Since our business was founded, our singular commitment has been to sell fun and exceed our customer’s expectations. As one of the country’s premier marina & hospitality companies, we pride ourselves on creating and delivering joyful, memorable experiences for thousands of guests. While our business has changed a lot over the years, our commitment to our guests, our team, and to delivering a world class experience has never wavered.
Everything we do is guided by our four core values:
anything worth doing is worth doing with “WOW”!
good things come to those who initiate
because life’s too short not to have fun
be generous with your expertise, your time, and your money
At Best in Boating Marinas, we’re always looking for new ports. As one of the premier marina operators in the United States, we have the capability of providing both buyout and partnership opportunities for sellers as they end their investment cycle or look to transition to a new stage of life.
As a 100% family-owned company, we are proud to offer:
Straightforward contracts with fast timetables from due diligence to close
Deal flexibility with partnership opportunities or seller financing
Tax efficient transaction structures
Significant deal experience with creative problem solving
Seasoned operators that know how to create value
As part of our commitment to Making a Difference, we are proud partners of Freedom Waters Foundation, which enhances the lives of individuals with special needs and veterans through providing therapeutic boat experiences.
To provide marine based, social, and environmental programs for unique individuals and their families through direct service and community partnerships.
To work collaboratively in this effort with the boating public, marine industries, and philanthropic resources.
To offer opportunities that result in feelings of independence, self-worth, and accomplishment.
To build a greater sense of community, understanding, and tolerance through sharing individual uniqueness.
Doug was fortunate to be able to incorporate his love of boating when he founded Best in Boating in April, 1981 with the purchase of a small marina outside of Atlanta, GA. From humble beginnings, he has grown Best in Boating into a vertically integrated enterprise encompassing nine divisions: Marinas, Boat Sales, Boat Service, Marine Retail, Boat Rentals, Hospitality, Food and Beverage, & Real Estate. Through this growth Best in Boating has grown from two employees to over 500.
With over 40+ years as CEO of Best in Boating, he continues to play a leading role in capital allocation and expansion. Doug received a Bachelors in Engineering from Georgia Tech (’74).
Doug is the proud father of 4 and lives in Naples, Florida with his wife, where he leads a healthy and active lifestyle. He is passionate about philanthropy and currently serves as a Board Director for Freedom Waters Foundation, which enhances the lives of individuals with special needs and veterans through providing therapeutic boat experiences.
Dan joined Best in Boating in 2019 and serves as the company’s President. In this role, Dan leads Best in Boating’s executive team and is responsible for the company’s overall strategy, operational performance, and growth. Prior to his current role, Dan was the head of M&A and Business Development, where he focused on growth initiatives, both organic and through acquisitions.
Before joining Best in Boating, Dan worked in Private Equity at Blackstone in New York and was involved in the firm’s acquisitions of ServPro, Paysafe, and Vungle. Prior to Blackstone, Dan worked in Investment Banking for Morgan Stanley where he covered companies across the Media & Telecom sectors. Dan is a proud “Domer” and received a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame where he graduated summa cum laude.
Dan and his wife Meredith are always looking for the next adventure. They enjoy traveling, spending time with friends & family, boating, and trying new restaurants. Having grown up playing several sports, Dan enjoys an active lifestyle and loves skiing, tennis, and golf.
Kent Gable, CPA, has served as Chief Financial Officer at Best in Boating since 2004. Through Kent’s tenure, he has facilitated the creation of the corporate finance staff, establishing effective company-wide systems of internal controls, financial reporting, and operational accountability. He has 48 years of experience in accounting, finance, operations, human resources, safety, risk management, and systems management.
Prior to joining Best in Boating, Kent held leadership roles at several large multi-location companies, including Domino’s Pizza Distribution, Liberty House Restaurant Corporation, and Metro Media Corporation.
Kent is married with 3 children and 9 grandchildren. He and his wife enjoy travel, the arts, and adventure. They have rafted the entire 277 miles of the Grand Canyon three times. He enjoys playing tennis, alpine skiing and volunteering at the Atlanta Fox Theater.
Kent grew up in Southern California and received a BS from Humboldt State University.
Brent Pearson joined Best in Boating. in 1998 and currently manages the general operations of all properties company-wide, with direct oversight of Boat Storage, Boat Rentals, Boat Sales, and Boat Service. His broad and diverse experience in engineering, design, and operations have been core to Best in Boating’s marina expansions, facility construction, and operational improvements. Through his tenure, Best in Boating has managed 10% annual growth in available slips from construction projects since 1998 (exclusive of acquisitions). Before joining Best in Boating, Brent spent a decade with Ingersoll-Rand Corporation where he held positions of increasing responsibility in Production, Engineering, and Quality Assurance management. With a lifelong fascination of all things mechanical, Brent is a tinkerer and loves motorcycles, woodworking, and precision metalworking. He and his family love boating and spending time on Laker Lanier and Lake Allatoona.
