Rex Marine Center

What Rex Marine Center does

Rex Marine Center, Inc. is a privately held, fourth-generation family-owned full-service marina founded in 1936 in Norwalk, Connecticut by Louis Gardella as Connecticut's first Chris Craft dealer. The company operates a single harbor-front facility at 144 Water St in South Norwalk, providing seasonal dockage, dry-rack storage, engine service and repower, brokerage sales, parts and accessories, and seasonal commissioning/winterization for recreational powerboats up to 50 feet LOA. Its Valet Rack Service (VRS), introduced in 1989, is a differentiated dry-stack offering providing 5-minute launches and 24/7 boat access, supported by a recent $500,000 investment in a Wiggins Marina Bull forklift and a BoatCloud self-serve scheduling app.

The business is monetized through five primary revenue streams: recurring seasonal dockage and storage subscriptions (priced per foot LOA, e.g., $229/ft summer dockage, $152/ft indoor VRS, $117/ft winter indoor rack), transaction-fee yacht brokerage commissions on pre-owned boat sales, hardware sales of new boats, outboard motors, trailers and electronics under authorized-dealer relationships (Formula, Mercury, Suzuki, Yamaha, Mercruiser, Zodiac, Garmin, Venture, Load-Rite), and professional services for engine maintenance, repower, winterization, and spring commissioning. Customer segments are primarily individual recreational boat owners in the Northeast U.S., with a secondary commercial marine operations segment. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via the physical marina, a website e-commerce storefront for inventory and service applications, direct phone sales, the BoatCloud self-serve app, and a Facebook/newsletter presence.

Rex Marine holds authorized-dealer and factory-certified service status with the major outboard and inboard engine brands, which is the primary technical backbone of its service offering. The firm is Connecticut's only marina to receive Mercury Marine's CSI Award for Outstanding Customer Service eight consecutive years, and operates an affiliated Rex Boating Club offering a boat-ownership alternative whose retired units flow back into Rex Marine brokerage inventory.

Name

Rex Marine Center

Legal name

Rex Marine Center, Inc.

Website

https://rexmarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rex Marine Center is a fourth-generation, family-owned full-service marina in Norwalk, Connecticut, offering seasonal dockage, Valet Rack dry-stack storage, engine service, brokerage, and parts for recreational powerboat owners up to 50 feet in the Northeast U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marina Services

NAICS

Marinas (71393), Boat Dealers (441222), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Parts, Accessories & Maintenance Supplies Retail (CRAMAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Trailer & Transport Equipment Retail (CRAMAIAL), Piping, HVAC & Auxiliary Systems Repair (TLAKAKAH), Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Boat brokerage services
• Marina storage services
• Marine engine service
• Valet rack storage
• Boat sales dealer

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dockage & Storage Services: Seasonal and monthly slip rentals, Valet Rack Service (VRS), indoor and outdoor storage for vessels up to 50 feet. Revenue from dockage fees, summer and winter storage contracts.
2. Boat Sales - Brokerage: Brokerage yacht sales, listing and selling pre-owned boats for customers. Commission-based revenue from boat sales transactions.
3. Parts & Accessories Sales: Authorized dealer for Formula Boats, Mercruiser, Zodiac Inflatables, Mercury, Suzuki, Yamaha Outboards, Venture & Load-Rite Trailers, Garmin. Sales of parts, accessories, and motors.
4. Engine Service & Repower: Factory-certified technicians service all makes and models up to 50 feet. Services include engine service (inboard, outboard, sterndrive), winterization, spring commissioning, and engine repower installations.
5. New Motor Sales: Sales of new outboard motors including Mercury, Suzuki, and other major brands. Engines over 25hp must be installed by Rex Marine or sold to authorized dealers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rex Marine Center is a full-service marina in Norwalk, Connecticut, selling Valet Rack Service (dry rack storage with on-demand 5-minute launches), seasonal and winter dockage, factory-certified engine service and repower, brokerage sales of pre-owned boats, parts and accessories from major marine brands, and seasonal spring commissioning and winterization services for powerboats up to 50 feet.

