Gordy's Marine

What Gordy's Marine does

Gordy's Marine (legal entity: Gordy's Boat House, Inc.) is a privately held, family-owned boat dealership and marina operator founded in 1955 and headquartered in Fox Lake, Illinois, with its flagship operations in Fontana on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The company sells and services premium boat brands — Cobalt, Malibu, Axis, Balise, and Flamingo (electric pontoons) — across four regional locations in Wisconsin (Fontana/Lake Geneva, Delafield) and Illinois (Fox Lake, downtown Chicago), supplemented by service and storage facilities in Walworth (Cobalt Farms), Ixonia/Delafield, and Fox Lake. Boats range from $9,490 used to $585,211 new, with brand-specific proprietary features such as Cobalt's Surf Gate wave-generation technology, Malibu's wake-shaping systems, advanced ballast systems for wakeboarding/wakesurfing, and Volvo V8 forward-facing engine integration.

The business operates a multi-vertical revenue model combining one-time boat sales (new and pre-owned, plus consignment) with recurring and service-based streams: boat service and repair, seasonal winterization/summerization, detailing, prop repair, indoor/outdoor boat storage on annual contracts, daily/hourly boat rentals, a subscription boat club, water sports instruction (wakeboard/wakesurf/water ski schools and camps), a pro shop (marine parts and Gordy's Gear merchandise sold via gordygear.com and gordysparts.com), a fuel dock, and four on-site hospitality venues (Boat House Restaurant & Bar, Cobalt Lounge, Surf Shack, Shore Shack). Financing is offered through Gordy's Marine Financial Services and lending partners.

The company serves primarily consumer customers across three personas — water sports enthusiasts, family boaters, and luxury/lifestyle boaters — with primary geographic focus on Wisconsin and Illinois lake communities and marketing presence extending into Minnesota and Iowa. Go-to-market is field-sales-driven through physical dealerships and experiential marketing (camps, schools, demo drives). Gordy's has earned Boating Industry's #1 Dealer in North America recognition two consecutive years, was inducted into the Boating Industry Hall of Fame, is MRAA-certified, and operates as a 101-250 employee organization without external investors or a parent company.

Name

Gordy's Marine

Legal name

Gordy's Boat House, Inc.

Website

https://gordysboats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gordy's Marine is a family-owned boat dealership and marina operator founded in 1955, selling and servicing premium brands (Cobalt, Malibu, Axis, Balise, Flamingo) across four Wisconsin and Illinois locations, with recurring revenue from storage, rentals, boat club, service, and on-site restaurants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boat Dealership and Marina Services

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222), Marinas (713930), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Boat & Personal Watercraft (PWC) Retail (CRAMAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Recreation Rentals & Tours Retail Counter (On-site Sales) (CRAMAIAM)

Keywords

• Boat dealership
• Marine sales
• Boat service
• Marina services
• Water sports instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Fox Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Boat Sales: Sales of new and pre-owned boats including wakeboard boats, wakesurf boats, pontoon boats, and runabout/bowrider boats. Products range from entry-level models ($9,490 used) to premium vessels ($585,211 new).
2. Boat Service & Repair: Comprehensive marine services including boat service and repair, winterization, summerization, interior and exterior detailing, and prop repair/replacement.
3. Boat Rentals & Boat Club: Boat rental services including wake and surf boat rentals, water sports equipment rentals, and boat club membership program.
4. Pro Shop & Parts: Sales of marine gear including wakesurf boards, wakeboards, skis, tubes, life jackets, and Gordy's branded merchandise. Online shopping available through gordygear.com and gordysparts.com.
5. Restaurants & Hospitality: Food and beverage operations including Boat House Restaurant & Bar, Cobalt Lounge, Surf Shack, and Shore Shack waterfront dining establishments.
6. Boat Storage: Boat storage services at multiple locations including Cobalt Farms in Walworth, WI, Delafield/Ixonia, WI, and Fox Lake, IL facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gordy's Marine is a multi-location boat dealership and full-service marina founded in 1955 that sells new and pre-owned premium boats (Cobalt, Malibu, Axis, Balise, Flamingo), provides boat service and repair, seasonal storage, boat rentals and a boat club membership, water sports instruction camps and schools, a pro shop for marine gear, and on-site waterfront restaurants and bars. The company operates across Wisconsin and Illinois as a complete boating lifestyle destination.

Product overview

Gordy's Marine is a multi-location boat dealership and marina operating since 1955, offering a comprehensive boating lifestyle platform. The company sells and services premium boat brands including Cobalt, Malibu, Axis, Balise, and Flamingo pontoon boats. Beyond boat sales, the offering includes full-service maintenance and repair, boat storage at multiple facilities, daily rentals and a boat club membership program, instructional camps for wakeboard/wakesurf/water skiing, and a pro shop for gear and accessories. The marina experience is complemented by multiple on-site restaurants and bars (Boat House Restaurant & Bar, Cobalt Lounge, Surf Shack, Shore Shack), creating a complete lakeside lifestyle destination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Boat House Restaurant & Bar: Lakeside restaurant and bar located at 336 Lake Street, Fontana, WI 53125, open Mon-Sun 11AM-9PM
• Cobalt Lounge
• Surf Shack
• Shore Shack
• Gordy's Gear Pro Shop
• Gordy's Boat Club

