Southport Boats Announces New Dealer in Michigan, Great Lakes

AUGUSTA, MAINE – Southport Boats of Augusta, Maine has added a new dealer to serve Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Blue Water Marine Brokerage, with a service center in Bay City and a dealership and demonstration location in Port Austin, Michigan will be the first Southport dealer not located on the US Atlantic Coast.

Blue Water Marine Brokerage is owned and operated by Jef Benkelman, a marine industry veteran who has been involved as a consultant for over 30 years, and has been a yacht broker for the last 18 years.  “I had been looking to bring on an outboard boat line for many years, and Southport was the first boat I found that truly incorporated all of the features I was looking for- I did not want to settle and work with a boat I was not truly proud of and passionate about” said Benkelman.

For Southport, the move to add Benkelman and Blue Water made perfect sense. “Jef’s years of marine industry knowledge plus his engineering background are a very nice combination to have in a dealer- we knew right away that he would be a good steward for the brand in a new territory” said Skip Robinson, Managing Director of Southport Boats.

The addition of a non-East Coast dealer to the Southport dealer network is a major step in the company’s goal to expand awareness and popularity to new markets. “The interest and approval Jef has awakened in the market – in less than 2 months as a dealer he has Southports already sold – is further affirmation for the growing approval and acceptance of Southport, now in areas where it was not traditionally seen or even known” said Robinson. He went on to add, “we’re glad to see the brand develop traction in the Great Lakes, bodies of water in which we believe the Hunt designed hull form and Southport ride will outperform all others.”

About Blue Water Marine Brokerage

In addition to over 18 years’ brokerage experience, Bluewater Marine has over 30 years’ experience consulting with owners, builders and governments in large scale projects for new construction, repairs, and refits. While relationships promoting craftsmanship and integrity are becoming less common in today’s world, Blue Water Marine Brokerage believes that “quality is remembered long after price is forgotten” and strives to operate by that motto in all aspects of business.