Marina Partners Launches as a Drystack-First Marina Development
Marina Partners announced its official launch as a fully integrated marina development and operations firm focused on delivering high-performance drystack and waterfront assets. Formed by the team behind ASAR and GCM Contracting Solutions, Marina Partners was created to bring an innovation-driven approach to marina development.
The firm’s foundation is rooted in the successful delivery of Gulf Star Marina, the world’s first marina to fully integrate ASAR’s multiple-deep automated storage and retrieval system. That project demonstrated how advanced automation, resilient structural design, and disciplined delivery can fundamentally change how marinas operate by improving safety, increasing capacity, reducing environmental impact, and elevating the boater experience.
The launch of Marina Partners coincides with AMI 2026, as marina owners, developers, and industry leaders examine how shifting market dynamics are reshaping marina development. Land scarcity, capacity constraints, labor challenges, and rising expectations from boat owners and capital partners are forcing the industry to rethink traditional models and adopt solutions that are more resilient, efficient, and performance-driven.
“Marina Partners was created from experience, by people who have planned, built, operated, and improved marinas firsthand,” said Robert Brown, Founder and CEO of GCM Contracting Solutions. “At Gulf Star, we didn’t simply introduce automation — we advised, designed, and executed the founder’s vision from concept through operation. Marina Partners brings that same clarity, discipline, and forward-looking mindset to every project.”
A Drystack-First Partner Built on Proven, Turnkey Delivery
Marina Partners specializes in the planning, development, and delivery of high-performance drystack marinas, leading projects from early feasibility through design-build construction, automation integration, operational readiness, and long-term performance. While drystack-first in its approach, the firm supports a range of marina configurations, including both automated and traditional systems, ensuring each solution is tailored to site conditions, operational needs, and long-term financial goals.
Central to the firm’s differentiation is its ability to deliver a fully integrated, turnkey drystack solution across the entire marina lifecycle — from early feasibility and design through construction, automation integration, marina management planning, and long-term value optimization. This cradle-to-grave delivery model is anchored by deep expertise in ASAR automation, a system originally developed to overcome the limitations of forklift-based storage.
By enabling vessels to store multiple boats deep within each bay, ASAR dramatically increases storage density both vertically and horizontally while improving safety, reducing emissions, and lowering long-term operating costs. These gains are not theoretical. They have been proven through active operation and under extreme conditions.
“What sets Marina Partners apart is that we are not applying innovation from the outside — we helped create it,” said David Brown, Head of Business Development at GCM. “We are a marina-focused firm with the technical, structural, and operational experience to deliver complex drystack projects at scale, with confidence and accountability.”
Beyond development and construction, Marina Partners supports marina management and remarketing strategies that help owners plan for day-one operations while positioning assets for long-term performance and value creation. The firm works closely with marina owners, developers, coastal designers, and strategic partners, while providing owner-operators, investors, and REITs with access to resilient, future-ready marina assets in high-demand waterfront markets worldwide.
