Insights from Boating Industry’s Top 20 Dealers: Charles Mill Marina
Charles Mill Marina, located in Ashland County, Ohio, was a Top 100 dealer for four consecutive years before ranking in the Top 20 in 2024. The business has established itself as one of the best in North America, earning the number 18 spot on Boating Industry’s 2024 Top Dealers list.
Charles Mill Marina was founded in 1972 by Bob Schraedly, and his son, Andrew Schraedly, is the co-owner and business development manager today.
“We’ve expanded to four different marinas in Ohio,” said Andrew Schraedly. “Three of those are seasonal and one, Charles Mill Marina, is a year-round operation.”
Current sales and looking ahead
While sales are slower than previous years, Schraedly shared his optimism for the remainder of 2025. “We’ve been lagging behind in the months up to this point, and now with this weather turn, we are seeing a pretty solid June coming together,” he said.
Along with a week of perfect boating weather in Ohio, “I think there’s a little more confidence in the consumer just being able to pull the trigger on what’s ultimately a luxury buy,” he said. “It’s something that improves your quality of life, but it’s not a necessity. So we are seeing more confidence from the buyer here over the last month.”
Charles Mill Marina has made a concerted effort to increase model year 2025 and early 2026 inventory. “We can see that there’s going to be some price increases probably coming from manufacturers, so we’re trying to get out ahead of that so we can have reasonably priced boats here for as long as possible,” he explained.
As the summer kicks off, he is confident in the dealership’s current inventory status. “We feel really good with our manufacturers and the dating terms that we’ve been able to get. Our inventory is in a very solid condition. We just have a handful of 2024 boats still, and those are good boats that we’re not concerned about. Our floor plans are in good shape.”
And overall, he sees a steady interest in boats from consumers. Specializing in pontoon boat sales, these customers are typically between 45 and 65, or young families.
“We are not a dealership that caters to the ultra-high end of pontoon boats,” Schraedly explained. “We’re not selling the $150,000, $250,000 dollar pontoon boats. Our bread and butter is $70,000 or less. And in many cases, a lot less. What we’re trying to do is just provide access to people and get them on the water; help get them into the boating lifestyle. So a lot of first-time boaters.”
Dedicated to improvement
And the dealership is focused on providing an exceptional experience for customers, frequently asking how the boating experience can be made easier and how processes can be simplified.
“Being a Top 20, that’s such a recognition of our team and what we’ve been able to do and build over the last couple of years,” Schraedly said. “I think it really took a mindset shift for us to say, ‘Hey, we can commit to improving what we do. We can absolutely be recognized as a Top 100.’ And our aspiration is always to be a Top 20 dealer because we feel like that’s something we can absolutely do and something that we absolutely are.”
It requires constant hard work and improvement, along with reflection. Charles Mill Marina “looks in the mirror” and establishes where improvements can be made, from serving customers to providing a great work environment.
He mentioned the Top 100 Dealer application. “I always enjoy that process,” he said. “It helps me reflect, take a step back, and see how we’ve improved. It’s always a good moment to reflect on our year.”
The team is currently focused on improving processes in the service department and continuing to market creatively.
The dealership encourages boat owners, rental boat customers and dock slip renters to get out on the water. “Because we know if they’re using their boat during the summer, they’re going to enjoy it and want to come back for years and years,” Schraedly said.
Social media platforms are used to share these messages and advocate. “Facebook is our bread and butter. We are very active on there,” he said. “We really advocate for the lifestyle and we advocate for the lake. We have a great community that we can engage with, so we have a lot of success in letting these people know, ‘Hey, here’s what’s going on this weekend,’ or ‘Here’s something going on at the lake.’ And people really respond to that. We have Instagram as well. Not quite as much engagement there, but it’s still something that we make sure we post content on.”
Schraedly has held multiple roles within the family business. As a kid, he would receive jellybeans as payment for his help before he eventually worked the docks, managed rentals, and took on a position in sales.
“Then I took a break for about 10 years,” he said. “I worked a corporate job, and it was nice to be able to get out and get a little bit of a different perspective on things. But ultimately, it felt like the right place to be – back in the family business. When I came back, I was able to bring new ideas that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to.”
His dad is still involved in the business, rarely involved in the day-to-day operations, but very involved in special projects.
Learn more about Charles Mill Marina from Bob and Andrew Schraedly:
