Marine Trades Institute

What Marine Trades Institute does

Marine Trades Institute (MTI) is a non-profit, post-secondary trade school headquartered at 485 S Meridian Road, Cedarville, Michigan 49719, in the Upper Peninsula. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and operates as the only accredited institution specializing in marine trades in the Great Lakes Region, also doing business as the Great Lakes Boat Building School.

MTI's product is a 12-month, hands-on applied learning curriculum in which approximately 80% of instructional time occurs in shop-like environments and on-the-water settings. The core program portfolio comprises Comprehensive Career Boat Building, Marine Service Technology, Accelerated Training Programs, and CTE Professional Development. Students graduate with professional certifications and practical experience applicable to boat construction, marine engine and electrical systems, and general marine service and repair. The institution is actively admitting cohorts for 2025, 2026, and 2027.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: student tuition for the 12-month programs (with financial aid, scholarships, and sponsorships layered in), donations from alumni and community supporters through student enrichment and scholarship funds, and industry sponsorships from marine employers in exchange for a graduate recruitment pipeline (Waltstrom Marine is the one named employer). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the marinetrades.edu website with inquiry forms, an online application portal, campus visits, community outreach, employer connections, and a dedicated veterans track. The customer base comprises individuals seeking maritime careers, military veterans using education benefits, and marine industry employers seeking skilled labor.

Name

Marine Trades Institute

Legal name

Marine Trades Institute

Website

https://glbbs.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marine Trades Institute is a non-profit, ACCSC-accredited post-secondary trade school in Cedarville, Michigan, offering 12-month hands-on programs in boat building and marine service technology, serving prospective students, veterans, and marine industry employers across the Great Lakes Region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Trades Vocational Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Engineering & Engine Room Operations (EDAOANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Merchant Marine & Deck Operations (EDAOANAA)

Keywords

• Marine trades education
• Boat building school
• Marine service technology
• Hands-on vocational training
• Post-secondary trade school

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedarville

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Revenue generated from student tuition for 12-month marine trades programs including boat building and marine service technology. Financial aid, scholarships, and sponsorships support student affordability.
2. Donations and Industry Support: Non-profit institution receives donations from alumni, industry supporters, and community members through student enrichment funds and scholarship funds.
3. Industry Sponsorships: Marine industry employers provide sponsorship opportunities supporting students in exchange for potential future recruitment pipeline.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Marine Trades Institute is a non-profit, post-secondary trade school that delivers 12-month hands-on programs teaching boat building and marine service technology through shop-based applied learning. Its core curriculum spans Comprehensive Career Boat Building, Marine Service Technology, Accelerated Training Programs, and CTE Professional Development, with approximately 80% of student time spent in practical shop and on-water environments. Graduates receive professional certifications and are placed in marine industry positions across the Great Lakes Region.

Product overview

Marine Trades Institute is a non-profit, post-secondary trade school offering multiple 12-month hands-on marine trades programs in the Great Lakes Region. The institution operates as a unified educational platform with two primary programs—Comprehensive Career Boat Building and Marine Service Technology—supplemented by Accelerated Training Programs and CTE Professional Development offerings. All programs emphasize practical, shop-based learning with approximately 80% of student time spent in hands-on training environments. The portfolio is designed to serve students seeking direct career pathways into the marine industry, with programs providing both foundational skills and professional certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Career Boat Building A 12-month hands-on boat building program that provides students with practical skills and experience in boat construction, repair, and maintenance using shop-based training settings. Intended for prospective students seeking careers in boat building within the marine trades industry.
• Marine Service Technology A 12-month marine technology program focused on training students in marine engine systems, electrical systems, and general marine service and repair. Intended for students pursuing service technician careers in the marine industry.
• Accelerated Training Programs Intensive accelerated marine trades training programs designed to quickly equip students with specialized skills for the marine trades industry. Offered as a complement to the institute's two main 12-month programs.
• CTE Professional Development Career and Technical Education professional development programs for educators and industry professionals seeking to enhance their skills or teaching capabilities in marine trades. Sold as a standalone continuing-education offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates find employment in leading marine industry positions across the Great Lakes Region
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• New England Institute of Technology: NEIT offers broader vocational and technical programs with some marine technology offerings. It is an indirect comparable as a multi-trade vocational institution.

Broad incumbents

• Maine Maritime Academy: Maine Maritime Academy is an established maritime college offering officer-track and technical programs. It is a broader incumbent in maritime vocational education with overlapping but not directly competitive programs.
• Great Lakes Maritime Academy: Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City is a broader incumbent in Great Lakes maritime education, training licensed mariners for commercial shipping rather than trades. It shares regional market and employer relationships.

Direct peers

• Landing School: Landing School in Arundel, Maine is a non-profit vocational institution offering hands-on marine industry programs (boatbuilding, yacht design, marine systems). It is the closest direct peer to MTI in mission, methodology, and target student.
• IYRS School of Technology & Trades: IYRS in Newport, Rhode Island offers hands-on programs in marine trades, composite technology, and digital modeling. It competes directly with MTI for students interested in applied marine trades training.
• Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building: Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock, Washington is a non-profit trade school focused on wooden boat construction and marine crafts. It is a direct peer in boat building vocational education.

Regional players

• Skagit Valley College Marine Technology Program: Skagit Valley College in Washington state offers a marine technology program focused on vessel maintenance and repair. It is a regional player with comparable curriculum but on the U.S. West Coast rather than the Great Lakes.

Emerging players

• Chapman School of Seamanship: Chapman School in Stuart, Florida provides hands-on marine career training with overlap to MTI's marine service technology track, though focused on seamanship and vessel operation.
• Sea School: Sea School provides USCG-approved maritime safety and licensing courses. It is an adjacent training provider that touches the marine credentialing space MTI operates in.
• Tidewater Community College Maritime Technology Center: TCC's Maritime Technology Center in Virginia offers marine technical training programs with overlap to MTI's service technology curriculum, though in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

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 Marine Trades Institute