Summer vacations when I was a young child were spent at my parents’ cottage in Elcho, Wisconsin. My parents loved to fish and taught me that love as well. But it seemed like our outboard motors spent most of each summer in the local shop. By the time they were fixed, it was usually time to go back to Chicago.

I decided to learn how to repair them at a very early age on my own, and it turned into a hobby I loved as I got older. My passion for boats evolved during high school and then college in Minnesota. There I worked my way through a degree in business and started my career in the corporate world.

I liked what I was doing but I wasn’t passionate about it. It was a job. I yearned for the weekends when I could work on boats and motors. My dream was to one day have my own Mercury Marine Dealership. But no one would give me the opportunity because I had no formal training in the industry.

One night at dinner, after I had worked in the corporate world for 13 years and climbed the ladder as far as I wanted to go, a good friend challenged me to turn my hobby into a career. Making the transition would mean starting all over, and I was worried it was too late. But I also didn’t want to have any regrets about not chasing my dream. My wife supported me and both of us prayed about the decision to quit our jobs and move to Florida. It felt right, so we did it.

I went back to school at the Marine Mechanical Institute in Orlando, where I paid my way through, graduated four months early, and earned the top spot in my class. I was offered several jobs and ended up working for a SeaRay dealership in South Florida.

After three years, I was ready to give it up and move back home, when some customers approached my wife and me offering to help us start up our own marine business. They wanted to help someone achieve their dreams who worked hard and kept their word. I am truly humbled by those who have stood with us during this journey.

Midwest Marine started in 2008 out of my garage. It went from there to a small warehouse, then to a bigger warehouse with offices. In 2010 we hired our first employees to help with the load. The business was growing!

I have developed numerous valuable relationships over the years, and one of the major ones was with Mercury Marine. I applied for a dealership in 2010 but was declined. I worked twice as hard, and in 2018 approached them again. They were amazed by the growth of the business, and in December 2018, we were awarded a Mercury Marine Dealership.

I could not have done this without the support and dedication of many employees, friends, brokers, and family members that helped me along the way. Most of all, I thank my wife who sacrificed her career to go on this ride with me, and the Lord, who guided me here.

To date, we continue to grow one customer at a time and have established ourselves as a premier mobile service provider in South Florida.