Product overview

Rex Marine Center is a full-service marina operating since 1936, offering a comprehensive portfolio of marine services and products. The core offering centers on Valet Rack Service (VRS) for on-demand boat storage and launching up to 42' LOA, complemented by seasonal Dockage & Storage services for vessels up to 50 feet. Professional services include Engine Service (inboard, outboard, sterndrive), Spring Commissioning, Winterization, Engine Repower & Installation, and Brokerage Boat Sales. The retail operations include Parts & Accessories sales and new boat offerings across multiple brands including Formula Boats, Zodiac Inflatables, and Highfield. Engine/motor sales feature Mercury (Verado, FourStroke, Avator electric, SeaPro, Bravo, MerCruiser) and Suzuki (DF series including Stealth Line) product lines. A proprietary BoatCloud digital platform enables customers to schedule launches and haul requests. The company is Connecticut's only marina to receive Mercury Marine's CSI Award for Outstanding Customer Service eight years in a row.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Valet Rack Service (VRS) On-demand boat launch and dry rack storage service for powerboats up to 42' LOA, providing 5-minute launches during operating hours and 24/7 access to stored vessels. Targeted at recreational powerboat owners seeking convenience and off-season storage.
• Summer Dockage & Storage

Quantifiable outcome

• Mercury Marine's CSI Award for Outstanding Customer Service - 8 consecutive years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Formula Boats & YachtscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Formula Boats & Yachts, both new and pre-owned. On-site Formula Boats display at marina location.
• Mercury Marine / MercruisercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer and service center for Mercury, Mercruiser, and Verado engines. Factory-certified warranty service center.
• Suzuki MarinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer and service center for Suzuki outboard motors. Factory-certified warranty service.
• Yamaha Motor CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Yamaha outboard motors. Factory-certified warranty service center.
• Zodiac InflatablescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Zodiac Inflatables, positioned as leaders in inflatable boat sales.
• GarminminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Garmin marine electronics and navigation equipment.
• Venture Trailers / Load-Rite TrailersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Venture and Load-Rite boat trailers.
• Norwalk Cove MarinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearby marina partnership. Fallback tie-up location for Rex Marine VRS customers after hours. Gas dock available 7pm-8am free of charge. Provides additional dockage options.
• Rex Boating ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated entity offering boat ownership alternative. Referenced as 'The Ownership Alternative' at www.rexboatingclub.com. Boats retired from club program sold through Rex Marine brokerage.
• Chaparral Boats / Highfield InflatablesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOn-site dealers A&S Boats represent Chaparral Boats and Highfield Inflatables at Rex Marine location.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• West Marine: Largest U.S. marine parts, accessories, and boating supplies retailer. Comparable to Rex Marine's parts and accessories retail business, though operates at national scale with a different distribution model.
• Defender Marine: Established marine supply retailer serving recreational boaters with parts, accessories, and equipment. Comparable to Rex Marine's parts and accessories retail segment.
• Suntex Marinas: Multi-location U.S. marina operator providing dockage, storage, and fuel services. Represents scaled competition for regional marina storage and service revenue.
• Safe Harbor Marinas: Largest marina operator in the United States with a portfolio of full-service marinas. Represents the scaled consolidator competing for Northeast boating customers and dealer relationships.
• Brewer Yacht Yards (Safe Harbor): Network of full-service marinas across the Northeast (now part of Safe Harbor Marinas). Operates at greater scale with multiple locations offering dockage, storage, and service similar to Rex Marine.

Direct peers

• New England Boatworks: Rhode Island-based full-service boatyard offering storage, repair, and brokerage. Comparable in service mix to Rex Marine's engine service, winterization, and brokerage businesses.
• Hinckley Yacht Services: Northeast premium full-service marina and yacht services operator offering dockage, storage, brokerage, and engine service. Comparable to Rex Marine's premium service model and target customer segment.
• Conanicut Marina: Northeast full-service marina in Jamestown, RI, offering dockage, valet storage, fuel, brokerage, and service comparable in scope to Rex Marine's Norwalk operation.
• Norwalk Cove Marina: Neighboring full-service marina in Norwalk, CT, offering similar dockage, storage, fuel, and service for recreational boaters. Rex Marine partners with them for after-hours fallback dockage, reflecting directly comparable operations and customer base.
• Boatyard (Boatyard USA / Mystic Shipyard): Northeast boatyard offering storage, hauling, and engine service comparable to Rex Marine's marine service operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rexmarinecenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Rex Marine Center