LAKEWOOD - Ready About Sailing & Marina is celebrating its 10th year in business by opening a new location.
The new business will be located at 4461 W. Fairmount Ave., Lakewood, and will sell nautical gift items, a line of Atlantis WeatherGear, nautical books and DVDs, galley ware, nautical jewelry, Christmas items and more. The new location is opening Nov. 25 and a grand opening will be held Dec. 10, which will have a party atmosphere for customers to enjoy.
Greg Swan, one of the founders for Ready About Sailing & Marina, said the secret to success for a local business is loyalty.
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Ready About Sailing & Marina has a new location in Lakewood, 4461 W. Fairmount Ave., that will be opening Nov. 25. The new store will sell nautical gift items, a line of Atlantis WeatherGear, nautical books and DVDs, galley ware, nautical jewelry, Christmas items and more. The business, which also is located at 32 Venice Ave., Celoron, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
P-J photo by Dennis Phillips
''We all know that customers are important to business - that's a no-brainer,'' Swan said. ''But, unless you realize that your employees are your most valuable assets in a service business - and treat them that way - you will never achieve your full business potential. We thank our employees, especially, and our loyal customers for their contributions to our success as a small business. We are committed to continuing to earn their loyalty as we plan for growth and continued success on Chautauqua Lake in our next 10 years.''
Swan said what started out as a small sailing shop, with the promise of ''making life better for Chautauqua Lake sailors,'' has expanded into a full-service marina, with two more business locations around the lake.
''The demand was there in 2001 for a business to cater to the unique needs of sailors,'' he said. ''I have sailed on this lake for 35 years. Before Ready About Sailing, when something was needed for your boat, you either went to a catalogue or had to take a road trip to get what you needed. Our goal was simple, bring the parts, boats and service to the local mariners. And it's worked very well.''
Fact Box
''We all know that customers are important to business - that's a no-brainer.''
Greg Swan
Ready About Sailing & Marina
Ready About Marina services all sorts of boats from power to kayaks and canoes to fishing and pontoons and, of course, sailboats. Ready About Sailing has added the Grumman line of canoes, utility boats and pontoon boats to its wide range of marine dealerships which now includes Precision Boat Works, Laser-Performance, Catalina Yachts, Flying Scot, Com-Pac Yachts, Trailex trailers, Load-Rite trailers, Tohatsu outboard engines, Hobie Kayaks and Old Town Canoes.
''The business continues to build upon its core marina operations, by regularly expanding its base by adding new business lines,'' said Darryl Streed, Ready About Sailing & Marina part business owner with his wife, Jan. ''This year, a new restaurant operation was added on the property in Celoron. The Quarterdeck Restaurant is the newest restaurant on the lake and adds a whole new dimension to the lively atmosphere that has always existed at Ready About Marina.''
Ready About Sailing & Marina started during the year after the ''dot-com meltdown'' followed by the Sept. 11, 2001, disaster and later survived a roof collapse because of snow, which resulted in a total loss of its main service building in early 2006.
''In spite of tough economic conditions, the business has enjoyed an average growth rate of about 25 percent annually, year upon year, throughout its entire first decade of existence,'' said Mrs. Streed.
For more information, call Ready About Sailing & Marina at 763-3664.