A wealthy Florida family has further consolidated its holdings on Mackinac Island with the purchase of a private dock that can accommodate up to six large yachts at once.
The Naples, Fla.-based Hoffmann Family of Companies announced Friday that its subsidiary Hoffmann Marine acquired East Dock LLC, a 180-foot private dock at 6937 Main St., just east of the Mackinac Island State Park Harbor.
Keep up with all things West Michigan business. Sign up for our free newsletters today.
Terms of the transaction, which closed Dec. 31, were not disclosed.
The seller was an entity registered to William Anton, which acquired the dock in 2016 for $1.9 million, according to property records. Anton is co-founder with his wife, Patricia, of Anton Airfood Inc., a Tulsa, Okla.-based airport food service provider serving major U.S. airports.
Jenny Gezella, president of Hoffmann Marine, said in a statement the Hoffmann family is “thrilled” to add East Dock to its growing portfolio in Northern Michigan.
“We look forward to continuing the dock’s legacy of providing first-class service and facilities to guests for years to come,” Gezella said. “Adding the East Dock to our portfolio continues to show the Hoffmann Family’s investment in Mackinac Island.”
The East Dock can accommodate large yachts of between 40 and 120 feet in length for short- and long-term stays and has been known to dock as many as six vessels at once, according to Jessica Curruth, a spokesperson for the Hoffmann family.
Amenities at the recently renovated dock include a crew lounge, laundry facilities and grilling stations. It also has a new electrical system with service of up to 100 amps, water access at every pedestal, high-speed Wi-Fi and garbage disposal services.
The East Dock will continue to be managed by Veronica Dobrowolski, who also is CEO of Sip n’ Sail Cruises and president of the Arnold Transit Company, formerly called the Mackinac Island Ferry Company. Both entities are also owned by the Hoffmann family.
“I’m thrilled to support the Hoffmanns in expanding their marine presence on Mackinac and look forward to continuing to welcome guests to this stunning island,” Dobrowolski said in a statement on the deal for East Dock.
With the acquisition, Hoffmann Marine’s portfolio now includes 15 docks and 46 vessels across seven states, including docks in Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island and St. Ignace.
The Hoffmann Family of Companies private equity firm was founded by David Hoffmann and is led by his sons, second-generation co-CEOs Greg and Geoff Hoffmann.
The company’s first deal on Mackinac Island was the acquisition of Shepler’s Ferry in 2022. The firm then sewed up ownership of all passenger ferries to the island with the acquisition of Sip N’ Sail Cruises in May 2024 and Mackinac Island Ferry Company in June. The family rebranded the latter as Arnold Transit Co. in September.
Citing a cultural interest in Northern Michigan that grew out of its acquisition of Shepler’s, the family also bought St. Ignace-based Maurer Publishing LLC, the publisher of the St. Ignace News and the Mackinac Island Town Crier, in March 2023, under the banner Hoffmann Media Group.
The firm also acquired Gladstone-based Besse Forest Products Group, an Upper Peninsula wood products manufacturer, in March 2024 and Lowell-based Envision Engineering, a full-service metal forming manufacturer, in July 2024.
David Hoffmann made his early fortune in the 1980s after founding the Chicago-based executive search firm now known as DHR Global, which is still the conglomerate’s cornerstone business.
From there, he branched into private equity through Osprey Capital LLC, now structured as a family office, and into real estate via Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate, which today manages properties cumulatively valued at more than $1 billion.
Under the second generation, the Hoffmann Family of Companies expanded into new industries and its verticals now include aviation, agriculture, financial services, hospitality, business and professional services, industrial, manufacturing, marine, media and marketing, real estate and transportation.
The Hoffmann Family of Companies now owns about 120 global brands, with businesses that employ more than 16,000 people across 400 locations in 30 countries, according to the firm.
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
New west side venue with pickleball, golf simulators, bar aims for ‘refined and elegant’ experience
WhiteWater to start review process for restoring Grand River’s rapids north of downtown
Gentex promotes longtime technology exec to COO position
