Gage Marine

What Gage Marine does

Gage Marine Corporation is a privately held, third-generation family-owned Wisconsin company that operates a vertically integrated portfolio of marine, hospitality, and retail businesses anchored around Wisconsin's lake communities. The company traces its origins to 1873 as the Lake Geneva Steamboat Line and was acquired by the Gage family in 1958; it is currently led by Bill Gage Jr. as President and CEO, with FJ Frazier serving as COO. Headquartered at 1 Liechty Drive in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, Gage Marine operates across multiple locations including Williams Bay, Delavan, Fontana, Minocqua, Lake Geneva, and Green Lake.

The company's core revenue streams span five business lines: (1) boat sales and service at multi-location dealerships distributing premium brands including Chris-Craft, Boston Whaler, MasterCraft, Bennington Pontoons, and Monterey Boats; (2) the Lake Geneva Cruise Line, operating eight boats including historic vessels dating to 1898, offering public tours, charters, and the nation's longest-running freshwater mailboat delivery service; (3) hospitality through PIER 290, Lake Geneva's only on-water restaurant, the recently acquired Norton's of Green Lake Supper Club (1948), and Lake Life Catering; (4) marina and pier services including the largest indoor boat storage facility in Wisconsin; and (5) retail through the Lake Life Store. The company was ranked #3 in the Top 100 Dealers in the United States and Canada and named Dealer of the Year by Boating Industry Magazine in 2025.

Gage Marine's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across physical locations, supplemented by online reservations, phone bookings, and brand-specific websites for each business unit. The company employs approximately 40 people and serves a diversified customer base including lake tourists, boat owners, restaurant diners, event hosts, and retail consumers across Wisconsin's Lake Geneva, Minocqua, and Green Lake markets. Recent strategy has focused on inorganic expansion through acquisitions of established local businesses in adjacent lake markets.

Name

Gage Marine

Legal name

Gage Marine Corporation

Website

https://gagemarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gage Marine Corporation is a third-generation family-owned Wisconsin company operating vertically integrated boat dealerships, the Lake Geneva Cruise Line, lakeside restaurants (PIER 290, Norton's by Gage), catering, retail, and marina services across multiple Wisconsin lake markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Marine and Lake Hospitality Services

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Marinas (71393)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Boat & Personal Watercraft (PWC) Retail (CRAMAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Boat dealership
• Marina services
• Lake cruises
• Lakeside dining
• Marine hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Williams Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Boat Sales and Service: New and pre-owned boat sales along with repair and storage services at dealership locations in Delavan and Minocqua, Wisconsin. Sells premium brands including Chris-Craft, Boston Whaler, MasterCraft, Bennington Pontoons, and Monterey Boats.
2. Lake Cruises and Tours: Public tours, charter cruises, and specialty experiences (Santa Cruise, Mailboat Tours) operated through Lake Geneva Cruise Line with eight boats serving Lake Geneva.
3. Restaurant and Catering: Upscale lakeside dining at PIER 290 restaurant and event catering services through Lake Life Catering, serving both walk-in guests and private events.
4. Retail Merchandise: Lake Life Store sells apparel and home decor merchandise capturing the Lake Geneva lifestyle brand.
5. Marina Services: Boat storage, pier services, and marina operations at multiple Wisconsin lake locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gage Marine sells new recreational boats from premium brands (Chris-Craft, Boston Whaler, MasterCraft, Bennington Pontoons, Monterey Boats) and provides marina services including boat storage and pier slips on Wisconsin lakes. It also operates the Lake Geneva Cruise Line (public sightseeing cruises, private charters, themed cruises, and the Iron Hog party boat), PIER 290 Restaurant, Lake Life Catering for private events, and the Lake Life Store retail shop.

