Can Marinas Go The Way of Starbucks?
Ray Graziotto isn’t trying to break the mold. He’s trying to build one with his Loggerhead Club and Marina. The one-time apartment builder is creating a chain of marinas, aggressively building a brand in an industry distinguished by its plethora of family-owned, mom-and-pop shops. Loggerhead is tapping a tried-and-true business formula that has long been successful in other industries. Many of the world’s largest companies have built their fortunes with a brand, creating a consistent image or product that breeds customer loyalty…But it’s a rare approach in the marina world. That’s because marinas are specialized businesses, industry leaders say. Each property, each waterway and each boater has unique conditions and needs. Meanwhile, www.loggerheadsucks.com blasts the marina management for everything from lax security to poor maintenance, high staff turnover to mistreating longtime customers. Read more.
