Our Boat Rentals division began in the early 1980s with the acquisition of three boats, and a business plan of renting boats to cover fuel dock overhead. Three boats led to four, which led to seven, then nine, and ultimately to the realization that renting boats could be a significantly profitable enterprise.
In the mid-1990s, T.E.I. aggressively pursued the boat rental business and built its first floating store and custom state-of-the-art covered dock to house some thirty rental units. Sales were in excess of $250,000. In 2001, the acquisition of the FourWinds Resort was made and a second floating store with state-of-the-art dock was constructed. Custom software was developed, allowing many employees to make accurate reservations simultaneously. Continued fleet expansion and marketing efforts grew sales to over $1.1mm collectively for boat rental in 2005.
In September, 2006, we began building a rental fleet on Lake Lanier in conjunction with our purchase of Port Royale Marina. In Spring 2009 we opened our new floating ship store, and in May 2010 our new Rental Dock was completed, housing a fleet of over 50 boats. T.E.I. has completed a state of the art software package that allows for online booking in real time, along with a new website presence that further enhances the boat rental operation.
Infrastructure Summary
Port Royale, Lake Lanier, GA:
- Floating Boat Rental operation
- Rental fleet of approximately 80 boats
Park Marina, Lake Allatoona, GA:
- Floating Boat Renal operation
- Rental fleet of approximately 80 boats
FourWinds Resort and Hotel, Lake Monroe, IN:
- Floating Boat Rental operation
- Rental fleet of approximately 60 boats