The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Marina operator charts course
Oasis Marinas will help make port a destination on Lake Erie, officials say
“The goal of what we’re trying to achieve is very much aligned with what you’re trying to achieve as a town, and we couldn’t be more excited to be here.”
— Oasis Marinas Chief Operating Officer Kirk Gautreau
Oasis Marinas will join with Lorain businesses to make the port a destination on Lake Erie, the company’s leaders said.
On Aug. 1, the Lorain Port Authority and the Annapolis, Md.-based Oasis Marinas inked a new 10-year agreement to operate Lakeside Marina, 301 Lakeside Ave.
Lorain is the first Great Lakes harbor for Oasis Marinas, which has established a presence on the east coast.
On Aug. 2, Oasis Marinas Chief Operating Officer Kirk Gautreau and Marketing Vice President Margie McDonnell explained changes coming to Oasis Marinas Port Lorain when the company takes over Jan. 1, 2020.
They spoke as part of the monthly breakfast meeting of the Lorain Growth Corp. Main Street Lorain with local merchants and downtown supporters.
“We see this as a partnership with this city,” McDonnell said.
“We see a town in Lorain that is going through a renaissance,” evident by the investments in infrastructure along Broadway and other projects, Gautreau said.
In coming months and years, people will see workers cleaning docks, making repairs and painting things.
They also will see the marina and city grow together with partnerships to get people to the marina and into the town, Gautreau said.
“The goal of what we’re trying to achieve is very much aligned with what you’re trying to achieve as a town, and we couldn’t be more excited to be here,” he said.
Gautreau and McDonnell explained the company’s philosophy and some practical elements that Lorain merchants and dockholders will see soon.
The company maintains a high level of engagement with boaters in at least three ways, the marina executives said.
First is through the docks and facilities.
Gautreau said the company will have 12 to 15 staff and will hire local candidates who can meet expectations of quality and customer service.
Oasis Marinas also publishes “Marinalife” and magazines customized to each of its facilities.
On the water, boaters don’t always have wireless internet access, so the printed information is important, Gautreau said.
Online, the company has developed Snag-A-Slip, a website that allows boaters to find marinas and dockage online.
When boaters arrive, Gautreau said Oasis Marinas tries to fill three voids.
Boaters may not know about the marina, may not have friends in town and thus don’t know where to go, he said.
Guest services offers them “boater bags” with information about the company and the locality.
That management process brings potential for other businesses in Lorain.
The Great Lakes boating community numbers into the hundreds of thousands of people — a large number, but relatively small compared to the millions of people who live around the region.
Boating enthusiasts talk to each other and share information about their adventures, so a good experience in one community will attract other boaters, Gautreau said.
The waterfront is a seasonal business and the marina will remain open as long as it is safe to do so, he said.
For the off season, Oasis Marinas also wants to create activities for boaters to enjoy the site without being on the water, McDonnell said.
The operator transition and marketing the marina started Aug. 2, McDonnell said, with local meetings and a scheduled presence at the Rockin’ on the River concert.
The Oasis Marinas staffers are in Lorain at least through Aug. 3 to meet with local businesses and dockholders.
Next year’s dockage contracts are going out and a local manager was hired to handle the transition.
The new operators said in coming weeks and months, they expect to gather more ideas about amenities and services in Lorain.
“We see a town in Lorain that is going through a renaissance,” evident by the investments in infrastructure along Broadway and other project.” — Oasis Marinas Chief Operating Officer Kirk Gautreau