Safe Harbor Marinas, a Dallas-based network of boating businesses, has purchased Prime Marina, the Island’s largest marine service and storage business, with locations in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven.
Land records show the land and buildings associated with the business were acquired on Wednesday for $15.5 million. The purchase price for the business itself was not disclosed.
The transaction includes three parcels totaling just over three acres on Lagoon Pond Road in Vineyard Haven, offices and storage facilities on 4.5 acres in Katama and use of the Edgartown marina at the foot of Morse street, which is owned by the town.
The combined value of the properties is $6.4 million, according to the most recent town assessments.
Founded in 2015, Safe Harbor Marinas owns about 100 marinas and boatyards in 22 states, including seven locations in Massachusetts. Safe Harbor was itself acquired in October 2020 by Sun Communities, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, in a $2 billion deal.
“They are the largest operator in the world,” said Chris Scott, general manager of Prime Marina since 2017, who will continue as general manager for the new owners. “There will be lots of support from the network.”
Mr. Scott said Safe Harbors does not plan to change much, at least not on the ground level.
“Most of the changes will be at the top level, but not many changes from a customer perspective,” he said. “Down the road there will be some capital improvements, some new machinery.”
The Florida-based Prime Marina purchased the former Edgartown Marine in 2016 from George and Sheryl Rogers for an undisclosed sum. The real estate associated with the business sold for $8.2 million.
The deal with Safe Harbor had been in the works pending a legal signoff from the town of Edgartown. Town administrator James Hagerty said the Edgartown transaction required the signing of an estoppel certificate by the town to transfer an easement and shared cost arrangement for use of the Morse street marina.
“The town did not renegotiate any terms from what’s been there for the past 20 years,” Mr. Hagerty said. “It’s the same language we used for the past two transactions because they worked out well.”
The business has a long history on the Island. The Vineyard Haven location dates to World War II when it was established by Erford W. Burt and was later known as Maciel Marine. The Edgartown location was operated as Edgartown Marine by Leonard Greene for 25 years. The properties were consolidated into one business when George and Sheryl Rogers purchased the Vineyard Haven business in 2011 and the Edgartown business in 2013.
Mr. Scott was born on the Vineyard and graduated from the regional high school in 2002. He said the company employs 17 year-round employees on the Island and typically adds another seven or eight in the summer.
“There will be some people from the corporate office helping out with the transition but otherwise it will be the employees who live here,” he said.
Comments (4)
Comments
Comment policy »