Brent holds a Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (’88) and an MBA from Berry College.
Charles joined Best in Boating 1996. As Chief Maintenance & Projects Engineer, he helps oversee maintenance, master plans, projects, infrastructure, and safety company-wide. He has 28 years of experience in real estate leasing and acquisitions, permitting and zoning, and sales and marketing. Prior to his current role, Charles served as Managing Partner of Outdoor Media Group, an outdoor advertising division of Best in Boating which was successfully sold in 2017. Charles’ efforts and extensive experience were instrumental to the development of a solid long-term base of rental income on billboard land lease sites and two profitable sales of OMG assets.
Charles holds a Bachelors of Business Management degree from Auburn University.
Charles and his wife Monica have 4 children (including a set of triplets!) and are looking forward to welcoming their first grandchild. Charles and Monica enjoy boating, the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with their family.
William Archer joined Best in Boating in 1990 and currently oversees Boat Rental, Gas Sales, and Ship Store operations company-wide. His management background and extensive knowledge of the marina industry has driven expansion of Best in Boating’s Boat Rental business, with significant growth of both revenues and profitability.
William started his career as a seasonal boat rental attendant, working his way up to where he now serves in his current role.
William holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia Southern University with a Minor in Human Resources and Marketing.
William and his wife Beth enjoy traveling and spending family time on the lake with their 4 young children. The Archers live in Cartersville, GA near Lake Allatoona.
Kevin Allen joined Best in Boating in 2001 and currently manages the Boat Service division company-wide, including all marina locations and retail stores. Prior to serving in his current capacity, he started his career as a service helper, working his way up the service department where he went on to manage the most profitable location company-wide.
Before joining Best in Boating, Kevin worked at Rocket Marine, which was acquired by Best in Boating in 2001.
Kevin received a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Kennesaw State University.
Kevin and his wife Rickie have two daughters and are always looking forward to days on the lake with family. The Allen’s are avid boaters on Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier. Kevin grew up spending most summers as a child on Lake Allatoona boating with his parents and grandparents. He is continuing that tradition by creating the same wonderful memories of boating and being on the lake with his wife and daughters.
Amy began her career with Best in Boating in 2007 as a Boat Rental Reservationist while attending the University of North Georgia. With a passion for the hospitality industry, she has consistently sought to enhance operations and elevate the customer experience through her creative talents.
In 2008, Amy advanced to the role of Rental Supervisor and played a crucial part in the transition from a one-room store and gas dock to the current 5,000 sq. ft. Port Royale Store and Gas Island. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of North Georgia in 2011, she was promoted to Rentals Assistant Manager. In October 2012, Amy was appointed as Marketing Director at Best in Boating. Since then, she has revamped restaurant menus, brochures, and signage, boosted social media visibility for all entities, redesigned the website, maintained current events, and has been an integral member of the core management team.
Amy’s hobbies and interests revolve around two favorite things: the lake and dogs. She actively volunteers with Angels Among Us Pet Rescue in Atlanta. In her free time, she enjoys weekends at the lake and competing in dog sports, such as sheep herding, frisbee, and dock diving with her 4 dogs.
Daniel is the Parts & Service Director for Best in Boating Marinas, encompassing Park Marina, Victoria Harbour, Port Royale, and Fourwinds Resort & Marina. His primary focus is on customer satisfaction, which naturally leads to the growth and prosperity of his locations, departments, and employees.
A gearhead since birth, Daniel has always been interested in cars, motorcycles, boats, and anything with an engine. His father instilled in him a strong love of all things mechanical, and that early experience led to ten years in the automotive sector, where he worked in various roles for dealerships such as Suzuki, Volkswagen, Ford, Volvo, and even a couple years with Renault in Norway. Upon moving back to the States, he joined the team at Best In Boating in 2013 and has worked in Parts & Service ever since, and in 2022 took on his current role within the growing organization.
Daniel is also an avid woodworker, published Fantasy author with a brief—very brief!—stint on Amazon’s top-sellers list, and an active Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt. He spends his days grappling with friends and gym teammates, fiddling on cars, and spending time with his wife and two children. A big gaming family, they’re always down for an evening of Family Fortnite!