Merger of North Light Yacht Club and Emerald Coast Marine to expand local operations

North Light Yacht Club and Emerald Coast Marine have merged to create Emerald Coast Maine Center in Niceville, expanding operations and enhancing services.

 North Light Yacht Club (NLYC) and Emerald Coast Marine (ECM) have announced a merger to form the Emerald Coast Marine Center (ECMC). The new company is led by three boating industry veterans including Shawn Talpey, President & Chief Operating Officer; Keri Doscher, Vice President; and Jeff Orbin, Vice President of Marketing and Development.

The new partnership is meant to create a comprehensive boat sales, service, rental, marina and yacht club experience for boaters throughout the Florida Panhandle.

“Our goal is to provide our clients with the most personalized, responsive and enjoyable boating experience possible, both oceanside and dockside,” says Talpey, who founded Emerald Coast Marine with partner Keri Doscher in 2015.  Talpey and Doscher previously worked together for several years in senior management roles that helped lead their former employer to the highly coveted #1 retail boat dealership ranking in North America.

Emerald Coast Marine leased space at North Light Yacht Club in the spring of 2016 to accommodate its fast-growing new boat sales and service dealership. Conversations ensued the following winter to discuss the long-term benefits and opportunities of creating a joint partnership with North Light Yacht Club. With a shared vision for creating a unique, all-inclusive boating experience to benefit boaters in their market, the principals from both companies discussed and analyzed a strategic merger option, with a favorable outcome.

“NLYC was originally established as a dry storage and wet slip marina in 2008. While we excelled in marina operations and customer service, the company’s growth was limited by the lack of an on-site sales and service marine dealership,” said Orbin. “We knew our business would thrive and our clients would benefit from the additional products, services and club enhancements that an on-site marine dealership and greater staff capacity could offer. We believe this new partnership with retail expert Emerald Coast Marine is a great decision for our business and especially for all of the customers we collectively serve.”

The next few months will directly reflect the new vision and major enhancements for the facility.

Plans include the recent acquisition of an adjacent property that will be utilized to expand the sales facility by building a new, indoor showroom with additional customer parking.  A new Service, Parts and Accessories department will be built within the existing dry storage facility to provide store frontage for popular marine parts and tackle.  The current Ship’s Store will be consolidated, providing expanded space for a new Yacht Club lounge. The popular pool and spa area will also receive a major renovation to provide more privacy with poolside cabanas, along with the addition of a tiki bar, which will be operated by “Chef Dan’s Fuel”, the waterfront bistro.

In addition, plans call for the launch of Emerald Coast Water Sports this spring, featuring a rental/boat club to provide a unique and affordable alternative to boat ownership. The rental/boat club will offer first class products including new center consoles, dual consoles, deckboats, high performance pontoon boats, stand-up paddle boards as well as kayaks.

Besides the comprehensive facility, service and product expansion, ECMC will also launch an active event social calendar in response to client requests. On tap for 2017 includes an on-water “BoatUp/FloatUp Movie Night,” “Rock the Docks Concert Series,” “Boats and Brunch,” and a host of other exciting activities.

While the moniker and structure of the organization has changed, the new management team at ECMC assures customers and staff that its core values remain the same.

“As a locally owned and operated company, we will always stay true to our full-service principles that are deeply rooted in southern hospitality,” said Doscher. “Our customers and members should expect to be treated with the highest level of professionalism and with the personal touch befitting dear friends. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional high level of service while balancing casual comfort and class in order to truly elevate the Gulf Coast yacht club and boating experience.”

In the coming weeks, changes to the ECMC brand will be more evident across all platforms as the merger transition concludes. In the meantime, please visit www.emeraldcoastmarinecenter.com for more information or call (850) 389-8318.