Named one of the Top 100 Dealers in North America by Boating Industry magazine, Harborside Marina and Yacht Sales has served the shoreline town of Clinton, Connecticut, for more than 20 years. Essentially a family business, it partnered in 2020 with Beacon Point Marine to open a second location at the Greenwich Water Club in Greenwich to expand its footprint to Southern Connecticut and Westchester County.
Owner John Benchimol gave the Westfair Business Journal the inside scoop on boats, local legislation, fish fries and – crucially – what marina people get up to in the cold winter months.
John, a little bit about you and your background, please?
“Harborside Marina is a boutique family-owned and operated business. I’m a native of New York and grew up on Long Island, working at yacht clubs and marinas during my pre-college years. In 1998, I bought the marina in Clinton and moved my family from upstate New York to Clinton to realize my dream. Currently, my wife works in the office, my daughter handles all aspects of marketing, my son works in the office and my son-in-law is involved in sales.
“We also have key employees that have been with us for years, including Brock Williams, sole sales associate at the satellite branch.”
How many people do the Clinton and Greenwich businesses employ?
“The company (numbers) about 25 employees, depending on the time of the season between our two locations.”
What is the most profitable side of the business?
“We offer all types of services from mechanical to custom work, but our sales are our biggest revenue generator.”
Who’s buying boats and who’s boating?
“Our marketing territory is from Newport, Rhode Island, to New York City, and we target boaters from every corner. We have clients that are among the wealthiest in the world as well as all walks of life. Doing business on the Connecticut shoreline, which some say is the most beautiful boating in the world, allows us to promote our products to a very diverse and different demographic, depending on the type of boating they do (fishing, cruising, etc.).”
You have a café. Where is it and do you operate it yourselves?
“We do own and operate a seasonal waterfront restaurant (in Clinton) called Shanks. It’s open from May to October and boasts a New England fish fry with made-to-order food with an unmatched waterfront dining experience. The coolest part is that Shanks is built into a 42-foot Bruno and Stillman lobster boat, purchased from the Sound School in New Haven. The idea of the restaurant was to increase foot traffic at our dealership to promote additional sales and services.”
Any future expansion plans?
“We’re always looking to expand and increase our business opportunity. Four years ago, we purchased the ‘Boat House,’ which is an indoor rack facility in Clinton, allowing us to warehouse over 150 boats inside.”
Do you work well with the local council/s? Is there anything you would like to see changed or new legislation that would help your business?
“We’re members of our local chapter of the marine trades association that monitors and lobbies for beneficial laws and rules that help all the marinas in Connecticut. One area we’re currently working on is the dredging process and trying to streamline it. We’ve had a permit in process for three years now and (it) still has not been approved.”
Lastly, what do you and your staff do in winter, a question some non-boating people may have?
“Winter is busy. By the time we get all boats out of the water, winterized, covered, etc., our entire crew takes off from the 20th of December to Jan. 5 as a mandatory paid vacation, in addition to their normal vacations. When we get back from the break, we participate in boat shows (including the show at the Javits Center in New York), but we don’t lay off anyone for the winter. We have 250 boats inside that all need work performed, and by the time we get that done… we are in April, putting boats back in the water.”
