Family Business Gets a Reboot

Riverside Marine is a family-owned and -operated boat dealership and marina in Essex, Maryland, founded in 1976 by Bob Baumgartner. The family business, which spans three generations, grew in the 1990s and early 2000s to four locations. However, the economic crash in 2008 caused the Baumgartner family to redevelop their business plan based on the current market conditions and future forecasts. With the shift in economy and technology, a highway sales store no longer made sense. The optimal solution was to consolidate to one central location to focus on operation excellence and quality customer experience. The ideal location was their existing marina, offering both convenient water and highway access.

The business plan focused on high levels of customer satisfaction that drilled down into three distinct areas of focus, being a high quality, state-of-the-art facility, leveraging the latest technology into their operations and retaining the best team of employees to bring the experience to life. The plan was both aggressive and comprehensive, segmented into several phases focused on facility renovations first. With a staff composed of family, long-term employees and a loyal customer base, the transition proved successful, landing Riverside Marine the Marina Dock Age Marina of the Year Business Operations award.

Facility Renovations
Jason Baumgartner, president and third-generation owner, began working at the marina when he was 14 years old. His career started with the dirty work of bottom painting and yard maintenance. He moved to rigging boats and new boat deliveries while in college, working his way into the sales department afterward, and then from sales into operations, where he has spent the last 15 years. He said that during the consolidation of operations to the marina, the family had the opportunity and foresight to purchase neighboring property for the facility expansion.

The facility footprint included a 3,000-square-foot shop and an upland 5,350-square-foot showroom that housed the sales and parts departments. A 6,650-square-foot addition was constructed onto the showroom to house the service department, accounting department, a four-bay shop and new restrooms for slip tenants. The priority was the correct operational footprint for the employees before moving onto the next phase, focused on the renovation of the piers.

The comprehensive pier renovation included completely removing two 6-foot-wide and 390-foot-long piers and one 6-foot-wide, 260-foot-long pier and replacing them with new 8-foot-wide piers, including new plumbing and upgraded electric. Based on the market trends, the new piers were designed to convert 47 of the wet slips to lift slips, making a total of 80 lift slips at the marina. They also replaced the boat ramp, haul out pit and head pump out station.

One of the highlights of the renovation was the construction of the “Demo Dock” in 2024. “You’d never buy a car without a test drive, and with boats, they are even more important,” Baumgartner said. “Ride quality counts. We want to market and showcase how well our brands ride.” The pier was designed to house 20 stock boats on lifts, so customer demo rides can be completed at any time. The bottleneck of pulling boats from the display lot, launching and retrieving them for every demo ride, greatly limited availability. “Now we have just about one of every model we sell on the lifts and ready for demo all year long,” said Robbie Jefferson, director of marketing. “We tell people to just come down, and we will take you for a ride.”

Alongside the demo dock are six lifts designated for service customers. Jefferson designed an after-hours pick-up and drop-off process using the lifts. Customers receive a temporary gate code and access to the remote that operates the lift. Payments are made through a click-to-pay system.

New Software Boosts Customer Service
Added amenities for customers were enabled in part through the marina’s adoption of Lightspeed’s Dealer Management and CRM software. Jefferson said implementing an efficient communication system between employees and their array of customers was a critical component of the plan. “The biggest thing we were looking for was a CRM system that fit the entire company,” Jefferson said, “including parts, service and tenant communication.”

All full-time staff members are equipped with a Riverside Marine email address and a Lightspeed integrated texting number enabling fast, professional and consistent communication. The sales department sends photos, videos, quotes and buyers’ orders directly to customers. The service department can now provide detailed estimates with supporting photos and videos of needed repairs. Parts can share EPC diagrams to help customers identify and order correct parts. Slip tenant contracts are sent electronically to e-sign and can be paid digitally as well.

As a family business, one key philosophy is to have a way for slip tenants to reach someone during an emergency. In 2025, a dedicated Lightspeed text number for marina customers was launched for after-hours texting. Service department staff members monitor and respond, making this a valuable tool that improves responsiveness. “We believe quality customer experience should be through everything we do, not just on the good days of boating,” Jefferson said.

Baumgartner believes Riverside Marine’s efficient operations are key to providing a customer experience that brings boaters in and retains them. “The pool of boaters is small to begin with. Customers want the money they spend to show value,” he said. “If the experience from the boat purchase, through launch, servicing and repairs, to slip rental doesn’t match or exceed their expectations, they’ll leave boating.”

Training a New Generation
Baumgartner is also a firm believer in introducing the boating lifestyle to the next generation. He started an apprenticeship program, recognizing there is a need for quality technicians in the industry but a lack of feeder programs. “The programs out there don’t leave the students workforce ready. They get accreditation but not real-world experience on how a boat business works,” he said. Baumgartner wanted to find a way to captivate the younger generation and show that there are quality careers in the marine industry that are also fun.

The program Riverside built is one year, full-time. Some of the experience includes new and used boat rigging, engine maintenance, equipment operation, boat handling and systems, diagnostic repair, gel coat and fiberglass. “I also focus on soft skills like attendance, responsibility and appearance,” Baumgartner added. He brings aboard just two apprentices each year, and, so far, has had six apprentices go through the program.

It’s not just the apprentices who go through extensive training. Customer service, fuel dock protocol, pumpout safety, fire prevention and response are regularly taught and reinforced throughout the season for all employees. For more specific subjects, like forklift training, the marina implements train-the-trainer programs, so there’s always someone available on staff to train someone new.

Customers aren’t left out, either. When a new boat is sold, a certified captain goes over every aspect of the vessel and how it’s handled. The captain also trains all new employees and apprentices. “No one can operate a boat without our blessing. We run boats to shows and pick up boats for customers,” Baumgartner said. “If you work at the marina, you’re a boater. Every repair we do gets sea trialed. That extra effort goes back to building great customer service.”

Unlike other marinas located in more central or high-traffic areas of the Chesapeake Bay, Riverside is not surrounded by dock bars, waterfront restaurants, yacht clubs, or destination-style amenities like tiki bars or pools. This means the facility must work harder to provide value through service, convenience, and community-building rather than relying on nearby attractions.

“Because we don’t have built-in attractions like a resort marina might, we focus on delivering exceptional service, personalized customer care, and community-driven events that encourage boaters to stay engaged with us — even without the frills,” Jefferson said.

Riverside’s 50th anniversary is in 2026, and Baumgartner and Jefferson anticipate continued improvements that foster continued success.