Merger creates Emerald Coast Marine Center

NICEVILLE — North Light Yacht Club (NLYC) and Emerald Coast Marine (ECM) have merged to form the Emerald Coast Marine Center (ECMC). 

The new partnership aims to offer a comprehensive boat sales, service, rental, marina and yacht club experiences for boaters across the Panhandle. The company will be led by three boating industry veterans: Shawn Talpey, president and CEO; Keri Doscher, vice president; and Jeff Orbin, vice president of marketing and development.

Last spring, Emerald Coast Marine leased space at North Light Yacht Club to accommodate its fast-growing new boat sales and service dealership. During the winter, members of both groups discussed the long-term benefits and opportunities of creating a joint partnership.

“NLYC was originally established as a dry storage and wet slip marina in 2008," Orbin said. "While we excelled in marina operations and customer service, the company’s growth was limited by the lack of an on-site sales and service marine dealership. We knew our business would thrive and our clients would benefit from the additional products, services and club enhancements that an on-site marine dealership and greater staff capacity could offer."

The next few months will reflect the new vision and major enhancements for the facility.

“Our goal is to provide our clients with the most personalized, responsive and enjoyable boating experience possible, both oceanside and dockside,” says Talpey, who founded Emerald Coast Marine with partner Keri Doscher in 2015.

During the next few months, Emerald Coast Marine Center plans to:

• Use the recent acquisition of an adjacent property to expand the sales facility by building a new, indoor showroom with additional customer parking.
• Create a new service, parts and accessories department within the existing dry storage facility to provide store frontage for popular marine parts and tackle.
• Expand the Yacht Club Lounge by using the current Ship's Store.
• Renovate the popular pool and spa, which will include more privacy with poolside cabanas, as well as the addition of a Tiki bar operated by Chef Dan’s Fuel, the waterfront bistro.

The center also will launch Emerald Coast Water Sports, which will offer rentals to provide an affordable alternative to boat ownership. The rental/boat club will offer new center consoles, dual consoles, deckboats, high performance pontoon boats, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks.

ECMC will also offer an active event social calendar that will include an on-water Boat Up/Float Up Movie Night, Rock the Docks Concert Series, Boats and Brunch and a host of other activities.

ECMC is at 115 W. John Sims Parkway at the intersection of State Road 86. For more information, visit www.emeraldcoastmarinecenter.com or call (850) 389-8318.