Kasten Marine - Yacht Brokerage

What Kasten Marine - Yacht Brokerage does

Kasten Marine is a privately held, full-service marine dealership and yacht brokerage headquartered at 857 W. State St, Hartford, Wisconsin, having relocated from the greater Richfield and Germantown area to a newer and larger facility on June 15, 2025. Founded circa 2005 and operating for nearly 20 years, the company serves recreational boat owners across Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and (for transport) the lower 48 United States, with a small staff of 1-10 employees. Its core products span pre-owned boat and yacht brokerage, ShoreStation boat lifts and Wave Armor floating docks as authorized dealer, custom wood docks, over 75,000 sq ft of climate-controlled and semi-climate-controlled indoor storage, full mechanical and cosmetic boat repair for model years 2000 and newer, marine parts and accessories retail (Quicksilver, Mercury, Volvo Penta, Yamaha, and others), and DOT-compliant transport and haul-out services for vessels up to 42 feet / 24,000 lbs. Premium dockside installation and removal service is provided exclusively to Big Cedar Lake waterfront property owners.

The business operates as a horizontal one-stop shop for recreational boating needs and monetizes through a diversified mix: single-commission transaction fees on brokerage sales, recurring annual storage subscriptions, project-based professional service fees for repair and transport, and hardware sales of lifts, docks, and parts. The customer base is almost entirely individual SMB and consumer recreational boaters (family cruisers, wakeboard and watersports enthusiasts, fishing boat buyers, weekend cruisers) and lakefront property owners; a smaller set of marina and boat-yard clients in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois uses the transport and haul-out services. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: walk-in consultations at the Hartford showroom, free in-person price evaluations for sellers, sales associates present for surveys and sea trials, and an organic digital presence via kastenmarine.us and social-share buttons on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. Pricing is not publicly disclosed beyond individual boat listing prices that start at approximately $7,995; storage, lift, dock, service, and transport pricing is quoted on contact.

The competitive position is anchored in the breadth of the integrated service offering, a service team carrying 100+ years of combined industry experience, the authorized ShoreStation dealer designation, and the exclusive Big Cedar Lake dockside relationship. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no public listing, and no signs of venture or institutional capital backing the business; reinvestment has been funded organically, evidenced by the Spring 2024 Elite Industries Fork Barge acquisition and the 2025 dealership relocation.

Name

Kasten Marine - Yacht Brokerage

Legal name

Kasten Marine

Website

https://kastenmarine.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kasten Marine is a privately held Wisconsin full-service marine dealership offering pre-owned boat brokerage, 75,000+ sq ft indoor storage, mechanical and cosmetic repair, parts retail, ShoreStation lift and dock sales, and DOT-compliant transport for recreational boat owners, lakefront property owners, and regional marinas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Boat and Yacht Brokerage: Commission-based boat and yacht sales with single commission fee model. Provides free in-person consultations and price evaluations to attract sellers.
2. Boat Storage: Indoor storage services with over 75,000 square feet of indoor storage including climate controlled and semi-climate controlled options. Services include bottom washing, boat washing, shrink wrapping, and boat lift vinyl removal.
3. Transport and Layup Services: Licensed and insured DOT compliant carrier for transport across lower 48 states. Haul out and launch service packages. Servicing marinas in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
4. Parts and Accessories Sales: Retail parts and accessories sales with in-stock items and ordering capability. Carries marine parts and accessories brands including Quicksilver, Sierra, Mercury, Yamaha, Volvo Penta, and others.
5. Service and Repair: Full service and repair center for boats model year 2000 and newer including inboard/stern drive repair, outboard repair, full tune-ups, computer diagnostics, electrical troubleshooting, engine rebuilding, and cosmetic maintenance.
6. Boat Lifts and Docks: Authorized ShoreStation dealer for boat lifts and docks. Custom wood docks with annual installation and removal services. Premium dockside service exclusive to Big Cedar Lake.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kasten Marine is a full-service marine dealership that buys, sells, and brokers pre-owned boats and yachts on a single-commission basis, while also providing indoor storage (75,000+ sq ft), full-service repair, parts and accessories retail, DOT-compliant boat transport, and ShoreStation boat lift and dock sales/installation. Operations are run from a single Hartford, Wisconsin facility serving recreational boaters and waterfront property owners in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Product overview

