Freedom Boat Club awards top performers at conference

Freedom Boat Club honored its top performers from more than 170 locations at a Big Easy, New Orleans-themed Franchise Conference Awards Ceremony in Sarasota, Fla.

The top honor, the Franchise of the Year Award, went to Boston and Cape Cod franchise owners. Matt Carrick and Matt O’Connor.

Matt Paolo, also with the Boston and Cape Cod franchises, received the Membership Executive of the Year Award.

Carrick and O’Connor were also named among the top five franchises in the Pacesetter Club Award, which is given to the franchises that saw the greatest growth.

Rounding out the top five were Lisa Almeida and Kevin Seelig, owners of the Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Fla. locations; Glenn Bergoffen, owner of the Tampa Bay, Fla. franchise; Nick Hooge, owner of the Seattle, Wash. location; and Shawn Ottenbreit, owner of the Tacoma, Wash. franchise.

Ottenbreit was also awarded for the highest percentage of revenue increase.

“We are so proud of all our franchise owners who have worked hard to grow their business and add to our Freedom Boat Club family,” said John Giglio, Freedom Boat Club president and CEO. “We have had another phenomenal year and have continued to grow our franchise locations to offer even more options for our members.”

The Pacesetter Club Award also honors franchises that have seen at least 50 percent growth over the past year.

Receiving the award this year were owners Dick Cromwell and Pete Devilbiss of FBC Conn., Drew Goss, owner of FBC Western Mich., Rick and Steve Dobreff, owners of the Lake St. Clair, Mich. location, Tom Armon of FBC Michigan, Don and Ann Spaeth from the Fort Pierce, Fla. franchise, Brent Parker, owner of the locations in Mineral and Woodbridge, Va., Mike Ginter from Chicago, Ill, and Jeff and Perry Weir and family, owners of the Lake Norman and Lake Wylie franchises in Cornelius and Mount Holly, N.C.

The Rookie of the Year award went to Steve Arnold of the franchises in Naples and Yarmouth, Maine.

Bobby Parker from the Daytona Beach, Fla. location won the Guardian of Reciprocity Award.

Bergoffen with the Tampa Bay, Fla. location received the Territory Expansion Award and he and his franchise COO Lisa Reho were named Freedom Boat Club’s National Charity Marketing Superstar for raising more than $50,000 for numerous charities including Rise Tampa, Ruth Eckard Hall, Florida Ice Hockey Athletics, and the American Cancer Society.

The National Charity Marketing Partners honor also recognized 21 franchises that combined with the Superstar winner raised more than $175,000 for charities through the Freedom Gives Initiative.

Clubs honored included those in Jacksonville/St. Augustine, Fla., Boston, Mass., Naples and Yarmouth, Maine, Los Angeles, Calif., Mount Pleasant and Seabrook Island, S.C., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Lake George, N.Y., St. Joseph, Mo., Maryland and Washington, D.C., Navajo Lake, N.M., Western Michigan, Space and Treasure Coast, Fla., Fort Pierce, Fla., Lake Erie, Ohio, Newburyport, Mass., Hilton Head, S.C., Rhode Island, Lake Austin, Texas, Lake Norman, N.C., North Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Lewes, Del.