Product overview

Gage Marine operates a diversified hospitality and marine services company centered around the 'Lake Life' concept. The core portfolio includes Lake Geneva Cruise Line (cruise tours and charters), Gage Marine Boat Sales & Service (premium boat dealership with brands like Chris-Craft, Boston Whaler, MasterCraft), Gage Marine Pier Services, PIER 290 Restaurant (lakeside dining), Lake Life Catering, and the Lake Life Store (apparel/home décor). Recent expansion includes Minocqua and Green Lake locations acquired through strategic acquisitions of Stengl Marine, Lake Street Marina, and Norton's of Green Lake Supper Club. The company was founded in 1873 and is third-generation family-led.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chris-Craft Boat Sales Retail sales of new Chris-Craft recreational boats to individual consumers in the Lake Geneva region.
• Boston Whaler Boat Sales
• MasterCraft Boat Sales
• Bennington Pontoon Sales
• Monterey Boat Sales
• Marina Services
• Lake Geneva Cruise Line Public Cruises
• Private Charter Cruises
• Iron Hog Party Boat
• PIER 290 Restaurant
• Lake Life Catering
• Lake Life Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over a million passengers on Lady of the Lake
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Norton's of Green Lake Supper ClubcoreOthers · 1 January 2026Gage Marine acquired Norton’s of Green Lake Supper Club in 2026. The supper club, established in 1948, will operate as “Norton’s by Gage” and will continue serving dinner with the same menu classics and team. The acquisition further strengthens Gage Marine’s growing commitment to the Green Lake community.
• Lake Street MarinacoreOthers · 1 January 2025Acquired Lake Street Marina in Green Lake, Wisconsin in 2025. Founded by Beth Bosveld, the marina offers lakeside services for water enthusiasts. Upon acquisition, it became Gage Marine - Green Lake. The acquisition included 16 acres of land off Highway A for future development of a boat dealership and service center.
• Stengl MarinecoreOthers · 1 October 2023Acquired Stengl Marine in Minocqua, Wisconsin in 2023. Stengl Marine had served boaters in the Minocqua area for 45 years with MasterCraft and Barletta boat brands. The acquisition expanded Gage Marine into the Northwoods market, with Bill Stengl continuing as General Manager. The location now operates as Gage Marine, Minocqua and began offering Chris-Craft boats in addition to existing brands.
• The Boat HousecoreOthers · 1 January 2023Acquired The Boat House lakefront restaurant in Minocqua, Wisconsin in 2023 as part of the Minocqua expansion. The restaurant has over 130 years of history and complements the boat sales and service operations.
• Chris-Craft BoatsminorOthersGage Marine is an authorized dealer for Chris-Craft boats, a premium boat manufacturer. The company helped bring Chris-Craft back to life in 2004 and continues to sell their boats at Minocqua and other locations.
• MasterCraft BoatsminorOthersStengl Marine (now Gage Marine Minocqua) has been a dealer for MasterCraft boats for 45 years, representing one of the leading marine brands in the industry.
• Barletta BoatsminorOthersStengl Marine (now Gage Marine Minocqua) is an authorized dealer for Barletta boats, offering pontoon boats to the Minocqua market.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• OneWater Marine: A multi-location recreational boat dealer with a broad premium brand portfolio and significant marina operations. Closest publicly-traded analog to Gage Marine's dealership and marina business model, serving similar premium boat customers across multiple geographies.
• Suntex Marina Investors: A publicly-traded marina REIT operating recreational marinas across the US with a focus on slip leasing, boat storage, and fuel services. Closest public-market peer for Gage Marine's marina revenue stream and storage offerings.
• Safe Harbor Marinas: The largest operator of marinas in the United States, providing slip rentals, storage, and ancillary boating services. Directly comparable to Gage Marine's marina operations and storage business across its Wisconsin locations.

Regional players

• Shoreline Sightseeing: Chicago-based operator of lake and river sightseeing cruises, water taxis, and architecture tours. Comparable as a Midwest freshwater cruise operator with similar vessel-based tourism model to Lake Geneva Cruise Line, though operating in a different geography.
• Lake Lawn Resort: Historic lakeside resort and conference center in Delavan, Wisconsin. Directly comparable as a Wisconsin lake-region hospitality competitor for events, dining, and tourist accommodation overlapping Gage Marine's PIER 290, catering, and cruise offerings.
• Grand Geneva Resort & Spa: Large-scale resort, spa, and golf property in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Comparable as a regional hospitality competitor drawing on the same Lake Geneva tourist traffic that feeds Gage Marine's cruise line, PIER 290, and Lake Life Store.

Broad incumbents

• Cobalt Boats: Premium recreational boat manufacturer whose products are sold through a multi-state dealer network. Comparable as a competing premium OEM operating in the same dealership channel where Gage Marine holds its #3 ranking.
• Correct Craft: Parent company of premium boat brands including MasterCraft and Nautique. Directly relevant as a key OEM partner of Gage Marine, and comparable as a vertically-integrated premium marine manufacturer/dealer ecosystem.
• Bass Pro Shops: The largest outdoor recreation retailer in North America, selling boats, fishing, and marine lifestyle merchandise through its Bass Pro and Cabela's brands. Comparable as a broader outdoor/marine retail incumbent that overlaps with Gage Marine's dealership and lifestyle merchandise businesses.
• MarineMax: The largest recreational boat and yacht retailer in the United States, operating a national multi-brand dealership network. Comparable to Gage Marine's premium boat sales business at much greater scale, with similar multi-brand OEM relationships (including MasterCraft and Boston Whaler).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gage-marine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 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 Gage Marine