Kasten Marine is a boat dealership and yacht brokerage providing comprehensive marine services. The core offerings center on pre-owned boat sales through their brokerage division and ShoreStation boat lifts/docks as authorized dealer. Supporting services include full-service repair and maintenance, cosmetic boat care, indoor storage (climate and semi-climate controlled options), and transport/layup services across the Midwest. The parts and accessories division supplements these offerings with various marine brand products. The portfolio is organized around boat sales, boat lifts and docks, service/repair, storage, and transport—each a distinct operational pillar rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Owned Boat and Yacht Brokerage
• ShoreStation Boat Lifts
• Custom Wood Docks
• Wave Armor Floating Docks
• Boat Service and Repair
• Indoor Climate Controlled Storage
• Indoor Semi-Climate Controlled Storage
• Layup and Transport Services
• Parts and Accessories Retail
• Pre-Owned Boat Lifts

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Elite IndustriesminorOthers · 1 January 2024Acquired new Elite Industries Fork Barge in Spring 2024. Investment for the future of the Lift and Dock Division to enable more efficient installation and removal of docks and boat lifts.
• ShoreStationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized ShoreStation dealer offering ShoreStation boat lifts (gold standard for hoist style lifts) and ShoreStation docks. Kasten Marine offers annual installation and removal services.
• Wave ArmorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Wave Armor floating docks as part of their premium dockside service offerings for waterfront property owners.
• Marine Parts BrandscoreOthersParts distribution partnerships with major marine brands including Quicksilver, Sierra, SEI, WABAM, Maguire's, Interlux, Mercury, Volvo Penta, Yamaha, BRP/Evinrude/Johnson/OMC, Sea Choice, Star Brite, Attwood, Rule, CDI Electronics, Turning Point Propellers, and Rush-co Marine Vinyl.
• Marina/Breast Marina PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService partnerships with McKinley Marina (Milwaukee, WI), Port Washington Marina (Port Washington, WI), and various ramp services throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois for haul out and launch services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Boat Trader: Boat Trader is a leading online marketplace for new and used boats, providing listing services and lead generation that Kasten Marine leverages for its brokerage business, while also enabling direct consumer-to-consumer sales that compete with brokerages.
• YachtWorld: YachtWorld is the dominant online yacht brokerage marketplace, serving as a channel where dealers like Kasten Marine list inventory and where buyers search for pre-owned boats — adjacent infrastructure rather than a direct competitor but shaping the brokerage competitive landscape.
• ShoreStation: ShoreStation is the manufacturer of boat lifts and docks of which Kasten Marine is an authorized dealer; they are a supplier/partner rather than a direct competitor, but their dealer network and direct sales shape the competitive dynamics for lift/dock installation services.

Broad incumbents

• MarineMax: MarineMax is the largest recreational boat and yacht retailer in the United States, operating a national network of dealerships with brokerage, service, storage, and finance offerings that overlap substantially with Kasten Marine's portfolio at much greater scale.
• West Marine: West Marine is the largest US retailer of marine parts, accessories, and supplies, competing directly with Kasten Marine's parts and accessories revenue stream through its national store and online presence.
• OneWater Marine: OneWater Marine is a publicly traded multi-brand recreational marine retailer with dealer and brokerage locations across the US, providing the same kind of boat sales, service, and storage solutions as Kasten Marine but at significantly greater geographic and operational scale.

Regional players

• Spring Brook Marina: Spring Brook Marina is a Wisconsin-area full-service marina offering boat sales, storage, service, and dockage — serving the same regional lakefront customer base that Kasten Marine targets around inland Wisconsin lakes.
• Hall's Boats: Hall's Boats is a regional boat dealer and service operation based in the upper Midwest, offering comparable used boat sales, marine service, and storage to similar Wisconsin/Illinois-area customers as Kasten Marine.

Direct peers

• SkipperBud's: SkipperBud's is a Midwest-based recreational boat dealer and marina operator with multiple locations across the Great Lakes region, directly comparable as a regional full-service marine dealer offering new/used boat sales, storage, service, and transport to similar clientele.

Emerging players

• Pop Yacht: Pop Yacht is an online-first pre-owned boat brokerage that competes with traditional brick-and-mortar dealers like Kasten Marine by offering listing, negotiation, and closing services with a lower-overhead model, particularly for smaller recreational vessels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kasten-marine-yacht-brokerage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kasten Marine - Yacht Brokerage