Additional facility for The Boat House

The Boat House of Cape Coral LLC has added a Neptune marine forklift with 25,000 lb. (11,250 kg) capacity as part of a venture into the business of dry storage of boats.

In September, The Boat House invested about USD1.4 million in acquiring the forklift and a nearby vacant 25,000 sqft. (2,323 sqm) building able to store about 155 boats and function as a marina on a canal accessible to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf of Mexico, says Tom Hansen, president.

On 8 October, The Boat House filed submissions with the City of Cape Coral. On 4 December, after receiving community input, the city planning and zoning commission unanimously approved a special exemption to allow the intended use. Conditions limit the hours of operation, deny permission to do repair work outside the building or in the canal and control the type of work at the site.

Hansen anticipates beginning dry storage operations in January. The structure was built in 2008 for a business known as the Del Prado Boat Club, but financial issues prevented that entity from beginning operations.

The Boat House is a full-service boat dealership, has 30 employees for locations in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte, Florida, also near the gulf, and is hiring additional help.

In US midwest operations, The Boat House Group has sites in Elkhorn and Nashotah, Wisconsin and Prairie Grove, Illinois.

In addition to the Neptune, The Boat House owns 12 forklifts carrying the World Lift, Travelift, Toyota and Komatsu brands.