software platform, or app referenced.

Name

TopSide Marinas

Legal name

MEP Marinas OpCo LLC

Website

https://topsidemarinas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

TopSide Marinas is a family-owned acquirer and long-term operator of U.S. marinas, founded in 2020 in Frisco, Texas. It operates 10 marinas across 6 states, offering slip rentals, storage, fuel, retail, and service to recreational boaters while partnering with marina owners on legacy-preserving ownership transitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Slip Rental Revenue: Annual, seasonal, and transient slip rentals for boat owners at marina locations. Revenue generated through dock space rentals with various contract terms.
2. Boat Storage Services: Dry stack and outdoor storage for boats during off-seasons. Winter storage facilities with climate considerations for northern marina locations.
3. Service and Repair: Full-service marina operations including boat repair, maintenance, and service facilities. Professional staff provide certified maintenance services.
4. Retail/Marina Store Sales: Ship's Store operations selling boat-friendly drinkware, apparel, sunglasses, dry storage, emergency supplies, and convenience items. Marina retail serves as underutilized revenue opportunity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TopSide Marinas is a family-owned acquirer and long-term operator of marinas, currently owning and operating 10 marina locations across six U.S. states. The company generates recurring revenue through wet slip rentals, dry and winter boat storage, fuel dock sales, boat service and repair, ship store retail, and pump-out services, while also operating a dock building company and a Jeanneau boat sales partnership. The core business is acquiring well-run family-owned marinas and operating them under TopSide's centralized operational expertise.

Product overview

TopSide Marinas is a Texas-based, family-owned company that acquires, owns, and operates high-quality marinas throughout the United States. The company's portfolio spans 10 marina locations across six states, including properties in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. Core services include marina slip rentals (wet slips and dry storage), fuel dock operations, boat service and repair facilities, and retail ship stores. The company also operates a dock building company as part of its portfolio. Through partnerships like Manitowoc Marina, TopSide offers boat sales representing Jeanneau power and sail boats. Each marina in the portfolio maintains its unique character while benefiting from TopSide's operational systems and centralized resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio grown to 10 marinas across 6 states since founding in 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Manitowoc MarinacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 November 2025Manitowoc Marina is a boat dealership partner and tenant operating from within Larsen Marine in Waukegan, Illinois. The partnership provides boaters in the greater Chicago and Lake Michigan area access to Manitowoc Marina's full lineup of Jeanneau boats (power and sail). Manitowoc Marina has full-service locations in Manitowoc and Marinette, Wisconsin, and will represent Jeanneau from the new Waukegan location with Jeanneau 415 and Jeanneau 350 arriving in 2026. Brad Eckhardt serves as Head of Sales at Manitowoc Marina.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• OneWater Marine: Publicly traded boat-dealership consolidator with marina-adjacent operations across the US. Comparable as a larger, established marine-distribution incumbent pursuing an analogous acquisition strategy in the recreational boating ecosystem.
• MarineMax: Publicly traded US marine retailer and boat-dealership chain operating across boating-related services. Comparable as a broader marine-services incumbent with overlapping end customers and a parallel dealership/service distribution model.

Direct peers

• Safe Harbor Marinas: Largest US marina owner with 300+ marinas across 35 states, owned by Sun Communities. It is the most direct comparable to TopSide: a PE-backed acquirer and long-term operator of recreational marinas pursuing the same fragmented family-owned marina base.
• Oasis Marinas: PE-backed marina operator pursuing an acquisition-led growth strategy across US marinas. Smaller in scale than TopSide's largest peers but operates in the same product category and target market.
• IGY Marinas: Operator of a global network of luxury marinas serving recreational boating customers. While more upscale, it is directly comparable as a multi-site marina owner/operator with similar slip-rental and hospitality-driven revenue model.
• Suntex Marina Investors: Texas-based, PE-backed marina operator and acquirer where both TopSide co-founders previously worked. It pursues an identical roll-up strategy in the same US marina market and is the closest comparable business model.
• Westrec Marinas: Historical marina management and acquisition company (now operating under Suntex). As a legacy marina consolidator with a multi-site operating model, it is a relevant comparable for TopSide's strategy.

Others

• Sun Communities: Publicly traded real estate REIT and parent of Safe Harbor Marinas. Relevant as the public-market capital partner behind the largest marina consolidator and as an indicator of institutional capital flowing into the marina asset class.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TopSideMarinas
• Facebookfacebook.com/TopSideMarinas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/topsidemarinas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about TopSide Marinas