With summer in full swing, a long-standing St Charles boat dealer wants you to keep family top of mind. For more than 50 years, St. Charles Boat & Motor has made family an integral part of their long-standing business. Its mindset plays a major role in their business longevity.
“It’s very family-oriented. We believe highly in family,” said proud owner, Zeke David, “I just want to keep providing families the opportunity to get outside and enjoy themselves."
For David and his staff, it all boils down to treating customers and employees like family. So just like you would want the best for your family, David explained it’s all about giving your customers the very best.
The shop offers a variety of high-performance upgrades, a diverse parts department, and an impressive showroom featuring Yamaha, Crest, and Mercury boats. Customers can also schedule a test drive, browse through pre-owned inventory or go in fiberglass repair and other specialized work.
“We do a lot of training with our customers as far as when they buy a new or pre-owned unit," said David. "We do a pretty extensive pre-delivery process, so they're comfortable with what they buy, how to operate it safely and with as least expense as possible.”
It’s a one-stop-shop with an experienced staff ready to meet customer needs. St Charles Boat & Motor team members are trained by the original equipment manufacturer, technicians and mechanics are on stand-by to answer and fix all boating concerns, and detailers are ready to clean and detail boats for storage.
“Sales is a bit of a roller coaster, and it depends on what the economy is doing, but service is always there, so if you care for your customers after the sale, that's what keeps you going,” said David.
Boating has been a life-long passion for David and his family. His grandfather and father both owned boats and even worked at a boat dealership while in high school. It’s a passion that he eventually was able to share with his children who have either worked or currently worked at St Charles Boat and Motor.
“Once you get boating in your blood, it stays in your blood. Usually once you get an introduction to boating, it's a lifetime activity,” said David.
While families come from all backgrounds. To David, boating is a universal pastime with the ability to create lifelong memories. .
"I'm a big advocate of family time, and I think you know boating is a great way to offer that,” said David.
As the shop gears up for another year in the books, David hopes the next 50 years of his business continues to deliver on customer service and bring families together.
“We've got, you know, three and four generations of family that have purchased from us over the years and obviously we want to continue to offer that,” said Zeke. “I don't see this dealership going anywhere in the next 40 to 45 years other than to keep, continue to grow.”
