Bay Marine, the family-owned luxury boat dealer with locations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida, has acquired Waukegan’s third-generation, family-owned marine business, Full Throttle Marine. Through the merger, Bay Marine will increase capabilities to better service the greater Chicagoland boating community, while continuing to provide the care and personalized attention that comes with a family-owned business.
Founded by Lloyd Hannum Jr., Full Throttle Marine began as Auto Marine Specialists, Inc. and has been in operation as a marine service company for over 60 years. In 1973, Hannum Jr. sold the business, but his son, Steve Hannum, restarted the company on his own in 1977 as Skokie Marine Service. In 2005, Hannum joined forces with Christine Cowhey, and they changed the business name to Full Throttle Marine, settling in their current Waukegan location. Eventually, both Hannum’s son, Mike Hannum, a seasoned mechanic, and Cowhey’s son, Brendan Cowhey, a customer service professional, joined the family business and helped grow Full Throttle Marine into the strong marine service provider it is today.
“We are extremely excited to have the entire Full Throttle Marine team become part of the Bay Marine family,” says Matt Felhofer, co-owner of Bay Marine. “Steve and Christine are dedicated to exceptional service and work tirelessly in that pursuit. They have expanded their family business to be one of the most prominent marine service providers in the area, and we look forward to working with them to provide Chicago boaters with exceptional and comprehensive services.”
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