Do All Dockside Marine Service: A Family-Owned Marine Repair Business Built on Experience and Personal Service

Small businesses are the backbone of an economy.

The owners of these small businesses are entrepreneurs who often take significant financial and professional risks, provide employment opportunities, and contribute their creativity and ingenuity to the overall commerce of their local communities, towns, cities, and counties. Many business owners work long hours, endure challenging times, and make tremendous personal sacrifices to serve their customers and build successful companies.

Our research team at Expansion Support Services, owners of the County Advisory Board, identified Do All Dockside Marine Service as a trusted family-owned business that is appreciated by its customers and provides valuable marine repair and boat maintenance services throughout Englewood, Sarasota County, and the surrounding Southwest Florida communities.

Owner Michael “Mike” Rhoden’s journey into the marine repair industry began when he was just 18 years old. While working as a forklift driver, Mike drew upon the automotive mechanics training he had received in high school. His brother-in-law, a master marine technician on Florida’s East Coast, recognized Mike’s mechanical ability and took him under his wing, introducing him to the specialized world of boat repair and marine service.

Mike later accepted a position at a larger marina while continuing to perform side jobs with his brother-in-law. After moving back to Jacksonville and completing a winter season there, an opportunity brought him to Southwest Florida. He gained additional professional experience working at Gulf Wind Marine and Gulf Coast Marine, where he continued developing his skills and understanding of the boating industry.

Confident that he could provide boat owners with a more thorough and personal level of service, Mike began repairing boats from his garage. What started as a small operation quickly grew into a dedicated shop, marking the beginning of Do All Dockside Marine Service.

As the company’s reputation and customer base expanded, Mike quickly outgrew that first shop. A friend who owned a paint store offered him the opportunity to move the business into a larger, air-conditioned facility where there was room to continue growing. Do All Dockside Marine Service operated from that location for approximately 15 years. Although Mike attempted to purchase the property, an even better opportunity was waiting for the business.

Do All Dockside Marine Service eventually moved into an impressive 5,000-square-foot facility situated on 2.5 acres. Now located in Englewood, the company has the space, experience, and capabilities needed to continue providing dependable marine repair and maintenance services to local boat owners.

Family remains at the heart of the business. Mike and his son work together performing repairs and servicing boats, while his wife and daughter also pitch in to help keep daily operations running smoothly. Their combined efforts have allowed Do All Dockside Marine Service to remain a genuinely family-owned and operated Southwest Florida marine service company.

One of the qualities that sets the company apart is Mike’s direct involvement in every repair and service. Rather than sending a boat through a rushed or impersonal process, Mike personally performs the work and ensures that each vessel receives a complete and thorough inspection from top to bottom and front to back. This detailed approach allows the team to identify potential problems, communicate honestly with customers, and help boat owners maintain the safety, reliability, and performance of their vessels.

The company’s continued success speaks to Michael Rhoden’s dedication, mechanical expertise, attention to detail, and ability to overcome the many obstacles and challenges that are part and parcel of business ownership. From learning alongside a master technician at 18 years old to building a successful family-operated marine repair business, Mike’s story represents the determination, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurial spirit found in outstanding local businesses.

We take this moment to acknowledge and thank Michael Rhoden and his family for the past, present, and future contributions that Do All Dockside Marine Service has made and will continue to make to Englewood, Sarasota County, and the surrounding Southwest Florida boating community.

Michael Rhoden, you are highly commended and appreciated for being a dedicated business owner and playing the business owner game in Sarasota County, Florida.

Do All Dockside Marine Service is accepting customers for professional boat repair, marine maintenance, inspections, and related marine services. To discuss your boat’s service or repair needs, call Mike and the Do All Dockside Marine Service team at (941) 697-7029 or visit www.doalldockside.com.

Please shop local and support this Top Gun Sarasota County family-owned marine service business!