Products and services

• Cobalt Boats Premium luxury boats including wakeboard, wakesurf, open bow, and sterndrive models from Cobalt, featuring advanced ballast systems, customizable wake technology, Surf Gate technology, and Volvo V8 engine options. Sold to individual consumers seeking high-performance water sports and luxury cruising boats.
• Malibu Boats Wakeboard and wakesurf boats from Malibu available in M-Series, LSV Series, MXZ Series, LX Series, and Crossover & Ski Series with advanced wake-shaping technology and high-performance engines. Sold to individual consumers seeking premium water sports boats.
• Axis Boats Entry-level wakeboard and wakesurf boats from Axis offering Surf Gate technology and reliable performance at more accessible price points, including models A245, A225, A20, T220, T235, T250. Sold to individual consumers entering the water sports market.
• Balise Pontoon Boats Luxury pontoon and tritoon boats from Balise including Horizon and Helix models with spacious layouts suitable for family gatherings and entertainment on the water. Sold to family and lifestyle boating consumers.
• Flamingo Pontoon Boats Electric pontoon boats from Flamingo including the Rove model, offering eco-friendly and quiet boating experiences for consumers seeking sustainable alternatives.
• Boat Service and Repair Full-service boat maintenance including engine diagnostics, advanced repairs, seasonal servicing, winterization, summerization, and routine maintenance for boat owners across all represented brands.
• Boat Detailing Interior and exterior boat detailing services for cosmetic and protective maintenance of customer vessels.
• Prop Repair and Replacement Propeller repair and replacement services for boat propulsion systems.
• Boat Storage Indoor and outdoor seasonal boat storage facilities at multiple locations including Cobalt Farms Walworth WI, Delafield/Ixonia WI, and Fox Lake IL.
• Boat Rentals Daily and hourly rentals of wake and surf boats and water sports equipment at marina locations, providing flexible lake access without ownership.
• Boat Club Subscription-based boat club membership offering members access to a fleet of boats without the cost of ownership, generating recurring monthly revenue and serving as a funnel to future boat purchases.
• Wakeboard and Wakesurf Camps Instructional camps for wakeboard and wakesurf training led by certified instructors, providing hands-on product experience while teaching water sports skills.
• Water Ski School Professional water ski instruction offered for all skill levels at the marina.
• Gordy's Pro Shop Retail shop offering wakesurf boards, wakeboards, skis, tubes, life jackets, and Gordy's Gear branded merchandise, with online shopping at gordygear.com.
• Boat House Restaurant and Bar Lakeside restaurant and bar at 336 Lake Street Fontana, WI, open daily 11AM-9PM, with associated Gordy's Rewards loyalty program.
• Cobalt Lounge On-site lounge offering dining and refreshments for boat club members and marina visitors.
• Surf Shack Casual beachfront dining establishment at 341 Lake Street Fontana, WI, open Fri-Sun 11AM-7PM.
• Shore Shack Outdoor lakeside dining shack at the Lake Geneva location, open weather permitting.
• Boat Financing Financing arranged through Gordy's Marine Financial Services and lending partners for boat purchases, with rates dependent on credit score, down payment, loan term, and vessel details.
• Boat Consignment Consignment service for selling pre-owned boats on behalf of owners through Gordy's dealership network.
• Fueling Dock Marine fueling services for boats at the marina, supporting customers using the rental fleet or storing vessels.
• Trade-In Valuation Trade-in valuation service allowing customers to apply the value of their current boat toward a new or pre-owned purchase at Gordy's.

Quantifiable outcome

• Boating Industry's #1 Dealer in North America two consecutive years
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Legendary Marine: Legendary Marine operates multiple locations across the Gulf Coast representing premium wake, surf, and sport boat brands. It shares Gordy's emphasis on premium brand dealership plus full-service marina and storage offerings.
• MarineMax: MarineMax is the largest recreational boat and yacht retailer in the United States, operating over 130 locations across multiple states. It is the most directly comparable publicly traded peer to Gordy's, sharing the premium brand dealership, marina, and brokerage model.
• OneWater Marine: OneWater Marine is a multi-location boat dealer representing premium brands across the Southeast and Midwest US. As a public peer with a similar full-service sales/service/marina model, it provides a relevant benchmark for Gordy's strategic positioning and unit economics.
• Galati Yacht Sales: Galati Yacht Sales is a long-tenured, multi-location premium boat dealer on the Gulf Coast with deep brand relationships (including Cobalt). It shares Gordy's combination of premium brand representation, brokerage, service, and family ownership orientation.
• Prince William Marine Sales: Prince William Marine Sales is a family-owned multi-brand boat dealer on the Chesapeake Bay with sales, service, storage, and marina facilities. Its family-owned character and integrated service offering parallel Gordy's model.
• Hall's Marine: Hall's Marine is a multi-location boat dealership in the Upper Midwest (MN/WI) selling premium wake and surf brands. Its geographic overlap with Gordy's Wisconsin/Illinois markets and similar focus on Malibu/Axis/Cobalt makes it a close regional peer.
• Skipper Bud's: Skipper Bud's is a family-owned Midwest boat dealer operating multiple locations across Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Florida. It directly competes with Gordy's in overlapping markets for premium brand sales and service, making it the closest geographic peer.
• Austin Boats and Motors: Austin Boats and Motors is a multi-line Texas-based boat dealer with service, storage, and rentals. It mirrors Gordy's full-service dealership model and is recognized on industry Top 100 lists, making it a relevant scale and operating-model peer.

Broad incumbents

• Brunswick Corporation: Brunswick is the largest US marine manufacturer and owner of multiple boat brands plus Mercury Marine engines. It is a broad incumbent that supplies propulsion and boats into the dealer channel that Gordy's operates in.
• Malibu Boats: Malibu Boats is a major manufacturer of wake/surf boats that Gordy's represents. While not a dealer competitor, its brand strategy, dealer network, and product roadmap directly shape Gordy's revenue and competitive position.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gordysmarine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtwnAv4q_hMyvyi8Gkl16MA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/gordys.marine
• Instagraminstagram.com/gordysmarine

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Gordy's Marine